A nature preschool founded on
love, joy and community
What we are
Little Leaf Preschool provides a unique preschool experience for children ages 2-5. Children engage in numerous activities that foster their development. They are nurtured by their teachers and inspired by the natural world.
What we do
We expose the children to the natural world through walks, wild play and nature studies. We foster long-lasting friendships and strong relationships between children, teachers and parents. We offer lots of time to play, both indoors and out. We focus on the children’s social emotional life. We provide an environment where children can create original work and follow their imaginations.
What makes us special
Our preschool provides many benefits to the children:
Lots of time outside in the natural world. This offers endless opportunities to build gross motor skills. The environment provides lots of inquiry studies, a beautiful and living class setting, and a calm environment for self-regulation.
Creativity. We encourage the children to follow their interests. Art comes from the child in all different mediums. The days are inspired by the children, and teachers listen to the children’s wonderings to guide daily plans.
A Close-knit community. Our core school values are love, joy and community. These values are alive in everything we do. Through these values we help children navigate self-discovery and their social world.
Who we are
We are passionate educated early childhood teachers. Teachers are inspired by the nature pedagogy movement and the Reggio Emilia and Waldorf approaches. Our teachers constantly participate in robust trainings.
Our school is regulated and licensed by the NY State Office of Children and Family Services. We are members of the Eastern Region of Forest Kindergartens and Nature Preschools, the Childcare Council of Westchester, the National Association of the Young Child and Natural Start Alliance.
Where we are
We feature different sites located in Westchester County, NY. We have our Andrus-on-Hudson campus in Hastings-on-Hudson, and the Lenoir Nature Preserve in Yonkers. Later this year, we will launch a new location at the Teatown Lake Reservation in Ossining.