Nurturing the Three C’s
Curiosity
Our forest programs curate curiosity and adventure, giving children the freedom to ask big questions, explore with all their senses, and uncover their own answers through play, discovery, and hands-on experiences outdoors.
Creativity
Rock stacking, fort building, mud painting, leaf races, and whittling masterpieces, around here the forest is our art studio, imagination grows like wildflowers, and every fallen log, winding trail, and towering tree sparks creativity and invites young explorers to dream big!
Critical-thinking
The best thinking doesn't always happen at a desk, sometimes it starts with attempting to cross a creek, a whittling project going awry, or a bug that sparks a hundred questions. Time outside gives kids the chance to test ideas, solve real problems, and discover that their biggest superpower is learning how to think for themselves.
Reintroducing Children To Their Natural Habitat
Before children can truly understand the world, they must first reconnect with the place they were always meant to belong, the natural world. Nature Explorers reintroduces children to their natural habitat through a primal education rooted not in books or classrooms, but in the living forest. Time spent exploring streams, eating edible forest treats, tracking wildlife, and observing the seasonal changes of nature feeds the soul and mind in ways that cannot be replicated indoors. Through inquisitiveness, adventure, and direct experience, children discover not only the outside world but also who they are inside. As they learn to explore the forests, fields, and creeks of Johnston Mill Nature Preserve, they also learn to explore the landscapes within themselves. Their experiences cultivate confidence, curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, and a deep sense of belonging.