Michigan’s First Licensed Outdoor Preschool to Open Next Week in Lansing

Michigan’s first licensed fully outdoor preschool is set to open Monday, June 8 at the Fenner Nature Center in Lansing. 

The Fenner Nature Preschool at Maple Grove will operate year-round, using the environment in curriculum that aims to aid the social and academic development of students. Full-time and part-time program options are available for children between the ages of 3 and 6, according to a press release from the Fenner Nature Center. 

“It still has all the same components of a typical classroom where we’re still meeting all of the learning domains,” preschool director Abigail Matthiesen said. “It’s just fully outdoors.”

According to Matthiesen, the space will be set up largely like a normal classroom – with a few more trees and bugs. 

“Families will walk children out to what is our classroom space or our base camp space and there is a covered pavilion with some picnic tables under it,” Matthiesen said. 

The space also features a large group area where students and instructors can sit together. Each day, staff will set up their “classroom” to fit the day’s needs. 

“The preschool does have a lockable interior space where our teachers will store materials and each day they will pull out different materials to set up in the outdoor environment,” Matthiesen said. “There will still be art and literacy and mathematics.”

Students at Maple Grove will have plenty of opportunities to engage with nature. 

“Students will get to go on hikes and explore the nature center as part of their daily experience,” Matthiesen said. 

The nature center hosts another preschool, Sycamore Creek, that has been open for nearly four years. Matthiesen said this has made the team well-equipped to handle weather-related challenges. 

“Although our Sycamore Creek site has a licensed indoor classroom, the children and the staff have been spending two to three hours outside every day in all seasons,” Matthiesen said. 

Maple Grove will handle dangerous weather situations like any other preschool, according to Matthiesen. 

“Our staff have weather cutoffs for windchill, for extreme heat, extreme cold,” Matthiesen said. “Obviously, any dangerous weather like thunderstorms or tornadoes, we have plans for those as well.”

The team also has plans for rainy days. 

“We will have rain suits and rain boots and we will stay outside in the rain and enjoy the rain,” Matthiesen said. 

Having an outdoor school experience can build student confidence and resilience, Matthiesen said. 

“It’s just good for everyone’s mental health to spend more time outdoors,” she said. 

For enrollment and pricing information, visit the Fenner Nature Center’s website.