Nature-Based Kindergarten

• Research demonstrates that experiences in nature are beneficial to all areas of development
• This opportunity is one solution to all day EVERYDAY quality programming for kindergarten children in PSD
• This is an excellent learning opportunity for all kindergarten children
• Children will continue in their community kindergarten classrooms as per the PSD Kindergarten calendar, attending Nature Kindergarten on alternating days (e.g. if a student attends regular Kindergarten on Monday/Wednesday, they will attend Nature Kindergarten on Tuesday/Thursday, and vice versa).

This early years enrichment opportunity will allow children to spend the vast majority of their day outside engaged in meaningful ways with their body, mind and spirit while located in a natural setting. These students will continue with their current Parkland School Division kindergarten programming within their respective community schools.

Working as a group of adventurers, nature-based kindergarten children will be given additional outdoor opportunities by Parkland School Division to be self-directed through their own curiosity and exploration. Using multiple natural learning environments, children will develop confidence in their own abilities to investigate and to collaborate outdoors and within their natural environment. Children will be physically active and engaged in movement skills that will facilitate their balance, stamina and strength.

Children will be supported by trained, certificated staff who use an emergent curriculum in addition to a risk management plan to include activities and learning experiences that occur outside. In order to ensure an optimal environment for the children, a teacher and educational assistant will be available to support the kindergarten students.

The program is primarily taught at Muir Lake School where staff and students have access to an indoor classroom as well as the outdoor forest classroom. The site offers wide open and treed terrain to form a rich natural learning environment. The children are able to observe a range of wildlife habitats, including a beaver pond.

On Fridays (weather permitting), classes will travel to other nearby nature spaces, including the Chickakoo Lake Recreation Area and Muir Lake Day Use Area, to expand their exploration and discovery. 

Nature Kindergarten educators consult the forecast regularly, and weather-related safety is considered in all decisions (e.g. how far to venture away from the outdoor classroom, how long to be outside, etc.). In cases of extreme cold (-23ºC or below, including wind chill) or extreme heat (+30ºC or above), staff will limit students’ length of exposure and constantly assess the children’s comfort and safety (watching for signs of frostbite, hypothermia, heat exhaustion, etc.). An on-site warming shelter (for colder days) and access to indoor shelter, washrooms and learning labs ensure that learning can safely continue in such conditions.

Fees for the Nature Kindergarten Program are included in the Parkland School Division Fees and Allowances Schedule for 2020-2021 as approved by the Board of Trustees at their regular meeting on March 10, 2020. The fees for the program have been set at $6,000 or $600 per month. Nature Kindergarten fees are charged on a cost-recovery basis for the program. The fees will offset costs that include:

• Instruction from a certificated teacher
• Support from an educational assistant
• Bus transportation from either Spruce Grove or Stony Plain congregated stop locations.

Parents participating in the Nature Kindergarten program will be responsible for taking their children directly to the congregated bus pickup/dropoff locations in Spruce Grove or Stony Plain. Pickup/drop-off locations and times will be communicated to families over the summer.

We will strive to accommodate everyone interested in registering for this program on a first-come, first-serve basis. We will be keeping a wait list in case of cancellations or if we get enough registrations for an additional class. If you are interested in having your child on our wait list, please call Muir Lake School at 780-963-3535.