Ohio Farm And Forest Daycare

The Ohio Farm and Forest School at Purple Goat Gardens is a nature-based daycare and preschool modeled after Scandinavian Forest Schools. Eligible children are aged 3-5, potty-trained, and able to independently walk and play with peers.

At our school, children play outside every day, both in the forest and on the farm, regardless of the weather. We believe the saying, "There's no such thing as bad weather, only wrong clothing!" With guidance from the teachers, parents are responsible for providing appropriate gear for their children's outdoor play across the four seasons. Being dressed for the elements means that children can have the freedom to be children--to run, jump, play, climb and explore as they were meant to do. This helps children develop mentally, emotionally, and physically as they engage in unstructured, child-led play with peers in nature. Children are closely supervised by staff who are certified forest school instructors.

In addition to free imaginative forest play, children get the chance to participate in farm activities like feeding, milking, and caring for goats, hatching chicks, gathering eggs, and caring for chickens, planting and gathering food from the garden, heritage crafts like basket-making, spinning and weaving, and everyday skills like cooking. The school also has a pottery studio on site and hosts annual family campouts for students' families.

Parents choose children's schedule by enrolling them in morning (8:30 - 12:00) or all day (8:30 - 5:00) sessions by trimester.

Trimester 1: September through December
Trimester 2: January through May
Trimester 3: June through August

Rates, details, and additional information available on our website.