The Nursery School

It's a special place! Our child has had the most amazing experience at what is now Denver Forest School, at Bluff Lake. We've been so impressed with the teachers and the school's philosophy. They let kids be kids - let their natural sense of exploration and curiosity guide the children. The students get to make a lot of decisions on the day's agenda as a group, which teaches teamwork and responsibility. In a typical school children are merely taught to obey the rules and follow the lesson as it's dictated to them. This school is different, children can follow their own interests, and then the teachers (who are all incredible) help the child to learn more, dig deeper (sometimes literally) and gain a knowledge of the natural world, the science that explains it. Our child learned about the "circle of life" in the most natural way, by seeing animals at all life stages. It's an important lesson to learn, and one that's best seen and experienced, rather than receiving through my clumsy words! :) I'm just so happy that this school exists, and we look forward to our children attending for years to come. I especially want to thank the city, and the Bluff Lake Nature Center, for supporting this school and its use of the nature center. This is exactly how our urban nature preserves should be used, and I've seen how the staff and children really care for the nature center, and regularly clean and maintain it. Here are some photos of a typical day. Five stars for this school! Thank you for all you do!!
May 1st, 2020

Amazing school. Our son absolutely loves the Nursery School. We only have him there one day a week, but wish we could do more (he's also in a traditional program) because everyday he asks if he's going to go to the Nursery School. Personally, I think this type of learning is invaluable and my son would agree! ;)
Feb 12th, 2019

My son absolutely loves this school. He gets to be outside with other kids playing with tools and using his imagination.
Sep 17th, 2018

Wonderful outdoor preschool with caring and knowledgeable teachers. Amazing educational experience
Apr 2nd, 2018

What a fantastic preschool experience in a wonderful setting! Our 3 year old is thriving at the Nursery School and talks about his teachers on a daily basis. The educators are intentional in making sure that "playing outside" becomes a true educational opportunity at every turn, and they do a fantastic job of turning the outdoors into the best possible classroom. We highly recommend this preschool.
Apr 20th, 2017