After 13 amazing years and so many memories, we have decided to close our doors permanently
Dancing Sol Nature Preschool
We believe children learn when they are curious and having fun. They learn through their senses, through active contact with their environment, and most importantly, through play. Dancing Sol inspires this learning environment with a classroom that extends beyond four walls, into nature.
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What do we provide?
Half-day nature-based preschool 8:30am-12:30pm
Wrap-around additional childcare from 8am-3pm
Schedule options: 2 days (Tue/Thurs), 3 days (MWF)
Enrolling children starting at 3 years old who are potty trained
Small group with outstanding ratio: 10 students with 2 highly trained teachers
State licensed
Learning through Play
Emergent Curriculum
Dancing Sol’s Nature-based Early Childhood Program provides exceptional quality education for children aged three to five years old. At Dancing Sol children learn through playing, creating, and discovering the natural world. The approach is fun, hands-on and experiential and follows children’s interests, needs and learning styles.
We teach compassionate social skills and help children uncover the skills to make our world a better place. Your child will form a deep connection with nature as we explore the woods every day.
The Dancing Sol curriculum is rich with nature education, and you can expect your child to gain a great deal of additional skills that are behind the scenes. The curriculum builds early literacy skills through storytelling and journal keeping, and introduces children to phonemic awareness through games and play. Science and early math skills are integrated into activities. Children express themselves through open-ended, creative art every day. Children are inspired by a variety of quality art materials, recycled items as well as treasures found in nature. Small motor skills are developed as children use natural toys as well as real tools in activities that follow their own interests. Large motor skills are developed as children run, climb, and balance on the playground, and in the woods.
All of these skills are facilitated through an approach that follows the child's lead. As the children show us their passions and interests, we expand and build upon their ideas, harnessing their intrinsic motivation. We use the environment as a teacher, by provoking new thoughts and ideas. In many ways, the teaching becomes invisible.
Outside Every Day!
Deep Nature Connection
Whether observing animals on a nature walk, playing games in the woods, tending the garden or creating food for the fairies in our mud kitchen, children at Dancing Sol are engaged in learning. We know that children learn though play and active involvement with their environment.
Social and Emotional Competence
More than just getting along with each other.
At Dancing Sol we help children learn to effectively communicate what they want and need. We hold space for each child to express themselves and we model how to listen to each other. We help children to understand and express how they are feeling in a way that honors and validates all their emotions. When young children learn these basic but difficult skills, many behavioral challenges are prevented. In a nutshell, we see the WHOLE child and we help them to see themselves in the context of community.
Music
with Dana
The children at Dancing Sol are fortunate to have music instruction twice each month from our local, talented musician, Dana Abel. Dana’s angelic voice, captivates the children, as they sing and play. She plays her extensive collection of instruments, including accordions, guitars, ukuleles, tin whistle and flute, trombone, bugle, keyboard, and more.
Daily Rhythm
Flexible Schedule with Predictable Routines
Free Play
Children choose what and who they play with. They can play in the classroom or porch, or on the playground.
Circle
Class meeting, dramatic stories, music & movement, whole group activities, sharing.
Snack
Parents provide a healthy snack that we will eat outside, picnic style.
Nature Immersion
Exploration, child-led creative play, teacher-led nature activities & games, skill building.
Lunch
Parents provide a healthy lunch which is usually eaten in the woods.
Closing Circle
Wrap up sharing what children remember, plan for next day's activities, goodbye song.
Matty Maxwell
Teacher, Program Owner
Kim Ackerman
Teacher
Rees Maxwell
Consulting Teacher
Contact Us
896 Sundance Street
Eugene, OR 97405