Our Forest Preschool is:

Play-based and Place-based

using a Child-directed, Emergent Curriculum


Place-based? Emergent curriculum?

Rooted in the work of early childhood theorists like Dewey, Piaget, and Vygotsky, emergent curriculum is a process where teachers plan activities and projects in response to a specific group of children they are working with, taking into account their skills, needs, and interests. It can be practiced at any grade level. Place-based education connects learners to their local human and natural communities, using hands-on, relevant, real-world learning.

OLIVER shovel creek.jpg

A Day with Longleaf Forest Preschool

We begin our mornings with movement and free play. Later, we gather for a Morning Meeting that includes a mindfulness practice, along with a story, a song or a conversation that’s documented in our big book. Daily activities vary throughout the year based on the seasons and children’s interests. Forest School always includes plenty of unstructured, free play.

What else do we do?

  • Invitations to work with various art materials

  • Building forts with found materials

  • Books/stories

  • Music/singing

  • Exploring and investigating the natural world

  • Building Fires and Cooking

  • Quiet-time with a nature journal

  • And…all kinds of science, mathematics and literacy that gets integrated into these activities

CHicken holding.jpg

Enrollment

To be eligible, students should be at least 3 years old by September 1st and have not yet turned 7.

Enrollment Details

  • 9am-1pm

  • 5 , 4, 3 and 2 Day Enrollment Options

School Fees 2025-26

  • All school fees are split into 10 equal monthly payments beginning August 15th, with the final payment due May 15th.

  • 5 mornings: $7,850

  • 4 mornings: $6,300

  • 3 mornings: $4,800

  • 2 mornings: $3,250

  • Drop-ins: $40 per school day for ages 4+, when space available

kid+harvesting+blueberries.jpg

More Details

  • For the 2025-26 school year, we will meet most days at RambleRill Farm, with 1-2 field trip days per month to local parks.

  • Snacks and lunch are provided by families.

  • We generally follow the Durham and Orange County Public Schools academic calendar and will close for certain holidays, breaks, teacher work days and staff professional development.

  • We are limited by the state to a 4 hour program since the state of NC does not currently license nature-based preschools.

  • In future years, as we grow, we plan to offer financial assistance. As a very small program, that isn’t possible yet, unfortunately. However, if a program like this is just what you’d want for your child, but the cost truly isn’t possible, please inquire about options for work/trade.