Heartwood Nature School is rooted at Maple Crest Farm in West Newbury, Massachusetts.
We are dedicated to giving children an unmatched early childhood learning experience and creating a village of families who value nature immersion and play, community, environmental stewardship, and kindness and respect for all people.
We are the first fully-licensed outdoor learning program on the North Shore, and the only program to operate out of a yurt.
We believe you cannot truly love something you don’t have a relationship with. Our goal is to nurture each child’s relationship with nature.
Preschool
Kindergarten
After-School
OUR OFFERINGS
The forest is an amazing place to explore, capture curiosity, practice adventurous play and independence, and gain experience in the social skills necessary to be mindful classmates and friends.
Since the ’90s, we’ve seen a hyper-focus on academic learning for children as young as 2 or 3. The average American child spends 4-7 minutes a day in outdoor, unstructured play and roughly 7 hours in front of a screen.
WHAT’S AT OUR HEART
CONNECTION TO NATURE
CULTIVATING KINDNESS
GIFT OF AGENCY
HONORING CHILDHOOD
LOVE OF EARTH
OUR TEACHERS
We observe the capabilities and desires of our young friends and capitalize on their organic interests to create our nature-based, emergent curriculum.
“
The two years our son spent at Heartwood have been nothing short of magical. The value of spending each day outside, surrounded by the sights, sounds, smells, and sensations of nature, is tough to overstate. Through Heartwood, he fostered compassion, self-confidence, social and emotional growth, and a set of nature skills that already put both of his parents to shame. In Heartwood, he—and our entire family—found a truly singular community, and he’ll carry the benefits of his experience there with him wherever he goes.
— KENDALL, father / PRESCHOOL
