Acres of Fun Preschool — Good Pickin' Farm Education

Outdoor Education

Outdoor education embraces a student led approach, balancing free play and organized play as fundamental approaches to early education.

In addition, resilience, confidence and grit are developed naturally while children steer the direction and content of the curriculum.

Through outdoor activities and generous amounts of outdoor play time, children are guided by warm, inspiring and nurturing educators.

Children who are napping outside usually are not as restless and don't wake during their nap outside, which helps children wake up feeling refreshed and ready to go again. It is believed the cold and fresh air helps oxygenate the brain and release melatonin allowing them to sleep longer and feel relaxed while sleeping.

At Acres of Fun, learning is natural and organic.

Maybe we will count the petals of a flower while on a hike, or maybe we’ll find some interesting animal tracks in the snow that we can learn about. Here at the farm, learning happens even when we don’t realize it.

Our young friends at Acres don’t just learn how to get ready for Kindergarten and future school - they learn how to be good people.

We teach empathy, kindness and responsibility to children by participating in farm chores each day.

Nature-Based Learning

Cognitive - Literacy/Math/Science

Collecting, labeling, classifying, sorting, pattern recognition, storytelling, singing, building structures (engineering), cause and effect in natural world.
Fine Motor

Drawing, cutting, picking (moss & bark off trees, flowers, plants), self-help skills, painting, sculpting, small scale construction, digging, breaking up dirt, carving.
Gross Motor

Hiking, climbing trees, running (on un-even ground), hopping, jumping, swinging, crawling, balancing on logs, circle games, large scale construction (fort building or lifting rocks).
Social

Conflict resolution, circle activities, group games/hikes, spontaneous & uninterrupted free play, group observation, storytelling, fort building, problem solving, building friendships.
Sensory

Water & mud play, digging, sculpting, free exploration, smelling, tasting, nature collecting, weather experiences, music.
Emotional

Uninterrupted imagination play, opportunities to problem solve & negotiate, observation of natural world, exposure to weather, self-help, working together, helping others.