“ As long as materials can be moved, redesigned, put together, and taken apart in a variety of ways, they are classified as loose...

At Raintree School, we believe that everyone has a voice and that voice matters — no matter their age. It's a message that we send to the...

By Katie Brown The mythical Raintree School Cookbook was whispered of and requested for years. We understood the importance, the wish to...

By Katie Brown What a journey we take at the lunch table each day! In this space we encounter new foods, develop conversation skills and...

This Spring, the Hoppin’ Frogs Preschool class embarked on a journey through project-based learning.  An interest in vehicles sparked...

In the Reggio Emilia philosophy, there are two major principles woven together: Emergent Curriculum and Project Approach. The teacher’s...

Building community is a high priority at Raintree School. Students and teachers connect every day, but it’s important for parents to meet...

The cold weather is here to stay, so we turn to the famous Scandinavian saying: “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear.”...

Sustainability is a word and an action that often feels overwhelming, challenging, or daunting. But none of those things have to be true!...

“We respectfully acknowledge that we are on the traditional, ancestral lands of the Osage Nation. The process of knowing and...

As educators we know that children are never too young to begin learning about diversity. In early childhood education, the practice of...

A little mud goes a long way, especially when you submerge yourself in a muddy puddle from head to toe! But at Raintree, we love the...

One of the best ways to build a school community is to encourage play and interactions across classes. While our friends often play...

When most children first come to Raintree in their Nursery year, they are not yet able to read or write their names. Upon arrival, each...

It was a beautiful Monday morning, and my class was outside on the playscape preparing to venture into the forest. As I went down the...

The delights of children are not on any kind of time schedule. We take it when it comes and run with it as far as we can. So earlier last...

What is in a simple slice of bread? At Raintree, it is packed with growth, learning, and connection. Bread Day is the standing Thursday...

The Project Approach is a method of teaching where learning is integrated through the development of a student created and driven...

We live in such a fast-paced world that our children sometimes struggle to slow down. At Raintree, we use Sit Spots to help us take an...

One of Raintree’s foundational commitments is to serve lovingly cooked meals, from lovingly grown ingredients. This entails building...

The founder of the Reggio Emilia approach said, “The child has a hundred languages, a hundred hands, a hundred thoughts, a hundred ways...

Young children are sponges who soak up knowledge from various resources. This includes, but is not limited to the environment around...

Building a mind disposed to scientific pursuits involves exploring the natural world in a meaningful way. By using a variety of senses,...

At Raintree, we have many traditions to help us celebrate our students' birthdays. On their birthday, each child makes a special crown,...

What a journey we take at the lunch table each day! Here is where we get acquainted with new foods, develop conversation skills and...

Autumn is a magical time at Raintree. The forest comes to life with vibrant oranges, reds, yellows, and according to one student, “a...

For those of you who don't know, Raintree has a lemon tree that lives next to the Kindergarten classroom. This is a resilient tree that...

During our conferences, last week, we spoke a lot about the social emotional growth of your children and I have a story to share to...

Speaking candidly, not all project times go as planned. And, as a teacher, we are planners. So, when times of learning and engagement do...

Forest day started like any other: fort building, leaf rubbings & story telling when, all of a sudden... "I heard a BOOM!" "I think at...

The forest is a refuge. Senses are sharpened, details are noticed and time slows to a pace that is more... natural. "I've never done...

To wander through the forest in search of mystery… to tread upon unknown ground… to experience a space for the very first time on a quest...

You know that old adage you are what you eat? Well, have you ever stopped to think exactly how true that is? Put simply, healthy eating...

Last Fall, a group of three year old’s took it upon themselves to protect all of the mini beasts found in the forest. They wanted a place...

Photography comes from two words - “photo” meaning light and “graph” meaning to write, literally translating into the delightful phrase:...

Lois Malaguzzi, Rudolf Steiner, John Dewey, Johann Pestalozzi, A.S. Neill, Richer Louv, and Teacher Tom - these are all educators who...

“Make a circle. Make a circle,” so the song goes. And so goes the rhythm of our forest days at Raintree School. It begins with breakfast...

Leading children into wildlands is fraught with mystery. The constant rhythm of forest school provides intimacy with nature, but nothing...

“How do you feel when a bug is stepped on?” Big ideas start this way. A simple question on a beautiful spring day full of the potential...

Wild lands creep into your bones. Cold morning air seeps in. Sunshine settles on your skin. Your eyes presume beauty, magic, toothy...

Regular days. That slow pace of familiarity. One day to the next, regular days fill our time. They mark our bodies, so we don’t forget....

The forest floor reminisces. Who has come? Who has gone? The reverberation of who is on their way. The ground constructs a story -...

The questions arrive unbidden. The wild does that; it forces questions. Perhaps gentle breezes coax the imagination to wake. Maybe...

It starts on a snowy day. I suppose it always should. It keeps so many in, but not us. We are Raintree: school for the adventurous,...

You sew your own crown. That’s how it is done. Stitch by stitch, the pieces are put together. The fabric you’ve chosen takes shape –...

Rat? Cat? Marsupial habitat? There could be anything in there. In the forest, you can take a peek and tell stories of all the things...