In the Pines Nature Program in Summit Park UT and Oakley, Ut. We are committed to facilitating a healthy environment for children to play and learn. We help children build important and lifelong skills, such as: emotional regulation, problem solving, communication, teamwork, logic, creativity and empathy for others and the natural world. Children will be encouraged to take healthy risks, find answers through exploration and to develop a deep love and respect for the natural world. 

Our Mission

• Offer a daily experience that emphasizes: connection to the natural world, play and social/emotional development.

• Help create stewards of the environment and young naturalists, and to align our program with important environmental standards. 

• Create an environment which respects the magic and wonder of early childhood, and that nurtures a child’s mind and body.

• Practice and teach kindness to others, and to mother earth.

• Use age-appropriate activities and games to encourage curiosity and understanding of our climate, seasons and flora/fauna. 

Our Curriculum

We are an emergent program, which means that we base our projects and lessons on the arising interests of the children, as well as the changes in the seasons and in nature. In addition to our daily circle time, which consists of: good morning songs, calendar, weather, and story time; we will also be bringing in art, music, and prompts based on their current interests. This is in addition to the free play that is scheduled every day.

Free play is a very important time for children to learn how to take healthy risks, explore, socialize and use their imaginations. We believe this is the most important part of their day.

Weather

We are of the mindset that there are (ALMOST) no bad weather days, just bad clothing choices. We have witnessed firsthand kids playing in all sorts of weather, that many people wouldn't dream of going out in.  As long as the kids have the appropriate clothes on, they usually do well. We have an ice fishing tent that we set up in the winter for our circle time, snacks and lunch. We also have a small tent heater for it, but the tent alone is surprisingly warm on its own.

There is no standard guideline for when it is too hot or cold to be outside. Teachers will be mindful of temperature, precipitation, and wind chill, as well as of the physical and emotional state of the children. There are other circumstances when it is unsafe for children to be outside (lightning, high wind, smoke/red air days). While we always try to give advanced notice when we can, it is possible that we will have to cancel at the last minute or call parents early to pick up early.

"Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn." -Fred Donaldson