Sprouts

at Carver House at Stryker Nature Preserve, 2315 Angling Road in Kalamazoo
For ages 3 and under with a caregiver

SPRING SESSION:
Tuesdays, March 19 – May 14: Morning Session: 9:15-10:45 am, Afternoon Session: 1-2:30pm

Morning registration is at capacity.
REGISTER for Afternoon Session here >

SUMMER SESSION:
Wednesdays, June 12 – July 24, 10-11:30 am (No program July 3)
REGISTER for Summer Session here >

Fee: $205 non-members/$174 KNC members.

This popular program for young children, 3 years and under, and a caregiver, will meet at Stryker Nature Preserve, 2315 Angling Road in Kalamazoo. We will gather and explore, nurture artistry, climb, get messy, observe, build, sing, and tell stories while fostering an early love of nature. Each session will have a small group size of 12 families. These loosely-structured outdoor sessions will allow for a mix of guided and open-ended experiences. All relevant health and safety guidelines for outdoor activities will be observed. Participants will be supported to engage in ways that feel safest for their family. Please note, both morning and afternoon sessions at Stryker Nature Preserve will have the same content.

Meet the Teachers

Laura Sacha:

In addition to teaching Sprouts and Homeschool Forest Friends, Laura is a teacher at Nature’s Way Preschool. She has a BS in Behavior Analysis from Western Michigan University and has been teaching students of all ages in various roles for almost a decade. Laura approaches education with a strong belief in student-lead, experiential learning and a commitment to fostering a connection to nature for all.

Hannah Shiner: hshiner@naturecenter.org

In addition to teaching Sprouts, Hannah is an Environmental Educator at the KNC! She teaches other programs at our main site including Preschool Explorers, school field trips and coordinating Annie’s Big Nature Lesson. Hannah loves the curiosity and fun that comes from outdoor education and hopes to share that with the community.

Each session will focus on:

Physical Maturation & Wellbeing | Multiple opportunities to coordinate the use of big and small muscles within the embrace of nature.

Language Development | Using authentic, personal, and natural experiences to encourage language production for the simple joy of expressive and connective purposes.

Creative Experiences | Experiencing the influence of nature’s beauty and the joy of community to experiment with artistic expression.

Social & Emotional Development | Blending encounters of wide open spaces with captivating moments of tiny wonder to give outlet to both the tenacity and tenderness of toddlerhood.

Executive Function | Using the power of attachment to reinforce skills that foster poised, capable, and empathetic human beings.

Cognitive Growth | Exploratory play in the outdoors naturally creates opportunities for children to question, investigate, problem solve, and reflect on their experiences.

Financial assistance is available

We recognize there is significant variability in what families in our community are able to afford. Financial assistance can be applied for by answering a few simple questions during the registration process. Please contact the KNC Registrar at for questions regarding registration or financial aid applications.