Our Outdoor Space

Here at Evergreen we LOVE nature. We have a beautiful outdoor space and over the years we are planning to expand our playground, included more natural elements, and encouraged exploration, discovery, and respect for the natural world. 

Our children will spend time outside every day, digging, climbing, balancing, creating, and quietly reflecting. 

Our space is a combination of traditional play structures with natural exploration spaces. As a result, our children get the best of both worlds: a playground that looks like a playground and a playground that is, in fact, a woodland discovery zone. 

Developing a Dirt-Friendly Mindset

Children that play outside will get dirty. As parents and teachers, we embrace the mess and handle them with grace as they happen. A positive attitude towards dirt, and a proactive plan for dealing with it, will keep everyone relaxed. Don’t stress over mess!

• If your child is going to be outside getting wet or muddy, have an old towel handy by the back door to wipe off muddy hands and feet. At our school we have a hand-washing station near the hose for rinsing off sandy or muddy hands before going inside and washing up with soap at the sink.

• Have a change of clothes handy, so your child doesn’t have walk through the house with dirt on the seat of their pants, and save the nice clothes and new shoes for going out in public.

• Keep the conversation going so that your child knows what is and what isn’t allowed. For example, at our school it’s okay to get dirty and we expect that clothes will get wet. But it’s not okay to purposefully cover oneself in mud or dump water over ones head. We want to encourage play and exploration, but supervision and boundaries are key.