Bluestone Nature Playschool
Bluestone Nature Programs celebrates the whole child through unstructured play, ample time in nature, community building, and place-based learning. The natural world serves as our teacher, with developmentally appropriate opportunities to foster social-emotional development, challenge cognitive thinking, awaken our senses, and express our creativity sprinkled throughout each day.
Bluestone follows best practices in nature-based education, meaning all outdoor sites are assessed for risk, learning is documented and shared with families, safety practices are in place for all aspects of programming (i.e. families submit medical and emergency contact information, etc.) and children’s developmental needs drive curriculum.
Please take a moment to learn more about our philosophy and hear what other families have to say. Then, read on below for important information.
Is Bluestone right for your child?
We believe that every child has the right to learn, play, and grow in the great outdoors. If your family values time spent outside, recognizes that play is learning, and honors the importance of giving children the space and time to become kind, responsible, and empathic community members, then nature playschool is for you.
The following criteria are good indicators for a child’s readiness for this nature program:
Must be confidently walking
Must be able to signal their needs (even if non-verbal)
Able to follow a set of 2-3 simple instructions
Able to separate from primary caregiver
Able to feed self without the need for a bottle
Able to make it through the morning without needing a nap
We welcome children still wearing diapers and working on toilet training*. We build in time throughout the day for diaper changes carried out in privacy by our lead Mentors.
*If this applies to your child, please let us know so we can discuss this sensitive topic and how to best support your little one.
To enroll, we require up-to-date immunizations, a health record, and other paperwork relevant to providing the best possible care for your child.
What does a day at Bluestone Nature Playschool look like?
When your classroom is the great outdoors, the seasons and child interest guide exploration, interest, and inquiry. Bluestone Mentors embrace the role of observer and follow the children’s lead, scaffold learning, and build upon their experiences, skills, and knowledge. We provide the space, time, and permission for children to explore and use our knowledge of early childhood education and the natural environment to capture curiosity and wonder. While every day at Bluestone is different, we balance intentional activities and experiences with free, unstructured nature play to mindfully honor each child’s developmental needs.
NY Quality Stars provides early learning standards that highlight development across these domains: approaches to learning through play; language and literacy development; mathematical thinking and expression; scientific thinking and technology; social studies thinking; creative thinking and expression; health, wellness, and physical development; and social and emotional development. The National Association for the Education of Young Children also follows a set of ten standards for early childhood education that inform best practice in teaching practices.
Bluestone Nature Programs looks at child development through the lens of these excellence standards as well as by nurturing skills and values including environmental literacy and ecological identity; caretaking on the land; development of empathy, gratitude, and kindness; self-help skills; mindfulness; supported risk-taking; independence; self-advocacy and consent; spirituality and gardening. Through this, we also support whole child health and well-being.
Get to know our Mentors!
