Outdoor Preschool Photo Tour
Photo Tour: SAND Preschool, North Decatur, Georgia, USA
Have you wondered what an urban outdoor preschool program looks like? Check out this photo tour of SAND Preschool’s outdoor classrooms and community garden. SAND (The School At North Decatur UMC) is located 5 miles from downtown Atlanta in North Decatur, Georgia. The school has creatively turned a shared church/school campus into an urban oasis with native perennials, fruit-bearing trees and shrubs, and of course, vegetables galore! SAND is a 100% outdoor, half-day preschool. It is a wonderful place for children to “Learn, Be Loved and Play Outdoors!”
Sand Preschool welcomed Inside-Out conference attendees for a tour of their 100% outdoor preschool in May 2022.
The welcome included lovely cookies with edible frosting.
The preschool includes small garden plots with different vegetables. The students help maintain the gardens.
Little tables are set up throughout the outdoor space giving students ample spaces to eat, write, or do crafts.
Creativity abounds as does joy and celebration.
This canopy section is where the younger students ages one and two spend most of their time. It includes play structures, tents, tables, gardens and other areas of exploration.
The preschool has little garden beds with native plants throughout for the students to identify plants and help maintain them.
These containers are where the students put their cups and utensils to use throughout the day.
Students have opportunity to make food and drinks with foods from the garden. Here a young girls squeezes lemon which she then proceeded to drink.
Student making lemon juice.
An donated airstream allows for indoor space when needed. But most of the crafts are done outside. Here students test seed growth in wet paper towels.
Gardens and a small stream along rocks run through the center shared area of the school.
The preschool recently installed the small water creek.
The water feature provides students opportunity for students to wet their feet and cool off.
More flowers and native plants along the small creek.
The creek separates a few of the areas.
Small gardens of vegetables are maintained in part by the students.
A rock garden offers a space for creativity and relaxation.
The Preschool teachers set up a hands-on nature art table for visitors in the same way they do it for their preschoolers.
Photos of students creating self-portraits during classtime.
A new rock wall allows for extra herb gardens and a place to sit.
The craft area is well shaded.
Conference attendees had an opportunity to make their own nature crafts.
This new deck provides a space for activities and performances. It serves as a mini-divider or separator within the outdoor space.