Nature Explore Classroom at St. Ambrose Children's Campus

The St. Ambrose Nature Explore Classroom continues to evolve throughout the year with additions and maintenance to the space.

A mailbox was a fun addition to the outside of the play house this year. Children can ride their bikes and deliver the mail. They really enjoy writing notes and leaving them for each other.

Both shade and sum perennials were placed around the classroom to provide interest and beauty. A very large granite boulder was brought in to honor a teacher who has been with the school for ten years.

Every spring and fall, a list is posted in the classroom of items that need to be worked on, purchased or donated. The goal is to involve all 55 families in some way. From building the water wall and staining the stage to donating bubbles and collecting pinecones, the families support outdoor learning.

Teachers attended the Chicago Botanic Garden 2012 School Gardening Conference, Learning, Moving and Growing: Healthy Lifestyles Through School Gardening. Sessions included titles such as: Smart Love Preschool-Loving Nature; Your Dinner Begins with a Seed; Building School Gardens; and Eating Responsibly in the Edible Garden.