Sunflower Creative Arts, a Delray Beach nonprofit organization that facilitates learning through nature and cooperative play, has joined the myriad of U.S. schools that have shifted outside during the pandemic. They are excited to announce that they are now operating their Seedlings Preschool and Summer Camp in the shade of a fully covered outdoor classroom and lushly landscaped nature playscape.
With play and nature already at the heart of its educational philosophy, the shift outdoors seemed a natural progression for the forward-thinking school that wanted to continue to serve the community.
At any moment, a child can be found jubilantly stomping in a puddle, scaling a "mountain", tasting fresh vegetables from the garden, observing lizards or butterflies, reading in the shade of one of 3 tiki huts, chasing their friends, creating self-directed art, frolicking in a water fountain or even whizzing down a hillside water slide.
In this living laboratory, children and teachers find joy in developing relationships with both nature and each other.... screens and the indoors a distant memory.
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Nature and Outdoor Schools
Immersive outdoor schools have long been popular in Europe, and continue to grow in popularity in the United States.
Since 2017, nature preschools, where children spend a majority of the school day learning outoors in nature-rich environments, have more than doubled. The pandemic has also boosted interest in these outdoor learning environments as a means of reducing virus transmission and promoting health. While many schools were confronted with creating outdoor environments from scratch, at the Seedlings Preschool, nature was already a "secret sauce," mixed with a healthy dose of child-directed play and arts. While the indoors is open during inclement weather, children rarely ask to go inside.
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Benefits of a Nature-Rich Educational Environment
Aware of the many benefits, proponents of "school without walls" are hopeful that the pandemic shift towards this multi-sensory outdoor-based educational environment will continue.
A few of the research-backed benefits include:
1. Nature promotes children's intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual and physical development.
2. Play in nature supports creativity , problem solving and intellectual development.
3. Overall academic performacnce improves.
4. Children in outdoor environments are more physically active and eat the healthy fruits and vegetables they take part in growing. These healthy habits continue throughout their lives.
5. Reduced stress
6. Improved social relationships
Sunflower has been a safe place for children and families for over 28 years.
Our signature Seedlings Preschool, Seedlings summer Camp and Little Seedlings transitional programs
still have limited availability.
For additional information, please call 561-501-6615 or visit SunflowerCreativearts.org
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Other Sunflower Programs
The new Sunflower Bridge Journey offers parent support, while Circle of Song and Sunflower Babies offer a first introduction to Sunflower. The Sunflower Sandbox membership program offers opportunities to enjoy the beautiful nature playscape.
To read more about the Sandbox Membership program Click Here.
Sunflower Creative Arts is located at:
227 Dixie Blvd
Delray Beach, 33444
561-506-6615
