There was a time when the world was a song and the song was exciting -

Les Miserables

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Words from the director, Vanessa: Working in Early Childhood Education and Development for the past 30 years, my experience and education has helped me to continually develop my philosophy about young children, how they look at the world through their eyes as they explore their surroundings in our beautiful Western NC region. 

 

All children should be exposed to a world full of marvelous places for adventure and exploration, for discovering beauty and mystery, and for stirring the imagination. Our outdoor learning environments for both programs are designed to do just that, plus provide positive experiences that develop a sense of self, encourage a value for all living things, and connect to the natural world. There is a growing body of research that links nature-based learning with higher scores on standardized tests, improved physical fitness, a more developed understanding of science and math concepts, reduced effects of ADHD and better academic performance all around (The Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv and the Children & Nature Network www.childrenandnature.org).

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 Here at Nessa’s Young’uns Natural Play Center we believe in one important thing; that children have a chance to be children, to be themselves. Here they will get that chance and experience the natural world by getting dirty, digging for earth worms, racing frogs, making mud pies, feeling the mud between their toes and soft plants on their feet, picking and tasting berries, digging veggies from the garden, watching daffodils unfold in early spring, hearing rain on the leaves, catching snow on their tongues in winter, rejoicing in the sweet scent of flowers and herbs, and exploring everything as we go AT THEIR PACE.  We are hoping that such experiences fill your child’s world with song and sweep them away in a joyful childhood dance.

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I have partnered with Ann Thompson and Jan White, natural learning play consultants of the United Kingdom, where together they have came up the elements of natural play philosophy.  I have adopted these elements for our program as well. You may find it at Jan's website https://janwhitenaturalplay.wordpress.com

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Please check out further wonderful natural play resources at Ann Thompson's website https://www.naturallycreative.net