FAQs
Q. How do I enroll in Thorne Nature Preschool?
A. We accept enrollment applications year-round for the current school year and future school years. CLICK HERE to learn more about the enrollment process and waitlist.
Q. Why nature preschool?
A. Nature preschools, are a special breed of preschool. A growing body of research shows that frequent play in nature stimulates all of a child’s developmental domains, including cognitive, creative, physical, social and emotional, and spiritual, preparing children to succeed in school and in life.
Nature preschools have all the same child development goals that traditional schools have, but they also are committed to accomplishing those goals through experiences in and with nature, and have an added goal of helping children begin to develop care and concern for the natural world. Nature Preschools offer young children frequent experiences to learn and play in nature, and have a compelling impact on child development and well-being, while laying the foundation for environmental literacy and stewardship values. Early childhood is a critical time in life to provide opportunities to spend time playing outdoors, building upon children’s inherent curiosity and love of nature. Studies show that environmental stewardship is born from an emotional connection to nature, which often develops in early childhood. In fact, over 35 years of studies from around the world show that the single most common influence on adult stewardship values comes from unstructured, frequent childhood play in wild settings.
Q. Why Thorne?
A. For more than six decades, Thorne has been a nationally recognized leader in environmental education. We have designed the business plan and academic model for our Preschool based on best practices in the field as well as the wisdom learned from visiting and observing the most successful nature-based preschool programs across the country.
Q. What is the cost?
Q. Is Thorne a universal preschool provider?
A. Yes!
Colorado families have the opportunity to enroll their children at Thorne Nature Preschool and receive funding from the State to cover up to 15 hours of care as part of the State’s Universal Preschool program (UPK). Children who will be four years old by October 1 of the current year qualify to participate in the Universal Preschool program through Thorne in the fall of that year. Priority for UPK spots is given to returning families. Please inquire about availability for four-year-olds. Children with certain qualifying factors can receive up to 30 hours of care through the Universal Preschool program.
Registration for the Colorado Universal Preschool Program, which includes Thorne Nature Preschool, is managed by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood. You can find out more about Universal Preschool by visiting their website.
We encourage anyone interested in receiving information about this program and updates to fill out this Interest Form, call 303-499-3647 x106 or email preschool@thornenature.org.
Q. Will nature preschool prepare my child for Kindergarten?
A. Yes. Thorne Nature Preschool has the same early childhood development goals of traditional preschools and kindergartens, but will accomplish these goals through meaningful, authentic experiences in nature. Utilizing integrated academic and social curriculum grounded in nature, Thorne Nature Preschool nurtures the well-being of each child while preparing them to succeed in school and in life.
Q. Will there be academics?
A. Yes. Thorne Nature Preschool integrates academic and social curriculum into each day, through experiences grounded in nature. The Preschool strives to achieve industry-standard benchmarks for early childhood development, and goes beyond these to include the many benefits of immersion in nature.
Q. What is the teacher-to-child ratio?
A. Thorne Nature Preschool is an intentionally small program limited to 33 children. The student-to-teacher ratio is a maximum of 6 children to 1 paid staff member. Our child-to-adult ratio is often even lower than this due to the support of fantastic volunteer staff.
Q. Where is the school located?
A. Thorne Nature Preschool is based at our brand-new Lafayette Nature Center at 300 Old Laramie Trail E, Lafayette, CO 80026. CLICK HERE to learn more about preschool at the Lafayette Nature Center.
Update on the Boulder location: Sadly, we’ve had to close our Boulder location for the 2024-2025 school year because of the upcoming renovations on the East Boulder Community Center. We hope to be able to run preschool in Boulder again at some point in the future!
Q. What happens on a rainy or snowy day?
A. For young children, rain and snow can be as much fun as a sunny Colorado day, as long as they are dressed appropriately. Thorne Nature Preschool will engage in learning outdoors on rainy and snowy days, so please make sure to always pack a waterproof layer for your child. Thorne Nature Preschool follows the Child Care Weather Watch guidelines and in the event of lightning or extreme weather, Thorne Nature Preschool will retreat indoors.
Inclement weather closings:
Thorne Nature Preschool follows Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) for weather related closures and delays. If BVSD cancels school due to weather, Thorne Nature Preschool will be cancelled. If BVSD has a delayed start due to weather, Thorne Nature Preschool will start at 10 am instead of 9 am.
BVSD weather related closures and delays are posted on a banner at the top of the home page of their website. Public notice of a closure is posted as soon as possible after the decision has been made, generally no later than 5:30 am on the day of the closure.
Thorne Nature Preschool will notify families via email and our parent communication apps when there are weather related closures and delays.
Q. How much time will my child spend outside?
A. Children will spend almost the entire program time outdoors, except in the event of lightning or extreme weather, in which case we will retreat indoors to our cozy classroom.
Q. What if I don’t want my child to attend every day of the week?
A. The research shows that children benefit the most from frequent and consistent experiences in nature. Thus we welcome families to attend 5 days per week (M-F), 3 days per week (M/W/F) or 2 days per week (Tu/Th).
Q. What if my child needs full day care?
A. Thorne Nature Preschool offers a half-day, 4.5-hour program and a full-day, 6.5-hour program. We also provide early care from 8:30-9 am. Click here for information about our early care program.
Q. Does my child need to be potty trained to attend?
A. Yes, children need to be toilet trained in order to attend. Children are required to be fully potty-trained before starting at Thorne Nature Preschool. We realize that enrollment commitments may need to be made before potty training has been completed and understand that some transition time may be necessary. We are here to support your family in this transition and work together during the fall to ensure children are fully potty-trained before winter and cold temperatures arrive.
Fully potty-trained children can:
Identify when they need to go to the bathroom; tell a teacher that they need to go to the bathroom; use different kinds of toilets – an indoor bathroom (in home and in public), a pit toilet (like at the Public Road trailhead), a portable toilet; pull their pants and underpants down and back up; sit on the toilet independently; aim their urine stream consistently into the toilet; use the toilet without soiling their clothes or the area around the toilet; flush the toilet; wash their hands effectively
Q. How do meals and snacks work?
A. Parents should supply their child with a healthy snack, lunch, and water each day. After arriving at our outdoor learning area for the day (around 10:15 am), children will wash their hands and have snack. At around noon, children will wash their hands and have lunch. Staff encourage children to drink water throughout the day to help them stay hydrated.
Q. How much structure will there be?
A. The program aims to strike a healthy balance between predictable daily routines, group activities, teacher-led lessons, and plenty of time for open-ended nature play and exploration.
Q. What will my child do?
A. Children at Thorne Nature Preschool will spend their days playing, learning, exploring, running, jumping, digging, building, climbing, hiking, balancing, tumbling, skipping, observing, negotiating uneven surfaces, drawing, imagining, collaborating, listening to and telling stories, singing songs, and making friendships.
Q. Will my child come home wet and muddy?
A. Yes! Children love to experience whatever elements exist in nature, whether it’s a snowy hill, a mud puddle, or a quiet meadow. Thorne staff allow children to play and learn through experiencing nature first-hand, which often leaves kids wet and muddy. We ask parents to dress children appropriately for the weather and keep a second set of clothes in your child’s backpack.
Q. What clothing will my child need?
A. Appropriate clothing that keeps children warm, dry, and protected from the elements is critical to their comfort and well-being. Clothing needs will vary according to season and weather conditions but generally should include the following:
rain or snow pants
jacket
waterproof boots
quality waterproof mittens
insulating hat or sun hat
multiple insulating layers
Q. Do staff have first aid training?
A. Yes. All staff have first aid, CPR, Standard Precautions and Medication Administration training and carry comprehensive first aid kids at all times.
Q. What kind of opportunities for parent involvement will there be?
A. Thorne Nature Preschool values building a strong, supportive, inclusive community between classmates, families, and preschool staff. To this end, Thorne holds family events to celebrate nature and the changing seasons throughout the year. To support nature connection for the entire family, Thorne organizes potlucks, family gatherings, and nature exploration days. Thorne believes that a healthy, rich, meaningful sense of community within the Nature Preschool, cultivates the human connection that is equally as important as nature connection.
Q. Does the Preschool require parents to volunteer?
A. Thorne does not require parents to volunteer, but loves to have parents support the program as guest presenters or volunteers for special projects. Please contact your child’s teacher or the Preschool Manager to discuss options for volunteering.
Q. How will I know how my child is doing?
A. Thorne Nature Preschool has desired goals and outcomes for children regarding early childhood development and environmental literacy. Teachers will document children’s learning and assess outcomes on a regular basis, through ongoing observations and students’ work. Teachers use a photo-sharing app that lets parents get a timely glimpse into their child’s day!
Student assessment will allow teachers to:
Follow each child’s progress
Celebrate children’s work
Inform emergent curriculum
Share assessments with parents
Thorne values open communication with families and will share information and student assessments through:
Weekly photo sharing as well as checking in at drop-off and pick-up
Parent-teacher conferences- 2 times per year
Regular emails with program updates and important information
Q. When does the school year begin? What holidays does the school observe?
A. The school year starts the 4th Monday in August and operates through the Thursday before Memorial Day Weekend. We follow the standard Boulder Valley School District school year calendar for vacations and some holidays. Click here for more information about our schedule, including a link to our school calendar.
Holidays and School breaks when Thorne Nature Preschool is closed
Labor Day
Thanksgiving week
Winter holidays (2 weeks)
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Presidents’ Day
Spring break (same week as BVSD)
Two days per semester for parent-teacher conferences and staff training and development
Note: Occasionally there will be no aftercare to allow for family events, staff meetings, conference preparations, etc. Families will be given two weeks notice of these dates.
Q. Does the school schedule include special events or family/teacher conferences?
A. The school has a rich calendar of events and conferences to build a vibrant school community. Events include celebrations to mark each season, potlucks, and a picnic to end the school year.
Q. What are the ages of children accepted?
A. Children ages 3 through 6 can attend Thorne Nature Preschool. Group size is maintained at a maximum ratio of 6 children per 1 adult. Children must be three years old by their start date and fully toilet trained in order to attend Thorne Nature Preschool.
Q. Who are the teachers?
A. Please refer to our Faculty page for information on our teaching team.
If you are interested in employment and volunteer opportunities, CLICK HERE to learn more.
Q. How large are the classes?
A. 33 children, 3 groups of 11 children with 2 staff per group
Q. Are tuition scholarships available?
A. As part of our commitment to inclusion and equity in its programming, Thorne offers a financial aid program for low-income Latinx families.
Q. Can I attend an open house?
A. We have a Virtual Open House and offer in-person Open Houses regularly. Please see our Enrollment page to register for an Open House.
Q. Who do I contact for more information?
A. If you are interested in enrolling your child or joining the waitlist for the next school year, please visit the enrollment page. All other inquires can be sent to preschool@thornenature.org.
Q. Do you offer Parent and child classes?
A. Yes! We are excited to offer the Lil’ Explorers parent and child nature play program, beginning in the spring of 2024. Please sign up for our email list to be notified when we have additional information about this program.
