Nature Kindergarten

Our Nature Kindergarten is a Waldorf-inspired, play- and place-based educational program for ages 4-5 yrs.

This program is designed to support the development of the whole child (head, heart, and hands) through nature immersion, child-inspired emergent curriculum, imaginative play, and creative and artistic experiences.

Your child will benefit from a warm, nurturing learning environment that puts nature and the child at play at the centre of learning. Teachers are mentors, guides and role models, actively embodying curiosity, gratitude, reverence, wonder, and engagement in nature while allowing children to engage through imitation and leading their own learning from the inside out.

What Makes Our Kindergarten Exceptional?

At Rowan Tree, our Kindergarten is a place where childhood is honoured, and learning unfolds with joy, purpose, and connection. Here's what sets us apart:

Small class size
Screen-free classrooms
Nature immersion through daily outdoor exploration
Hands-on, play-based learning rooted in rhythm and routine
Rich storytelling, music, and artistic expression woven into the day
Strong foundation for literacy and numeracy

Nature Connection

Rooted in the principles of Forest and Nature School, children and educators develop a deep connection with the land through regular, repeated visits to familiar natural spaces over time. As the seasons shift, children are immersed in the richness of nature’s changes—through sound, light, colour, scent, and texture. They are invited to find joy and build confidence by connecting with one another and the natural world, exploring new activities, and observing the life that surrounds them.

Screen-free Classroom

The classroom environment is intentionally arranged and filled with beautiful nature sourced materials that inspire and encourage children to work together, build social skills through self-directed play. Teachers will also lead the children into a more imaginative, creative time through singing, storytelling, drama and gross motor and fine motor creative activities. Hands on activities include painting, clay modelling, sewing, finger knitting, baking, building and wood working.

Foundation for Literacy and Numeracy

In the kindergarten program, a strong foundation for literacy and numeracy is built through storytelling, song, rhymes, and rich oral language. Letter sound games foster phonemic awareness, while hands-on experiences with counting, sorting, and patterning support early numeracy. Rooted in movement and imagination, these joyful, developmentally appropriate activities lay the groundwork for the formal academic curriculum introduced in grade one.

Social-emotional Development

Self-directed imaginative play is a vital part of the kindergarten experience, supporting the development of social-emotional skills in a natural and meaningful way. As children create and navigate their own play scenarios, they practice cooperation, conflict resolution, empathy, and emotional expression. This kind of open-ended play fosters confidence, resilience, and a strong foundation for healthy relationships and self-awareness.

Practical Arts

Learning handwork skills such as finger-knitting and sewing, along with practical life activities like baking, folding, sweeping, and dishwashing, offers rich opportunities for developing fine motor skills, coordination, and focus in the kindergarten program. These purposeful tasks also nurture patience, perseverance, and a growing sense of confidence and autonomy, as children take pride in meaningful work they can accomplish with their own hands. Through these experiences, children build not only practical abilities but also important inner capacities that support lifelong learning.

Teachers are mentors, guides and role models,
actively embodying curiosity, gratitude, reverence,
wonder, and engagement in nature.

Nature Kindergarten Options:

Part-time Enrolment:
Choose 1, 2, 3, 4 days (Monday to Friday) 8:50 am - 3:20 pm
Full-time Enrolment:
5 full days (Monday to Friday) 8:50 am - 3:20 pm
Forest School Adventure Days:
The Nature Kindergarten class travels by bus from the school to a nearby wooded area Monday, Wednesday, Friday mornings. The class returns to the school for lunch and spends the remainder of the day on site.
Extended Care:
Before School 7:45-8:50 am / After School 3:20-4:30 pm

Please contact our office to schedule a tour. We look forward to hearing from you! info@rowantreeschool.ca

Admissions Process

Explore. Create. Learn

A joyful journey into learning, rooted in nature and imagination for 4 and 5 year-olds.

Nature Kindergarten

Request Admissions Package

What People Are Saying:

“Rowan Tree Children's School is one of the best decisions we have made for our child's education. We have so much gratitude towards the teachers and educators and all the work that they do with the children. They have given my son a place to explore different modes of art, learn to take risks, create meaningful learning experiences through hands on learning, develop relationships and find his connection to nature. We have noticed so much learning in such a short amount of time.”

— Parent, Nature Kindergarten

“Both of our children attend Rowan Tree Children's School and we couldn't be happier with their programming. Our children are truly celebrated for who they are. Supported in their learning and growth. More so than ever, we feel it is so important to connect our children to nature and their natural environment.”

— Parent, Preschool / Nature Kindergarten

“The Nature Kindergarten is a perfect fit for my exuberant, sensitive, energetic, and sometimes anxious son. He comes home having played in the forest, humming nature-themed songs, and full of stories and rhymes. It is hard to describe how wonderful the program is. But I can easily say: we are so grateful!”