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Nature School

The waiting list for the 2024/25 school year is now open! CLICK HERE TO ADD TO THE WAITING LIST.

Two smiling people in front of a floral meadow backdrop, standing near educational materials.
May contain: soil, face, head, person, photography, portrait, child, female, girl, bucket, clothing, glove, and outdoors
A child finger painting on paper outdoors, with a pine cone and colorful paint smears on her hands and paper.
A smiling child observing a snail next to a blue crayon on a blue surface with greenery in the background.
Children examining an animal skull outdoors with curiosity. (Note: image is rotated)
May contain: clothing, footwear, shoe, person, child, female, girl, boy, male, people, face, head, photography, portrait, shorts, animal, reptile, and snake
May contain: face, head, person, photography, portrait, clothing, t-shirt, child, female, and girl
May contain: child, female, girl, and person
Two kids observing a stick insect on a child's hand.
May contain: clothing, costume, grove, land, nature, outdoors, person, plant, tree, vegetation, woodland, grass, park, face, head, photography, portrait, dress, skirt, people, summer, formal wear, child, female, girl, footwear, shoe, jungle, purple, hat, accessories, bag, handbag, flower, flower arrangement, flower bouquet, architecture, building, and shelter
May contain: park, grass, outdoors, nature, plant, vegetation, portrait, photography, person, head, face, tree, backyard, yard, people, grove, woodland, land, child, girl, female, shoe, footwear, clothing, shorts, and walking
May contain: architecture, building, outdoors, shelter, plant, tree, clothing, pants, face, head, person, photography, portrait, vegetation, adult, female, woman, grass, nature, park, costume, child, girl, people, boy, male, land, and woodland
May contain: lunch, meal, food, person, male, child, boy, girl, female, man, adult, plate, glasses, accessories, shoe, footwear, and clothing
Group of smiling children in an outdoor setting with paper hearts hanging from tree branches.
May contain: photography, face, head, person, portrait, clothing, pants, grass, nature, outdoors, park, plant, vegetation, footwear, shoe, and tree
Children walking on a forest trail with autumn leaves.
Three smiling children with buckets in a forest setting.
May contain: grass, nature, outdoors, park, plant, vegetation, tree, grove, land, woodland, face, head, person, photography, portrait, clothing, pants, people, footwear, shoe, adult, female, woman, leaf, child, girl, accessories, glasses, jeans, bag, and handbag
May contain: animal, grove, land, nature, outdoors, plant, tree, vegetation, woodland, zoo, grass, park, face, head, person, photography, portrait, walking, herbal, herbs, backyard, yard, deer, mammal, wildlife, jungle, path, boy, child, male, female, girl, kangaroo, soil, architecture, building, and shelter
A smiling child beside a table with artistic white splash designs on a dark surface resembling abstract shapes or numbers.
A close-up of a log with mushrooms and leaves, with children in the background out of focus.
A group of children with an adult in a forest setting, some making playful gestures with their hands.
May contain: clothing, pants, face, head, person, photography, portrait, footwear, shoe, adult, male, man, box, boy, child, animal, reptile, sea life, tortoise, and turtle
Children playing with autumn leaves in a park.
May contain: body part, finger, hand, person, clothing, glove, animal, and zoo
May contain: clothing, coat, plant, vegetation, land, nature, outdoors, tree, woodland, hoodie, knitwear, sweater, sweatshirt, child, female, girl, person, grass, park, boy, male, jacket, face, head, photography, portrait, footwear, shoe, and raincoat
Two children in a playful setting with colorful clothing and toys around. The image is rotated.
May contain: face, head, person, photography, plant, portrait, vegetation, summer, clothing, t-shirt, shorts, tree, land, nature, outdoors, woodland, boy, child, male, grass, park, jungle, body part, finger, hand, soil, footwear, shoe, water, pond, lake, wilderness, and pants
May contain: grass, nature, outdoors, park, plant, face, head, person, photography, portrait, tree, clothing, pants, child, female, girl, footwear, shoe, play area, happy, laughing, and vegetation
Three smiling children posing outdoors on grass with trees in the background.
Children observing a tortoise indoors, with visible excitement and curiosity.
A smiling boy outdoors showing a snail on his hand.
Two smiling people in front of a floral meadow backdrop, standing near educational materials.
May contain: soil, face, head, person, photography, portrait, child, female, girl, bucket, clothing, glove, and outdoors
A child finger painting on paper outdoors, with a pine cone and colorful paint smears on her hands and paper.
A smiling child observing a snail next to a blue crayon on a blue surface with greenery in the background.
Children examining an animal skull outdoors with curiosity. (Note: image is rotated)
May contain: clothing, footwear, shoe, person, child, female, girl, boy, male, people, face, head, photography, portrait, shorts, animal, reptile, and snake
May contain: face, head, person, photography, portrait, clothing, t-shirt, child, female, and girl
May contain: child, female, girl, and person
Two kids observing a stick insect on a child's hand.
May contain: clothing, costume, grove, land, nature, outdoors, person, plant, tree, vegetation, woodland, grass, park, face, head, photography, portrait, dress, skirt, people, summer, formal wear, child, female, girl, footwear, shoe, jungle, purple, hat, accessories, bag, handbag, flower, flower arrangement, flower bouquet, architecture, building, and shelter
May contain: park, grass, outdoors, nature, plant, vegetation, portrait, photography, person, head, face, tree, backyard, yard, people, grove, woodland, land, child, girl, female, shoe, footwear, clothing, shorts, and walking
May contain: architecture, building, outdoors, shelter, plant, tree, clothing, pants, face, head, person, photography, portrait, vegetation, adult, female, woman, grass, nature, park, costume, child, girl, people, boy, male, land, and woodland
May contain: lunch, meal, food, person, male, child, boy, girl, female, man, adult, plate, glasses, accessories, shoe, footwear, and clothing
Group of smiling children in an outdoor setting with paper hearts hanging from tree branches.
May contain: photography, face, head, person, portrait, clothing, pants, grass, nature, outdoors, park, plant, vegetation, footwear, shoe, and tree
Children walking on a forest trail with autumn leaves.
Three smiling children with buckets in a forest setting.
May contain: grass, nature, outdoors, park, plant, vegetation, tree, grove, land, woodland, face, head, person, photography, portrait, clothing, pants, people, footwear, shoe, adult, female, woman, leaf, child, girl, accessories, glasses, jeans, bag, and handbag
May contain: animal, grove, land, nature, outdoors, plant, tree, vegetation, woodland, zoo, grass, park, face, head, person, photography, portrait, walking, herbal, herbs, backyard, yard, deer, mammal, wildlife, jungle, path, boy, child, male, female, girl, kangaroo, soil, architecture, building, and shelter
A smiling child beside a table with artistic white splash designs on a dark surface resembling abstract shapes or numbers.
A close-up of a log with mushrooms and leaves, with children in the background out of focus.
A group of children with an adult in a forest setting, some making playful gestures with their hands.
May contain: clothing, pants, face, head, person, photography, portrait, footwear, shoe, adult, male, man, box, boy, child, animal, reptile, sea life, tortoise, and turtle
Children playing with autumn leaves in a park.
May contain: body part, finger, hand, person, clothing, glove, animal, and zoo
May contain: clothing, coat, plant, vegetation, land, nature, outdoors, tree, woodland, hoodie, knitwear, sweater, sweatshirt, child, female, girl, person, grass, park, boy, male, jacket, face, head, photography, portrait, footwear, shoe, and raincoat
Two children in a playful setting with colorful clothing and toys around. The image is rotated.
May contain: face, head, person, photography, plant, portrait, vegetation, summer, clothing, t-shirt, shorts, tree, land, nature, outdoors, woodland, boy, child, male, grass, park, jungle, body part, finger, hand, soil, footwear, shoe, water, pond, lake, wilderness, and pants
May contain: grass, nature, outdoors, park, plant, face, head, person, photography, portrait, tree, clothing, pants, child, female, girl, footwear, shoe, play area, happy, laughing, and vegetation
Three smiling children posing outdoors on grass with trees in the background.
Children observing a tortoise indoors, with visible excitement and curiosity.
A smiling boy outdoors showing a snail on his hand.

Nature School

Nature School is an outdoor based, first learning experience for kids ages 3-5, who are potty trained and ready for an experience away from their family. This program has zero screen time and is predominantly held outdoors. Nature kids get to visit live animals at the Nature Center, go on nature walks daily and practice nature identification along the way. We provide fun themes every two weeks. All units include play-based learning, healthy body movement like yoga and dancing, themed stories, songs, art projects, sensory exploration and sign language. Throughout the year, we work on social emotional skills including sharing, teamwork, expanding our emotional vocabularies and independent problem solving. We work on age-appropriate school readiness skills including tracing names, cutting with scissors, rhyming, patterns, comprehension questions, raising our hands, as well as number and letter identification. Most importantly, we PLAY, we teach KINDNESS and we truly nurture a love of NATURE!

Instructor: Ellen Flasch

Location: Chico Creek Nature Center, Howard S. Tucker Exhibit Hall

Ages: 3-5

Program Dates: August 26, 2024 through May 29,  2025. The program follows the Chico Unified elementary school calendar with school holidays off. 

Enrollment Options: 

  • Mondays and Wednesdays
  • Tuesdays and Thursdays
  • All 4 days- Mondays through Thursdays

Times: 9:00am-1:00pm

Fee: Billing is on a month to month basis. Monthly fees vary based on the number of days of care. The fee for the 2024-25 school year is $34 per day.

Attendance: There are no attendance requirements. Your child may attend days/hours as needed. CARD does not pro-rate for days unattended.

Registration: Families who were enrolled in the program for the 2023/24 school year have priority to reenroll for the 2024/25 school year. We will start enrolling new families from the waiting list in May for the open spots.  CLICK HERE TO ADD TO THE WAITING LIST.

Program Details: For program details, view the Parent Handbook. Children must be able to use the restroom independently to participate in the program.

24-25 Nature School Parent Handbook.pdf