Business Details
18 Years
experience
Nature-Based Preschool & Kindergarten in Vista, CA
Big Tree Little Preschool is a nurturing, nature-infused community dedicated to early childhood education. Since 2008, we have embraced a child-driven forest school philosophy blended with the Reggio Emilia approach, fostering curiosity, creativity, and respect for the natural world. Our five-acre campus provides an immersive environment where daily routines revolve around outdoor play, hands-on projects, and collaborative discovery. We offer licensed programs for toddlers through transitional kindergarten and kindergarten, ensuring a cohesive learning path that prioritizes experiential education. Our educators guide young learners in developing practical skills, confidence, and resilience through supervised risk-taking.Families benefit from a seamless transition between programs while retaining a nature-first, child-led approach. Our interdisciplinary curriculum nurtures creativity, empathy, and critical thinking through activities like nature hikes, art with natural materials, and collaborative projects. With over 15 years of experience, we prepare children for kindergarten through student-centered instruction and real-world application. Our teachers are known for their warmth, patience, and commitment to meeting each child's individual needs. We maintain a strong focus on health, safety, and community engagement while providing a joyful, exploratory environment where children thrive.
Services
Nature-Based Preschool
Transitional Kindergarten
Outdoor Learning Programs
Reggio Emilia Approach
Holistic Child Development
Details
- Year established: 2008
Highlights and features
- We offer 15+ years of experience in nature-based early childhood education.
- Our curriculum blends forest school philosophy with the Reggio Emilia approach.
- We provide licensed programs for toddlers through transitional kindergarten.
- Our educators prioritize outdoor learning and supervised risk-taking experiences.
- We maintain a 10:1 student-teacher ratio for personalized attention.
What people say
Warmest, kindest staff
Amazing outdoor play spaces
Child-led learning approach
Prepared for kindergarten
Strong social-emotional growth
Services
Nature-Based Preschool
Our nature-based preschool immerses children in hands-on outdoor learning experiences. Daily activities include nature walks, gardening, and exploration of natural elements. This approach develops physical coordination, environmental awareness, and scientific curiosity while fostering a deep connection to the natural world through structured and unstructured play.
Transitional Kindergarten
Our Transitional Kindergarten program bridges preschool and kindergarten with developmentally appropriate curriculum. Certified teachers use play-based instruction to build literacy, numeracy, and social skills. The program emphasizes independence, classroom routines, and foundational academic concepts through nature-integrated lessons and collaborative projects.
Outdoor Learning Programs
Outdoor learning programs utilize our five-acre campus for immersive education. Children engage in activities like bug observation, tree climbing, and natural art projects. These experiences develop problem-solving skills, risk assessment abilities, and environmental stewardship while meeting state educational standards through practical, memorable lessons.
Reggio Emilia Approach
The Reggio Emilia-inspired approach prioritizes child-directed exploration and discovery. Teachers facilitate learning through interest-based projects and open-ended materials. This method nurtures creativity, critical thinking, and intrinsic motivation by allowing children to guide their learning journey within a supportive framework.
Holistic Child Development
Our holistic development program addresses social-emotional, cognitive, and physical growth simultaneously. Through yoga, music, art, and collaborative play, children build empathy, self-regulation, and communication skills. The curriculum integrates sensory experiences and mindfulness practices to support well-rounded development in a nurturing environment.
People
Rebecca
Lead Teacher
Ms. Rebecca brings over 15 years of early childhood education experience to her role. She specializes in nature-based pedagogy and has developed curriculum that integrates outdoor exploration with foundational learning. Her patient, nurturing approach creates a secure environment where children feel empowered to explore and learn.
Carol
TK/K Teacher
Miss Carol has served as our Transitional Kindergarten teacher for a decade. With expertise in early literacy and child development, she creates engaging, student-centered lessons that prepare children for formal schooling. Her warm demeanor and innovative teaching methods have consistently earned praise from families and colleagues alike.
Questions
What ages do you accept at Big Tree Little Preschool?
We enroll children aged 2 through 6 years old for full or partial day programs, including transitional kindergarten and kindergarten options.
What educational philosophies guide your curriculum?
Our program combines forest school principles with the Reggio Emilia approach, emphasizing nature-based exploration, child-led learning, and hands-on experiential education.
How do you incorporate outdoor learning into daily activities?
Children spend most of their day outdoors exploring our five-acre campus. Activities include nature walks, gardening, outdoor art projects, and structured play that develops motor skills and environmental awareness.
Are meals and snacks provided during the program?
Families provide nut-free packed lunches and snacks. We encourage healthy eating habits and often incorporate food-related learning activities into our curriculum.
What safety measures are in place for outdoor activities?
Our staff maintains constant supervision during outdoor time. The campus features secure fencing, shaded play areas, and regular safety inspections to ensure a protected environment for exploration and learning.
How do you communicate with parents about their child's progress?
We maintain daily communication through our parent portal and provide detailed developmental reports twice yearly, documenting each child's growth through observations and work samples.
Reviews (1)
Lisa Clark
Jan 18, 2017
Report
My daughter attended Big Tree Little Preschool for almost 3 years. The staff and the owner, Rebecca are wonderful, loving people. The Preschool is located in a safe neighborhood and shared with a church. It is completely gated with a large and beautiful outdoor play area full of all types of toys, slides, and play houses. Just a few of the fun activities include nature walks, yoga, story time, making play dough, arts and crafts, teddy bear picnics and too many more to list! My daughter absolutely loved going and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a safe and fun learning environment
