Exploring Beyond the Gate
My first group of little nature detectives started in 1996, and we have been spending time in wild places ever since. The Gardner property is directly accessed from here by walking, and the Honda Pilot is equipped with car seats of varying sizes. The whole Island becomes our classroom as we explore our neighbors and neighborhoods, habitats and ecosystems, and the wildlife and plant life throughout the year. We visit some favorite spots throughout the seasons and in changing weather patterns so we can experience the ebb and flow of the natural cycles. Life sciences are the most interesting and accessible of the sciences for young children and meet their needs for immersive, experiential, investigative play/work. Birds, minibeasts, leaves, flowers, trees; clouds, wind, rain, and light and shadow, freezing, melting, are all right here to experience and explore. With immersion comes knowledge and ownership and a burgeoning stewardship for the Earth.
Outdoor learning feeds and develops all the senses organically. The right angles and smooth surfaces of a playground structure are secondary to the sensory richness of walking over tree roots and climbing trees, gazing up into a green canopy of dappled light, or little feet sinking on soft sand with the feel of the ocean breeze on the skin and the smell of damp earth in the nose… and last but not least, spending time in natural settings is such an important and organic link for children’s inner lives, their spirituality and their burgeoning imaginations.
Nature is grounding and inspiring,
and a kind and unconditionally loving teacher.
Please expect your child to be outside every day and provide suitable clothing to enhance his or her safety and comfort (see FAQ section for outerwear suggestions).
Philosophy & Methodology
“We learn from those we love." Lev Vygotsky
Informed by study and refined by practice over 25 years, inspired by all the amazing educators that have come before, my philosophy is unique and very personal. Since 1996, when Sandpipers began, I have been privileged to accompany small children on their early years’ journeys. At the core of my philosophy I believe little children need a bespoke approach to facilitating the growth of roots and wings. It needs to encompass the child’s learning style, personality and diverse developmental levels. I believe in a small group model that bonds deeply, and builds trust and acceptance. "Pre-school" means before school. Sandpipers is a home based environment that incorporates lots of fresh air, natural light, and natural play equipment, and lots and lots of outdoor/wild play and exploration. I believe the parent is the primary educator and so a close working relationship between parent/teacher/child and environment is optimal for comfort, security, and for intellectual, social, and emotional growth. Sandpipers is a play based, explorative, investigative environment that nurtures the development of the whole child.
Island Classroom: Inside, Outside, Wild Spaces,
and the Neighborhood of Nantucket.
“May we raise children who love the unloved things -
the dandelion, the worms & spiderlings.
Children who sense the rose needs the thorn & run
into rainswept days the same way they turn towards sun...
And when they're grown & someone has to speak
for those who have no voice
may they draw upon that wilder bond,
those days of tending tender things and be the ones”.
~ Nicolette Sowder
As the children study the widening world around them they build intellectual skills and gain a strong sense of security and belonging. As children begin to universalise their understanding they feel able and successful. Children are given the environment and the tools to explore their interests, given safe parameters and expectations for behavior, and allowed the freedom to make mistakes. With careful and considered support when needed, and plenty of opportunities for self directed learning, ownership of that learning creates keen interest, builds resilience, and encourages imaginative and thoughtful problem solving. Weave through this, skill building in negotiation and cooperation and we have the strong foundations needed for lifelong successful learning and healthy and positive relationships.
Indoor Classroom
( Update January 2022: We continue to spend a lot of our time outdoors, with some minimal time spent in the indoor classroom. you can get the latest Covid protocol updates upon enquiry).
The indoor classroom has a hardwood floor and is bathed in natural light and fresh air from four huge windows that look on to a naturalistic and pleasant outdoor space. I follow the protocols of the Eco Healthy Child Care organization and use suggested cleaning and hygiene supplies. We enjoy using natural products as much as possible indoors, and bring nature inside to study and to beautify our surroundings.
Outdoor Classroom
Immersion in, and exploration of the outdoor spaces here and natural places around the island. Experienced throughout the year, through all weathers and seasonal changes. Our time outside in the outdoor classroom or visiting Nantucket’s natural environments is an essential and large part of our day, every day. Opportunities to build with small, medium and very large wooden building components, to climb, balance, dig and forage, garden, bird watch, play games, read books in a shady nook, open a mud cafe or shop, explore natural collections of shells and pebbles to make transient art or patterns. Perhaps curate a nature museum with findings from a trip to the beach or trails. Mud, water, sand, gravel, leaves, sticks, herbs, all become the imaginative tools to promote exploration, investigation and discovery. As interest develops children pursue their inquiry journeys at a deeper level.
Neighborhood
Children will get to know the island as “neighborhood” and begin to understand what that concept means. What makes a town? A community? A neighborhood? How are we interrelated? What are our differences and sameness? How do we keep it healthy and safe? What is our collective role and individual responsibility? Understanding these questions at a local level promotes a deep sense of belonging and security that little children need. It prepares the foundations for children to expand those questions to a global perspective and builds the beginnings of critical thinking that is so necessary in the world today.
