Habitat Nature Preschool
What could be more magical than a preschool where each child's innate connection to nature is celebrated? Through hands-on activities, exploration, movement, and play, Mass Audubon's Nature Preschools support children's curiosity and wonder by using our wildlife sanctuaries as outdoor classrooms. Give your child a fun, unique, and adventurous learning experience that will last a lifetime.
2023-2024 School Year
Now enrolling for the 2023-2024 school year! All interested families must apply for student enrollment using the online application below. Our school year begins the week of September 5, 2023, and runs through the end of June 2024.
Habitat Nature Preschool Enrollment Application, 2023-2024 School Year
Once we have received your enrollment application, we will contact you to schedule a tour.
Weekly Program Options
| 5-day Program | 3-day Program | 2-day Program |
|---|---|---|
| Monday - Friday 9:00 am–1:00 pm | Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9:00 am–1:00 pm | Tuesday, Thursday 9:00 am–1:00 pm |
2024-2025 School Year
Online enrollment for 2024-2025 will be announced soon. Fill out our Interest Form to get alerted when enrollment opens.
Please note: To enroll in our 2024-2025 school year (September 2024-early June 2025) your child must turn 3 years old by September 1, 2024.
Teachers & Class Size
Each class is taught by highly qualified early childhood educators licensed by the MA Department of Early Education and Care. Our class size is 10 students with two teachers, giving a teacher-to-child ratio of 1:5.
Curriculum
Our emergent and nature-based curriculum provides opportunities for indoor and outdoor play—both structured and unstructured—to develop cognitive, physical, social, and emotional growth in each child.
A sense of self and community is created through cooperative experiences and shared discoveries. Through outdoor adventures, art and cooking activities, books, music, and movement, children learn emergent math, science, and literacy skills as they investigate stimulating natural history topics.
Outdoor Exploration
Investigating the forests, meadows, ponds, and gardens encourages emotional connections to the land, promotes physical development, and fosters a sense of discovery. Children learn to identify plants, flowers and wildlife while developing a long-lasting respect and care for the sanctuary and the natural world.
Nature Play
Children are offered the opportunity to play, use their imagination and interact with one another while exploring the changing landscape and various habitats around the sanctuary during all seasons.
Meaningful Connections with Animals
We are so fortunate to be able to provide a variety of authentic opportunities for children to share meaningful connections with animals, including:
- Visiting with the resident goats and learning how to care for them.
- Monthly visits with a resident animal ambassador from Mass Audubon’s Wildlife Care Center at Drumlin Farm (a long-term care facility for injured or human-habituated wildlife that cannot survive in the wild).
- Discovering wildlife by the pond including turtles, bullfrogs, tadpoles, minnows and other fish, ducks, geese, and other birds.
- Observing wildlife in the forest and on the trails including deer, chipmunks, birds, woodchucks, rabbits, turkeys, foxes, and garter snakes.
Contact Us
If you would like to learn more about the Habitat Nature Preschool, you can email us or call 617-207-2160.