Children will participate in free play inside and outdoors, circle time, puppet stories, and a daily activity such as bread baking, painting or seasonal crafts. There is also time for practical work, care for our environment, and gathering time for finger games, songs and stories.

The Hidden Hollow and Goldenrod Early Childhood classes provide a warm, play-based foundation that supports the healthy development of the whole child: socially, emotionally, and physically. Through imaginative play, purposeful work, and rich sensory experiences like bread baking, watercolor painting, and seasonal crafts, children develop the focus, creativity, and resilience that form the groundwork for future academic learning. 

Daily rhythms include storytelling, songs, and circle time, which foster language development, memory, and a love of learning. Outdoor exploration and practical activities nurture problem-solving, coordination, and care for the environment. In this nurturing setting, children build the confidence, curiosity, and foundational skills they’ll carry with them throughout their early childhood experience and into the grades.

A great emphasis is placed on establishing a harmonious, cooperative classroom culture where children develop care and respect for themselves, others and their physical environment.

Children’s readiness for academic learning is prepared through nurturing imagination, social development, and a strong sense of rhythm, all essential for later cognitive growth and classroom readiness. A love of language and story as the basis for reading and writing is consciously cultivated through the use of story, poetry, rhyme and song.

Mathematical thinking and problem-solving begin organically through daily activities such as baking, building, counting games, and rhythmic movement, where children experience patterns, sequencing, and practical number sense in a joyful, meaningful way.