Nature Explore Classroom at the Maharishi School

The Maharishi School added a beautiful 10-foot pergola with a shade cloth in the Art Area to provide shade for budding artists.

Plans are being made to grow edible vines up the sides of

the structure and provide natural shade. A new honey

locust tree has been planted in the grassy Open Area to

also provide.

A one-foot log border was added around the Sandbox Area, replacing a low brick border. This will help to contain the sand from mixing with the nearby mulch and to more

clearly delineate and protect the Sand Area from the Water Area. The water feature has been resurfaced and brick

pavers were added which will prove to be more permanent and durable over time.

A Community Spring Clean Up Day was held with over 50 children, parents and teachers helping plant, weed, mulch, water and clean the Nature Explore Classroom. An annual Parent/Teacher Ice Cream Social is planned each year as a traditional way to welcome families back to school and to allow children of all ages to enjoy this outdoor space.

Laura Bordow, Director, presented at the Iowa Association

for the Education of Young Children's annual statewide institute in Des Moines, Iowa. The title of her presentation

was "Sticks, Stones, Mud and Pinecones: How to Teach

Young Children through Nature". The presentation was well attended and well received with over 75 participants. Laura discussed the benefits of outdoor play and showed slides of Maharishi's Nature Explore Classroom.

A total of fifteen teachers participated in two Nature Explore workshops: The Importance of Visual-Spatial Learning and Documenting Children's Learning Outdoors.