How wild it is to let them play
Our Mission
It is the mission of Astoria Sprouts to steward the health of our community by fostering life-long relationships with the natural world. We are founded in the spirit of European forest schools where nature
acts as the teacher. Through nature immersion, movement, and socio-emotional awareness, we teach respect for self, others, and the Earth. We honor differences and celebrate diversity, underpinned by the belief that all children will benefit and flourish when time is spent communing with others in the great outdoors.
Why Outside?
Astoria Sprouts wants to balance out the hyper-connected and overly-structured lives of our youngest, urban community members. Outdoor play has clear benefits on cognition and learning. Spending time in nature replenishes voluntary focus and has benefits for attention, motivation, concentration, and working memory.
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We want our children to be resilient! Through engaged outdoor play, children better establish and reinforce individual boundaries, communicate more clearly, and become more flexible problem solvers. These children recover faster from mentally challenging exercises and benefit from decreased heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature.
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Time in nature equates to happier and healthier kids!
Seasonal Sessions!
Astoria Sprouts follows a seasonal rhythm, offering outdoor sessions in Astoria Park throughout the year with natural pauses during the harshest winter weather. We welcome mixed-aged children ages two to four and look forward to expanding our offerings in the future.
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If you believe that outdoor play, imagination, and movement are integral to joyful childhoods and strong foundations, we invite you to join us!