“How many dots on the ladybug’s wings?” The teacher asks as the lucky ladybird flies away. “What shape is this leaf? How many colors do you see in this flower?” Nashville outdoor preschool options help young children develop academically under the sun—rain or shine.
The outdoors aren’t just for recess anymore. Enter outdoor preschools, or nature-based preschools, where open spaces are the classroom and wild things are the teachers. Have you ever looked at your child scrolling on a device, and just wished they were a little bit less bound by technology? And fact check: They’ve been around long before the pandemic forced many daycares to conduct business out of doors—Thanks Scandanavia! So whatever the reasons, you may wish your child could be in an outdoor preschool—especially one near Nashville.
Friends, there is good news. The Music City is home to a handful nature-based preschools, so your little ones can develop while growing a stronger connection with the great outdoors. And if you don’t need an outdoor preschool in Nashville. but you wish you knew of more outdoor activities in Nashville—we’ve got you covered with an in-depth article on that, too.
What is an Outdoor Preschool?
Sometimes called forest kindergarten, outdoor schools aren’t limited to one week away at camp. The simple idea is to use the woods as a backdrop for solid education as a way to teach a new generation of children how to connect with the real world.
Sometimes called forest kindergarten, outdoor schools aren’t limited to one week away at camp. The simple idea is to use the woods as a backdrop for solid education as a way to teach a new generation of children how to connect with the real world.
Outdoor and nature-based preschools are licensed by the state and tend to be play-based, imaginative, and social. Additionally, most programs teach a reverence for the earth.
These programs celebrate the right to childhood and offer a magic time children get to spend growing up in the woods.
Finally, some are even outside 365 days a year, in weather of all types! From the soft white snow of January to the hot sun of Tennessee that will make anyone jump in a lake. In Nashville, the weather ranges from very hot and humid, to wet and rainy and cool, to cold and dry, and sometimes snowy. So if you’re considering enrolling your children in outdoor preschool or outdoor school for any age, be sure to wear weather-appropriate clothing. That will help teach children to embrace the rhythms of all seasons.
Clothes for Outdoor Preschool
For outoor preschool, especially around Nashville, children will need clothes to suit each season. No matter which time of year you’re outside, make sure to also pack sunscreen, bug repellant, and lots of water.
Nashville Outdoor Preschool Winter Clothes
- Dress in lightweight layers to be warm and flexible.
- Wool/silk blend longjohns or long underwear
- Wool socks
- Silk glove liners
- Fleece lined winter boots (rubber sole and waterproof outside)
- Fleece jacket
- Outer jacket
- Snow bibs
- Winter gloves
- Winter hat
Nashville Outdoor Preschool Spring Clothes
- Wear lightweight layers underneath, and waterproof rain/water play clothes on the outside
- Fully waterproof suits – for wet days
- Fully waterproof snowsuits – for wet cold days
- Waterproof mitten shells
- Wool lined rubber boots
Nashville Outdoor Preschool Summer Clothes
- Long-sleeved sun shirt
- Sun pants/bathing suit pants or shorts
- Closed toe water shoes
- Sun hat
Nashville Outdoor Fall Clothes
- Dress in lightweight layers to be warm and flexible.
- Fleece jacket
- Outer jacket
- Closed toe outdoor shoes
- Cotton socks
Nashville Outdoor Preschool List
Nashville Nature Days
“Adopt the pace of nature. Her secret is patience.” A quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson reveals the heart of Nashville Nature Days, an outdoor preschool led by two teachers.
Nashville Nature Days offer fall and spring semesters, from September to December and January to May. Each semester offers a two-day Tuesday Thursday or a three-day Monday Wednesday Friday option. An application fee of $100 is required for each new registrant and a $500 COVID-19 fee is fully refunded should the school not close down during the semester.
Waldorf School-centric teaching approach.
A New Leaf Nashville
Next up: Imagine a ten-acre farm full of children, teachers, and goats. At A New Leaf Nashville, their goats and goals are many, including letting nature be a powerful teacher for their students in giving children an authentic childhood.
Programs run in modules of about one month, with a different theme for each module. For instance, in January of 2022, Module 1: Geology and Fossils, ran from January 11—February 4. At the time of this article’s publication, each module cost $475.
Reggio Emilia-inspired approach, where the parents are the first source of a child’s education, the teacher is the second, and the environment, or outdoors, is the third.
A New Leaf Nashville is licensed by DHS.
Nashville Nature Explorers
Nashville natives Leslie and Judy founded Nashville Nature Explorers out of a shared passion for children and the wild. “Our goal is to help children connect with nature and themselves through exploration, play, and facilitating a respectful relationship with the earth,” Nashville Nature Explorers said via their website.
Nashville Nature Explorers offers half-day, after-school, and summer camp programs. Ages range from Little Explorers (ages 3-5) to homeschool students (7-12).
Licensed in each park in which they operate.
Ferntop Nature Preschool (Fairview)
Ferntop Nature Preschool sees itself stewarding God’s creation—both the earth and its children. Their faith-based approach on an 8-acre farm gently leads children to play, discovery, and expression through caring for farm animals, tending and nurturing a garden, and exploring the woods, fields, and surrounding meadows on any given day.
Ferntop offers preschool, home school, and summer camp options.
Located in Williamson County about thirty miles from Downtown Nashville, Ferntop Nature Preschool is licensed by the state of Tennessee.
What do you think of Nashville’s nature-based preschools?
We’ve concluded our roundup of outdoor preschools in Tennessee’s capital city. First, we talked about the choice for Waldorf lovers: Nashville Nature Days. Second, we discussed A New Leaf Nashville, the school running one-month academic programs in a farm and park environment. Third on the list was Nashville Nature Explorers, the small but mighty organization serving preschoolers and homeschoolers. Finally, Ferntop Nature Preschool is the Christ-centered school on a farmstead in Fairview in Williamson County, about a half an hour from SoBro.
Give us your thoughts about outdoor preschools in and around Music City in the comment section, and be sure to share this article with anyone considering a nature-based program in the 6-1-5!