2024-2025 Nature Programs Enrollment Open!
Summer Camp 2024!
NEW HOURS THIS SUMMER! OPEN 9am-3pm!!
- Full, part, single day options
- Ages 5-13
- 16 spaces
- $60/day
Summer Location Schedule
Week 1- June 17-21 -Vaughan Woods
Week 2- June 24-28- Orris Falls
CLOSED July 1-5
Week 3- July 8-12- S.Berwick Town Forest
Week 4- July 15-19- Brandmoore Farm
Week 5- July 22-26- Savage Wildlife
Week 6- July 29-Aug 2 -Vaughan Woods
Week 7- Aug 5-9 - S.Berwick Town Forest
Week 8- Aug 12, 13, 14 - Brandmoore Farm
CLOSED Th 8/15. Fr 8/16
CLOSED Mon 8/19 & Tues 9/20
Week 9-Aug 21, 22, 23-Savage Wildlife
Week 10- Aug 26-30- Vaughan Woods
Maples Mornings 2024-25 Forest Preschool Program
Explore & Play in the beautiful forests of Vaughan Woods, Brandmoore Farms & Great Works Land Trust in South Berwick.
- Tues/Wed/Th
- 9am-noon
- 2-3 day options
- Ages 3-6
- 10 spaces
- $50/day
MAPLES School Year location schedule rotates every two weeks and includes Vaughan Woods, Brandmoore Farm & Great Works Regional Land Trust locations!
After School Programs!
Dondero Elementary School
Tuesdays 2:30- 4:30pm
Rye Elemtary School
Wednesdays 2:30-4:15 pm
Nature Play and Emergent Curriculum
Nature based child-led curriculum education
Child-led curriculum is based on the children's interest and passion at a certain point in time. Children thrive and learn best when their interests are captured. Learning occurs naturally through play. We strive to enhance the natural unfolding of the whole child leading to the development of capable learners.
Specific Examples of Development through Outdoor Exploration
COGNITIVE~ Literacy/Math/Science- Collecting, labeling, classifying, sorting, pattern recognition, journals, storytelling, singing, building structures (engineering), cause and effect in natural world
FINE MOTOR- drawing, cutting, picking (moss & bark off trees, flowers, plants), self-help skills, paining, sculpting, small scale construction, digging, breaking up dirt, carving
GROSS MOTOR- Hiking, climbing trees, running (on un-even ground), hopping, jumping, swinging, crawling, balancing on logs, circle games, large scale construction (fort building or lifting rocks)
SOCIAL- Conflict resolution, circle activities, group games/hikes, spontaneous & uninterrupted free play, group observation, storytelling, fort building, problem solving
SENSORY - Water & mud play, digging, sculpting, free exploration, smelling, tasting, nature collecting, weather experiences, music
EMOTIONAL- Uninterrupted imagination play, opportunities to problem solve & negotiate, journaling, observation of natural world, exposure to weather, self-help, breathing techniques
As a child many of us, built forts, dug holes, made mud pies, daydreamed in special hiding places and swung on vines. These activities are all nature play: unstructured childhood play in the outdoors. Nature play isn’t scheduled, planned, or led by adults. Instead, it’s open-ended, free-time exploration and recreation. For many of us, this sort of nature play virtually defined our childhoods. Good outdoor clothes are a must. Children will need to be prepared for the weather that day. As long as the weather is safe, we will go out and play!
About Eyes of the World Nature Immersion
Mission Statement
More than ever children need the outdoors and nature involved in their lives. Through outdoor play, EOTWNI children develop self-esteem, a sense of purpose, the ability to overcome obstacles and organically develop Learning Skills. Children are allowed the time and space to learn from their own wonder.
Eyes of the World Nature Immersion offers a wide range of nature based education opportunities for children and teachers. Roaming forest Pre-K through 5th grade classrooms and summer camps, After School Programs, Outdoor Classroom school consultation, design and installation as well as nature based/child-led curriculum teacher training.
FULLY INSURED!!
Dawn Jenkins- Founder
I grew up playing in the forest and along the ocean side. I knew I wanted to be a teacher from a very young age (both of my parents were teachers), so I started early in life babysitting and went on to receive my BA in Elementary Education in 1998. I have taught Kindergarten & preschool age children in public, private and Waldorf settings. I have always worked with children in outdoors, integrating nature throughout my classrooms, curriculum and programs.
I founded a successful forest preschool that embraced a child-led curriculum offering a unique preschool experience based mostly outdoors in a hand crafted outdoor classroom and the surrounding forest.
Eyes Of The World Nature Immersion was launched in 2019 to offer nature-based learning to preschoolers & elementary children as well as educators and schools!
I am happily married with 3 children, living in South Berwick, ME