Fidalgo Nature School

Fidalgo Nature School’s mission is to provide quality, accessible, nature-based education for children in the local community, fostering their sense of belonging in the natural world and a lifelong connection with the outdoors. Play is central to high-quality early childhood education programs. The kind of play that leads to learning is characteristically self-chosen and directed by the child, allows children to explore their own theories about how the world works and is deeply engaging because it is interesting and meaningful to the child. Building on what children already know, teachers provide opportunities to discover more and dig deeper. The curriculum is lively and always developing rather than pre-planned. The learning process is documented in various ways to make what children are wondering about and teachers thinking about visible. Our teachers are given a regularly scheduled hour once a week to plan the curriculum. Fidalgo Nature School is committed to a curriculum that reflects the identities of the children, families, and staff in the program and that focuses on the children’s interactions with the natural world. Our programs currently serve babies, toddlers, and preschoolers with hopes to add programs for school-aged children and beyond.