Calgary Nature Kindergarten
Offering the Alberta Kindergarten Curriculum through learner-lead exploration of the natural world.
What is Nature Kindergarten?
Nature Kindergarten is publicly funded and mandated to deliver the Alberta Education Kindergarten curriculum with a full day program running from 9 am - 3 pm, 2 days per week plus alternating Fridays. Nature Kindergarten pedagogy is based on two philosophies, the Reggio Emilia approach and the Forest & Nature School ethos. We strive to maintain an environment that aligns and speaks to the best practice and core principles of each approach.
Children and staff spend the majority of each day learning and playing in a natural outdoor environment with an adjacent indoor classroom for extreme weather events and project development.
Two locations based in Calgary, Alberta —Rosemont Community Hall/Confederation Park and Red Deer Lake United Church/Lloyd Park. The indoor classroom and the outdoor learning spaces at each Nature Kindergarten have been designed with the intention of provoking the interests of the children and to be living spaces that hold the stories and creations of current and past students. The indoor classroom is seen as an extension of the outdoor learning spaces where the discoveries and artifacts of the outdoors become living memories inside.
Nature Kindergarten has a maximum class size of 19 children at our Red Deer Lake United Church location and 18 children at our Rosemont location with an outdoor classroom ratio of 1:9
Our program thrives with the help of our amazing volunteers and we ask that each family contributes a minimum of 12 hours for the school year. The most frequent volunteer opportunity is assisting the Nature Kindergarten Staff on Park Days (Park Days are full days where the children visit a local park to play and learn). Other volunteering opportunities take form in actions like joining the Children’s Commons Ecological Society Board of Directors, joining a Parent Committee, helping with clean ups, building projects, and more.
Our team uses the application Storypark to assist in planning and to document our observations of the learning that is taking place with the children. It also aids in helping streamline communication with parents. We will send families Storypark invitations at the start of each year. If you wish to learn more about Storypark you may want to visit their family page.
Nature Kindergarten is publicly funded with a $75 registration fee and $380 programming fee.
Land Acknowledgement
We live, work and play in the fields, forests and river banks of the City of Calgary on municipal and privately-owned lands. The story, like others across North America, does not begin nor end here. The story begins with the traditional first people of the land, the people of Treaty 7 of Southern Alberta, who lived on and cared for the land for centuries. We find ourselves on uncertain ground between two parts of one story. We are finding our way, working to understand what true heart-felt reconciliation looks like.
Testimonials
“Nature Kindergarten is one of the most developmentally appropriate programs I have ever seen. As a teacher myself, I thought long and hard about the kind of early childhood program I wanted for my child, and this program was everything and more. Their curiosity was kindled in this program, and their connection to the environment was deepened through extensive time outside. The classroom was a safe space to express emotion and learn the key social emotional skills to help navigate relationships and expectations at full day school for grade 1. At the end of the year, my child was more mature, independent, curious, and kind. I know they are ready for Grade 1 thanks to the fabulous teachers and amazing program. I cannot say enough about Nature Kindergarten!”
“The program was such a postive experience for my child. The environment inside and out encouraged curiosity and
exploration of the natural world. The teachers were kind, supportive and respectful. Just great! ”
“Passion is lifted from the earth itself by the muddy hands of the young; it travels along grass-stained sleeves to the heart. If we are going to save environmentalism and the environment, we must also save an endangered indicator species: the child in nature.”