Wren's Nest Forest Preschool

The Wren’s Nest teachers are outdoor educators whose teaching styles are flexible and creative, allowing them to nimbly adjust plans to suit the evolving needs of the students and the changing Vermont seasons. Their curriculum depends less on rigid structure or rote learning, but more on independent exploration—allowing each child to engage with their natural environment through play with the guidance of skilled instructors.

Wren’s Nest is a holistic, interdisciplinary, and sensory-based approach to learning, and a companion program to Willowell’s nationally-recognized outdoor high school program, The Walden Project. It is our goal at Wren’s Nest to foster students’ independence and an understanding of their interconnectedness with the whole world. Children come away with a deep level of comfort and love for the land they play and learn on. Above all, Wren’s Nest creates a space for children to cultivate their natural sense of awe and wonder.

The program incorporates specific themes rooted in the changing bounty of the land and the seasons. Areas of study include learning about wild plants, fire building, animal tracking, building shelters, sensory awareness, ornithology, singing, movements, gardening, drawing, indoor and outdoor cooking, scavenger hunts, storytelling, special guests, and an age-appropriate seasonal celebration.