Nature Preschool

Schuylkill Center Nature Preschool

Ten preschool age children and one adult wearing rain gear stand around a pond in a natural setting.

The Schuylkill Center’s Nature Preschool is a developmental, play-based school where children are immersed in nature. Our days are spent outside discovering, investigating, and learning about the world all around us. We are located on 365 acres of fields, forests, ponds, and streams in northwest Philadelphia, giving children a unique opportunity to explore and learn about their relationship to the natural world in a risk-managed environment.

Children’s ideas, inquiries, and discoveries are nurtured and implemented with hands-on daily experiences. Through these experiences children acquire a deep intuitive understanding of nature and the natural world. Our children are given daily opportunities to use their imaginations, develop critical thinking skills, stretch their muscles, and hone their motor skills.

We offer:

  • Indoor/outdoor classrooms – though most of the days are spent outdoors
  • All-outdoor classroom – this class takes place entirely outdoors, with a home base in nature
  • Multi-age preschool classes – 3-5 years old-children must be 3 by September 1st and fully bathroom-competent
  • Before Care – 8:00-9:00am
  • After Care – 3:30-5:00pm
  • School year runs from early September – early June

Questions? Contact us at [email protected] or call 215-853-6294

Sarah Watrud – Director of Early Childhood Education

Becca Ryder – Nature Preschool Program Manager

Scroll down to see more information and how to start your journey at Nature Preschool.

  • Classroom Options

    All-Outdoor Class

    Three children paint on paper sitting at a wooden table outdoors.

    Two children play in a natural setting, one next to a small table with a chalk sign that says Sassafras and the other leaps in the background excitedly.

    Sassafras

    This class takes place entirely outdoors, with a home base in nature. Children will come indoors only for bathrooms and in dangerous weather.

    Indoor-Outdoor Classes

    Sugar Maple, Sweet Gum, and Sycamore

    Nature-based, but with an indoor and outdoor home base. Children spend most of their time outdoors but also return to their indoor classroom at times.

  • Schedule Options

    Nature Preschool offers three weekly schedules:

    • Three days per week: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
    • Four days per week: Your choice of days
    • Five days per week: Monday – Friday

    Two daily schedule choices are also available for all weekly schedules:

    • Full-day: 9:00 am to 3:30 pm
    • Half-day: 9:00 am to 12:30 pm

    Before care and after care are offered in the same three, four, or five day schedules:

    • Before care: 8:00 am- 9:00 am
    • After care: 3:30 pm-5:00 pm

  • Fees & Tuition

     

    Three preschool age children sitting on a log outdoors.

     

    Tuition Rates 2024-2025

    **Rates subject to change for 2025-2026 school year

      3 days/week 4 days/week 5 days/week
    Before Care $1,596 $2,006 $2,216
    Half Day $5,649 $7,403 $8,957
    Full Day $9,807 $12,632 $15,120
    After Care $2,405 $2,998 $3,329

    Annual tuition can be paid in full at any time, or divided into installments. A $500 deposit is due at the time of enrollment, and 9 installments for the remaining tuition will be charged on the first of each month, September 1 through May 1.

    Tuition assistance is available through the Child Care Works Subsidized Child Care Program.

  • Testimonials

    Four preschool age children look at insects.

     

    “My daughter is a graduate of nature preschool and transitioned easily into our local public kindergarten. My son is currently enrolled in the outdoor class and I really can’t imagine him anywhere else.“

    “All 3 of my kids have attended Nature Preschool and we’ve been very happy! We love the nature center and grounds, the teachers and staff and the friends we’ve made. Highly recommend!”

    “This has been a magical experience for our two children. The teachers are amazing: the education they provide is creative, thoughtful, and inspires a deep love of nature and lasting friendships. I highly recommend this preschool if nature and play are fundamental to your sense of childhood development. My child transitioned easily to her kindergarten class from here and she felt very prepared.“

    “Classroom activities are inventive and varied, and almost always incorporate natural materials – the latest involved the students grinding up found mica rocks with mortar and pestle, to use as glitter in their giant collaborative art piece. Our child comes home exhilarated from exploring nature through daily hikes, and it is clear that the staff embody and imbue our socio-emotional values: kindness, consent, respect for each other and for nature. The impact of learning in a natural setting can’t be overstated – we see how it has increased our child’s curiosity and ability to tolerate and work through frustration. We would highly recommend the SCEE to anyone looking for an alternative to traditional preschool.”

    “When my family began exploring preschool possibilities for our oldest kiddo, I had the pleasure of reading the book There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather. In short, it was a love letter to time spent outdoors, especially when we are young. We desperately wished we could give George the gift of spending as much time outside as possible, so when we discovered Schuylkill Center and its educational programs, we were beyond excited!

    From our time in the Sprouts program, to our current preschool class, we have been so grateful that we have access to such important educational programming. We absolutely love Schuylkill Center’s Nature Preschool and are genuinely grateful for it every day.”

  • Enrollment

    Enrollment Timeline and Process

    1. Schedule a tour today to come see what Nature Preschool is all about. Tours for the 2025-2026 school year begin in November 2024 and continue throughout the school year.
    2. After touring, you will be sent an application where you can indicate your class and schedule preferences. Children must be 3 years old by September 1, 2025 to apply for the 2025-2026 school year. A non-refundable $50 application fee is due at this time.
    3. You will be contacted in early March 2025 to be offered enrollment for 2025-2026 or a spot on our waiting list.

    We still have limited openings for the 2024-2025 school year.

    If you are interested in enrolling for the 2024-2025 school year and your child was 3 years old by September 1, 2024, please contact us at [email protected] or 215-853-6294.

Questions? Contact us at [email protected] or call 215-853-6294

The Schuylkill Center Nature Preschool is an equal opportunity care provider. All children are welcome to attend our program regardless of ability, need, background, culture, religion, gender, or economic circumstances.

Learn more about environmental education at the Schuylkill Center.