FOREST SCHOOL

Loblolly Forest School is a play-based and place-based outdoor early childhood education program for children ages 3-6 in Mt. Pleasant, SC. 

We believe that play is both an ideal and essential instrument for learning in early childhood, and we honor the magic and wonder of childhood through songs, stories, creative art, and uninhibited play. Our teaching and learning philosophy is rooted in the European Forest Kindergarten model, and we also gain inspiration from the principles of Montessori, Reggio-Emilia, Waldorf, and other child-centered pedagogies. Our highly-trained educators play the role of “guide on the side” versus “sage on the stage.” Teachers observe, inspire, and gently guide children’s play to promote developmentally-appropriate growth. Our emergent curriculum leads us to follow the children, sometimes quite literally, off the path to new discoveries. 

Within the place-based model of learning children return to the same beloved land again and again to feel at home, witness the magic of seasons, and make space for deep and complex play. We share our outdoor classroom with Loblolly pines, heirloom gardens, fruit trees, chickens, and a trio of playful goats at Growing Minds Educational Farm in Mt. Pleasant, SC. Our space is ever-evolving, with additions like mud kitchens, water stations, loose parts play, and our own garden.

We believe it takes a village to raise a child, and therefore we are a cooperative, which means that when families enroll in our year-long program they contribute a certain number of volunteer hours per semester. Options include spending a day in class as a Forest Friend, sharing special talents or skills as a Visiting Villager, helping with classroom projects and trail maintenance, assisting with administrative tasks, etc.

We model and seek to instill concepts of compassion, community, and stewardship through our authentic experiences with the natural world. Our students dig in the dirt, climb trees, sing in the sun, dance in the rain, feed chickens, build fairy houses, plant tomatoes, sweep goat pens, tend gardens, identify birds, and observe the ebb and flow of the seasons. Every day is a new adventure at Loblolly Forest School. Come outside and play!  

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Location: Growing Minds Educational Farm (Mt. Pleasant, SC)

Ages: 3-6 (must be potty trained)

Schedule: M-F, 9:00am - 1:00pm

School Year: September 16, 2019 - May 22, 2020

Teacher/student ratio: 1:6

Maximum Capacity: 20 students

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Admission: Rolling until we reach capacity!

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