Full Day Nature Preschool

Our full day preschool program at The Gardens at Elm Bank is a unique opportunity for families to ensure their children are getting the high quality outdoor time they need each day. The Gardens at Elm Bank provide endless possibilities to nurture a young child's holistic development. The children are active participants in selecting which place we visit each day and how we explore it. 

We spend our mornings in the forest and the extraordinary gardens. (Click here for a video of the grounds.) Families drop-off and pick-up their children at the same outdoor spot every day. At 8:30AM, we begin with a brief circle time that includes greetings, songs, seasonal events, and safety rules. We then travel to our "adventure spot," which varies each day. We carefully select these outdoor "classrooms" for safety and diversity of natural elements that support children's imagination and creativity. Regular spots include Weezie's Garden, a magical playscape offering several different themes to engage the senses of young children, and Dirt Hills, a shady forest refuge where students can climb, explore, and engage in joyful mud play on rainy days.

Children have a small snack at the adventure spot and then are free to play, explore, read, and participate in self-initiated or teacher-guided projects, all under close supervision of our talented, dedicated team of teachers.

Around 11:30AM, the class will travel back to the classroom for lunch and nap (younger children) or individual project time (older children). After nap and project time, the class will typically venture back outside to play as families arrive for pick up at either 3:00PM or 4:00PM.

Family members can review their child's day via the Storypark app, which allows teachers to document individual and group learning in rich format that includes photo and video. Storypark child notes and classroom stories are tagged with relevant early learning competencies, such as "Curiosity & Initiative: The child invents projects and works on them with growing independence."

To inquire about admission to our Wellesley full day preschool program, please complete our interest form and a staff member will be in touch shortly.

Ages 2.5 to 6

September - June (separate summer program)

Monday - Friday

• 8:30AM - 3:00PM: $20,000

• 8:30AM - 4:00PM: $23,000