Outdoor Classrooms Are HERE!

We are thrilled to tell you about our new Outdoor Classrooms! Our Owner, Kathe Petchel, recently completed her level 1 training with The Outdoor Classroom Project® in order to implement a more diverse preschool experience! We are the ONLY preschool in Virginia with level 1 of training complete- something we are very excited about!

This fall all three Bright Beginnings Preschool locations will move forward with plans to implement outdoor classrooms on all playgrounds, for all age groups! This includes adjusting schedules to allow for more playground times. This also includes opening our minds to allow all the possibilities of creating meaningful and educational experiences (through our curriculum) outside! From circle times and creating reading spaces outside, to creating outdoor kitchens, music stations, sensory pathways, the list is literally endless!

As you all know we are one big family here at Bright Beginnings, we would love your help and support in creating these outdoor classrooms! If you have any expertise or interest in outdoor activities such as gardening or even have a background in construction and would like to pitch in, we would love the help! We would be so appreciative of donations such as windsocks for wind stations, old muffin pans and pots for our outdoor restaurant/kitchen, even old doors as our preschool playground would like to create an “Open the Door” theme for their playground!

Additionally, our biggest request from you all is to bring your child dressed for lots of time outside! For our current weather, this includes lightweight clothes, tank tops, shorts, even hats to protect their heads from the sun. Please bring spare sets of clothes, as with all the activities and stations we plan to have for our outdoor classrooms, getting a bit dirty is inevitable. We will keep wipes on hand on each playground to wipe hands and faces throughout the day and will change clothes as needed!

We just want to thank you all in advance for your help and support with this new and amazing venture that we are planning for our sweet and wonderful kiddos. This is a project that we will certainly take baby steps with, beginning with changes in schedules to incorporate outdoor learning and additions to the playgrounds, piece by piece. Please let any of us here know of any questions or concerns you may have regarding our outdoor classrooms!