What is special about Nature’s Playground?  It is a mature early childhood program, set in a serene natural setting.  Sheltered under a canopy of ever changing trees, a child is invited to explore the natural world surrounding him.  This world includes many animals in residence, nature trails and many different invitations to experience nature first hand.

How did Nature’s Playground start?  Nature’s Playground was born in December 2004, when the Children’s House, which was the first full day early childhood program in Essex, came to reside at Incarnation Camp.  With the experience of 24 successful years of caring for the toddler and preschool population of our community, the Children’s House joined hands with the many successful outdoor programs for older children, which were already in existence at Incarnation Camp.  Under the direction of Rev. Canon Peter Larom, Director of Incarnation Camp, Nature’s Playground evolved from this unique partnership.

What is the philosophy at Nature’s Playground?  Following a belief that our children are our most valuable resource and the early years are truly the most formative years in a child’s life, a developmentally appropriate curriculum of hands on activities is fashioned to include all modes of hands of learning.

We invite you to step inside of our child friendly environment and to share the fun of building new friendships.  Our mission is to make each day of your child’s time with us a valuable learning experience. 

Goals

We  strive to respect and know each child in our care.  It is our belief that this does wonders for a child’s self esteem.  And, it helps children to love, respect and understand others in return.

Allow children to lean more about themselves, their family, their community and the world around them through developmentally appropriate play.

Recognize each child for the individual he/she is, and to make certain that while at school he/she is stimulated, learning, and given plenty of time to romp with new friends in the fresh air.

Our Curriculum

Specific curriculum goals are incorporated into daily, weekly and monthly educational plans.

Balance structured daily schedule with outdoor/free time.  Daily activities include: large and small motor skills, language, social emotional development, art, music, creative, imaginative, science and social skills.

Staff participate in Early Childhood Development workshops throughout the year.  Ongoing training helps facilitate developmentally appropriate activities.  They are also trained in CPR and medication administering.

General Information:

7am to 6pm Mon-Fri, September to June during the academic year.  June to August a summer program is available.

Enrolling:

Open enrollment

Tuition

Flexible tuition payment plans weekly, bi weekly, monthly, semester plans.

Our Mission

Our mission is to provide quality care and education in a safe environment that will give the children the opportunity to discover the joys of learning trough play.  Children are our curriculum for learning.

The Natures Playground staff are here for each child and their family.  They are an extension of your home, applying your needs and wishes with developmentally appropriate practices of early childhood programs (researched and developed by the National Association of Education of Young Children.)

Our purpose is to provide love, respect and care for each other while building self esteem.  Above all else, our staff is here to provide the best possible care for your child so you can head to work each day with peace of mind.

Licensed by the state of Connecticut.

Testimonials

“It’s great having a team that works with us to help a child”  Judy Iveney Early Childhood Development Teacher Deep River Elementary School.

“My kids are doing and learning so much.  They absolutely love it!  Hands down…this was the best decision we made.”  K Senn