Curious Gardeners Preschool

Curious Gardeners is a food-education-focused, play-based preschool serving children ages 2 through 5 in Portland, Oregon. We are located in Southeast Portland, just south of the Woodstock neighborhood.

At Curious Gardeners, we strongly believe thatevery child has the right to a rich and joyful childhood. We get our hands dirty in the garden, run, climb, create art, cook, sing, dance, laugh, and engage in pretend play together. We believe that children are competent and capable of directing their own learning and are able to choose and create for themselves. Our learning happens through self-directed play with intentionally chosen, open-ended materials that allow children to exercise their natural creativity and imagination. In a world where children s lives have become more and more scheduled, Curious Gardeners aims to offer children a chance to slow down, take deep breaths, and connect with nature. We ensure that our students have plenty of free, unstructured time in which to invent and interact. When we come together for circle time, we reflect on our experiences and discoveries, practice simple forms of yoga and meditation, and share observations about changes in the natural world. At Curious Gardeners, we respect each child as a unique individual and work to form a partnership with each family. We believe that early childhood experiences shape children s ideas about who they are and what they deserve. We want to work with families to empower children to develop a sense of themselves as capable, confident learners and kind, curious, engaged community members.… Read more