Sorry, we are not accepting any new students for the current school year.

For the 2025-26 School Year, the lottery has concluded. Applications will now be accepted as follows:

• Section A Tree Frogs
  • M/W 9-12
  • For 3 & 4 year olds
  • FULL – waitlist applications accepted
• Section B Turtles
  • M/T/W/TH/F 1-4
  • preK for 4 & 5 year olds
  • All outdoors
  • 3 spots available – applications accepted until full
• Section C Chickadees
  • T/TH 9-12
  • For 3 & 4 year olds
  • FULL – waitlist applications accepted
• Section E Squirrels
  • T/W/TH 9:30-12:30
  • preK for 4 & 5 year olds
  • All outdoors
  • FULL – NO waitlist applications accepted

2025-26 Calendar and tuition rates

2024-25 Calendar & Tuition Rates

Space in all sections is limited and awarded on a first-come first-served basis. Please pay close attention to the age restrictions for each section.

All preschool families must be current members of the Friends of the Tacoma Nature Center. Household memberships are $35 per year and may be purchased online or over the phone.

Research shows that children who spend time in nature pay attention better, think more clearly, and are able to cope more effectively with stress.

At the Nurture in Nature Preschool, our unique program combines the best of hands-on outdoor and nature education with traditional academic concepts. Read more in our Curriculum section below. What exactly is a Nature Preschool? Click here for a detailed explanation.

Class Size
Each section has a maximum of 12 children, with two teachers per class.

Anti-bias Statement
At Nurture in Nature Preschool we strive to grow a community that feels welcoming, accepting and safe to all. It is our goal to have our classroom reflect the diverse community of Tacoma, and provide an environment where everyone’s voice and story is valued. We define diversity as individuals being unique in race, ethnicity, income level, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, family structure, abilities and learning styles. By celebrating our differences and exploring our similarities our young learners build a foundation of curiosity and connection, acceptance and appreciation. We also focus on social-emotional learning, which leads to empathy and understanding, as well as advocating for ourselves and others. The staff at NIN is committed to continuing our own education and work in diversity, equity and inclusion practices and we affirm the goals of Anti-Bias Education:

1. Each child will demonstrate self-awareness, confidence, family pride, and positive social identities.
2. Each child will express comfort and joy with human diversity; accurate language for human differences; and deep, caring human connections.
3. Each child will increasingly recognize unfairness, have language to describe unfairness, and understand that unfairness hurts.
4. Each child will demonstrate empowerment and the skills to act, with others and alone, against prejudice and/or discriminatory actions.

Please note that despite our belief in diversity and accessibility, due to the resource limitations inherent in our program, and the outdoor spaces we use, not all children will be successful with our style of program. Although we can work with families to help a child learn and grow their abilities, there are some things we are not able to address as well as a program with more resources. Children needing higher levels of accommodation for physical or developmental challenges might find more success in another program. Please see the requirements for registration under the Schedule section to determine if this program is right for your child.

Additional resources within Parks Tacoma might be accessed by completing this accommodation request form. Physical assistance with toileting is not an accommodation that can be made.

Resources
The resources below help illuminate the philosophy and theories behind our Nurturing in Nature curriculum. The last resource is to a map produced by the Natural Start Alliance of all self-identified nature preschools in our area.

• Children & Nature Network
• The Movement to Restore Children’s Play from the New York Times
• Old-Fashioned Play Builds Serious Skills by Alix Spiegel on NPR
• Ditch the Academic Preschools byJanet Lansbury
• Outdoor preschool takes root on Vashon Island by Susan Gilmore for The Seattle Times
• Grow Up Resilient from Wild Earth Blog
• Natural Start Alliance

Are you thinking about starting up a nature preschool of your own? Here is a very helpful article.

Nurture in Nature Preschool staff is happy to talk about our preschool with interested parties but appreciate it when people have done some research before they come to us!

Email us at [email protected]

Nurture in Nature preschool offers some opportunities for parental involvement through volunteering on committees and assisting in special activities. Enrolled families will receive information about the current opportunities.

School Year Schedule

2025-26 Calendar & Tuition Rates
Go to the end of this section for the current year section details and calendar with tuition rates

Children must be the appropriate age by the first day of school and must be toilet trained. Specifically, children must be able to self-manage the toileting process with verbal coaching only as we are hands-off in this area. Practice, as well as selection of clothing and outerwear plays a key role in the success of a child.

We require a commitment for the full school year.

Children may be enrolled for only one section
Please note age restrictions for each section

• Section A (Tree Frogs) – indoor & outdoor time
  
  • M/W 9-12
  • 3 & 4 year olds
• Section B (Turtles) – all outdoors
  
  • M/T/W/TH/F 1-4
  • 4 & 5 year olds*
• Section C (Chickadees) – indoor & outdoor time
  
  • T/Th 9-12
  • 3 & 4 year olds
• Section E (Squirrels) – all outdoors
  
  • T/W/TH 9:30-12:30
  • 4 & 5 year olds*

*Pre-K classes are designed for children with some preschool or similar experience. The classes are more structured with increasingly advanced concepts and activities. Pre-K classes are not recommended for 4 year olds with no previous similar experiences.

Sample Daily Schedule

• 30 minutes Greeting & Free-play Exploration in Schoolyard
• 30 minutes Opening Circle-time
• 15 minutes Transition to next location/trail activity
• 15 minutes Snack
• 15 minutes Daily Job
• 15 minutes Free-choice
• 40 minutes Group Activity
• 10 minutes Transition back to Schoolyard
• 10 minutes Closing Circle-time & Recap of Day

2024-25 Calendar

As a nature-based preschool, we do not follow a set curriculum. We are discovery based and child-driven. However, there are many topics that we focus on throughout the year on a pre-scheduled basis or as the interests of the children and our discoveries give us opportunities.

Our emergent child-inspired curriculum often follows the changing seasons and exciting things that are happening in and around our building and grounds, is reflective of our currently enrolled families, and is amplified by our ever-changing climate.

As our curriculum builds off of our gained/learned information, attendance is key to gleaning the most of our unique program.

We do not recommend this program for those who will be taking a more drop-in approach to school.

Barring illness, and vacations that cannot happen during scheduled breaks, students are best served being here for all class dates through the whole school year.

Although traditional academic skills and opportunities are part of our school, they are definitely not the focus. Please read about our learning objectives to get an idea of what we regularly work on with our students.

Our goal is to meet each individual child where they are and assist with moving them forward with their skills.

Our philosophy is that preschoolers learn and grow through play, discovery and learning how to be part of a community. When their brain is ready, they will naturally gravitate towards more academic pursuits. We will be ready for them with plenty of opportunities.

When looking at the actual research, it is clear that more structured academics belong in elementary school and beyond. That is when a child’s brain is ready for it! Again, we provide opportunities for traditional academics and elements are woven throughout each school day, but we do not focus on academics and do not expect our “graduates” to reach certain academic targets before they leave us. If that is important to you, we strongly suggest you find another preschool with a different philosophy than ours.

Excerpt from a article linked below: “Funneling academics down to preschools to “better prepare” children to deal with an already overly academic Kindergarten experience is a waste of time, and this “miseducation”, as Dr David Elkind refers to it in Miseducation- Preschoolers at Risk, can cause “damage to a child’s self-esteem, the loss of the positive attitude a child needs for learning, the blocking of natural gifts and potential talents.” 

For full article read Ditch the Academic Preschools by Janet Lansbury.

Tuition is due monthly beginning on July 1 and then on the 15th of each month, September through April.

Tuition for the current 2024-25 School Year*:

• Sections A & C (Tree Frogs & Chickadees)
  $330 per month
• Section B (Turtles) All-outdoors Class
  $494 per month
• Section E (Squirrels) All-outdoors Class
  $450 per month

*Tuition rates for the 2025-26 School Year can be found on the calendar for that year.

 A $50 registration fee is required upon award of a preschool slot.

Additionally, families must belong to the Friends of the Tacoma Nature Center. Household memberships are currently $35 per year.

Some tuition scholarship assistance is available. Registration and membership fees are not eligible for financial assistance.

We require every family to provide a current immunization form for each enrolled child before our first scheduled school day. Due to recent societal concerns for the safety of vaccines, there have been some changes in Washington State requirements for exemptions and the appropriate documents required.

You can review the requirements and allowable exemptions here.

Please contact the Preschool Director if you have questions or concerns.