Our Mission
Children have an innate sense of wonder, and our mission is to foster that sense of wonder through connections with nature by giving children access to our rich local natural & wilderness spaces.
Our Philosophy
We believe that children learn best through uninterrupted, child-led play. Play lays the foundation for learning and academic success. Through play, children learn to interact with others, develop language skills, recognize and solve problems, and discover their human potential. Play allows children to work through real-world issues by role-playing, risk-taking, and experimenting in order to make sense of the world. We believe that there is no one teaching method that is best for all children, but rather that borrowing from many (Reggio-Emilia, Montessori, Waldorf, etc.) and adapting them to fit our play-rich environment works best.
At Mother Earth’s Children Preschool, we strive to offer an environment in which children can freely play while preparing themselves for later success. Through these opportunities, children develop the skills that they will require later in a more academic & structured environment. For example, a child playing with clay is developing the fine motor strength that will later be necessary in order to control a pencil to write his name. A child constructing with blocks is exploring basic concepts of physics and at the same time experimenting with numeracy skills that she will later use to form equations. A child playing with dolls is practicing compassion for others while modeling the same love that has been shown to himself. A child playing house with other playmates is learning cooperation, impulse control, and teamwork, all of which will be necessary when entering a larger group environment such as kindergarten.
These many and varied opportunities for play are offered in a nurturing and trusting atmosphere in which children are encouraged to collaborate, ask each other for help, lend a hand to others in need, and communicate in a peaceful way. Teachers offer children respect, trust, and confidence so that children will feel empowered to take healthy risks in order to achieve success and thus be intrinsically motivated learners.
An emphasis on nature-based learning is an integral aspect of our program. Children need ample time outdoors in order to develop their full potential and to develop a respect and appreciation for nature. It is our goal to ensure that children have access to rich, exploratory experiences in nature. We allow them the freedom to explore our natural world, develop a sense of wonder, and take physical risks. In additional to long periods of outdoor playtime, children at MEC engage in weekly excursions into nature spaces, regional parks, and land preserves in order to provide the space and opportunity for this development to take place.
At Mother Earth’s Children Preschool, we strive to offer an environment in which children can freely play while preparing themselves for later success. Through these opportunities, children develop the skills that they will require later in a more academic & structured environment. For example, a child playing with clay is developing the fine motor strength that will later be necessary in order to control a pencil to write his name. A child constructing with blocks is exploring basic concepts of physics and at the same time experimenting with numeracy skills that she will later use to form equations. A child playing with dolls is practicing compassion for others while modeling the same love that has been shown to himself. A child playing house with other playmates is learning cooperation, impulse control, and teamwork, all of which will be necessary when entering a larger group environment such as kindergarten.
These many and varied opportunities for play are offered in a nurturing and trusting atmosphere in which children are encouraged to collaborate, ask each other for help, lend a hand to others in need, and communicate in a peaceful way. Teachers offer children respect, trust, and confidence so that children will feel empowered to take healthy risks in order to achieve success and thus be intrinsically motivated learners.
An emphasis on nature-based learning is an integral aspect of our program. Children need ample time outdoors in order to develop their full potential and to develop a respect and appreciation for nature. It is our goal to ensure that children have access to rich, exploratory experiences in nature. We allow them the freedom to explore our natural world, develop a sense of wonder, and take physical risks. In additional to long periods of outdoor playtime, children at MEC engage in weekly excursions into nature spaces, regional parks, and land preserves in order to provide the space and opportunity for this development to take place.