Grow, Bloom & Thrive: Farm and Forest Kindergarten programs

Grow, Bloom and Thrive was founded by Christine Heer and Lisa Henderson to support the growth of high-quality, nature-immersive early childhood programs in communities throughout Massachusetts which give young children the wide-ranging benefits of building and retaining the contact and strong connection with their natural environment that has historically been the foundation for healthy child development and learning.

Farm and Forest Kindergarten is an early childhood program for children ages 3 through 6 years old. The program philosophy is inspired by aspects of Lifeways, Rudolf Steiner and Reggio Emilia philosophies, and is modeled after Waldkindergartens, Forest Kindergartens in Germany, where teachers and children are primarily outdoors in all types weather, throughout the year - an educational approach and program delivery that has existed since the late 1950’s, mainly in Europe, and is becoming more popular in the US and other countries around the world.

Our unique farm and forest model combines the developmental benefits of unstructured, child-led play in the forest with the invaluable experience of exploring and playing on a farm. Each day begins and ends with a rhythm and routine providing opportunities for the children to connect with each other, their teachers, and the natural rhythms of the day and the seasons. The days are primarily filled, however, with the opportunity to play - to explore and experience all that the farm and forest have to offer.

With an emphasis on an ‘at home in nature’ theme, physical and social development and personal growth, this program challenges and builds children’s observation skills in a subtly changing environment. Both children and families have the opportunity to connect to the seasonal rhythms and beauty of their natural surroundings and engage in the co-generational benefits and abundance of the Community Garden/CSA.

The children are stimulated through exploration and investigation, free-play and the use of open-ended props. Natural materials offer endless opportunities to delve into deep and meaningful play, thereby establishing an essential foundation in all areas of development necessary for fostering a life-long love of learning, along with a deep relationship to the world around them, and the ability to flourish in it.

During part of each day and during extreme weather the program takes place in a cozy, heated yurt.