Curriculum for Younger Children

- May 20, 2026

Younger Students Program

Ages 3–11 | Monday–Friday | 12 PM – 4 PM

Our younger students program is inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, experiential learning, nature-based education, and child-centered philosophies that value curiosity, creativity, connection, and exploration.


At Common Ground School, we believe young children learn best through relationships, play, storytelling, artistic expression, meaningful work, and hands-on experiences connected to the real world.

Filling pantyhose with sand to make large feet.

We believe childhood should be filled with creativity, wonder, movement, beauty, experimentation, and opportunities for children to develop a meaningful relationship with nature, community, and daily life.

Rather than emphasizing rigid academic instruction, we focus on helping children develop:

• creativity and imagination
• confidence and independence
• communication and collaboration
• emotional awareness and empathy
• practical life skills
• curiosity and wonder
• connection to nature and community

Our afternoons combine storytelling, gardening, art, cooking, nature exploration, practical life skills, creative expression, and outdoor experiences into a flexible and engaging learning environment.

Daily Rhythm

12:00–12:30 PM — Community & Storytelling

We begin each afternoon with conversation, read-alouds, music, seasonal stories, and discussions connected to the day’s activities and areas of exploration.

Books and discussions may focus on topics such as:

• gardening and ecology
• animals and habitats
• composting and sustainability
• weather and seasons
• birds, insects, and plants
• farms and food systems
• kindness, cooperation, and community

For example, children may listen to stories about how soil is formed before exploring compost, testing soil, planting seeds, or working in the garden.


12:30–1:30 PM — Nature & Horticulture

Children spend regular time outdoors gardening, planting, observing insects and wildlife, exploring seasonal changes, and developing a relationship with the natural world.

Activities may include:

• planting vegetables and flowers
• watering and caring for plants
• composting and soil exploration
• feeding chickens and collecting eggs
• identifying birds, plants, and insects
• harvesting herbs, fruits, and vegetables
• nature walks and outdoor observation
• field trips to local gardens, nurseries, and farms

Local outings may include visits to Hilltop Garden and Nature Center, local nurseries, parks, trails, and community gardens.

1:30–2:15 PM — Practical Life & Cooking

Children participate in meaningful hands-on experiences that help develop confidence, responsibility, independence, and contribution to community life.

Activities may include:

• preparing lunches and snacks from scratch
• baking and simple cooking
• cleaning and caring for shared spaces
• organizing materials and projects
• teamwork and collaboration
• caring for tools, plants, and animals

We believe practical daily experiences are an important part of meaningful education.

2:15–2:45 PM — Outdoor Play & Exploration

Children have opportunities for movement, free play, climbing, imaginative exploration, cooperative games, and unstructured outdoor time.

We believe movement, play, and connection with nature are essential parts of healthy childhood development.

2:45–3:30 PM — Art & Creative Exploration

Children engage in open-ended creative experiences designed to encourage imagination, experimentation, observation, and self-expression.

Activities may include:

• painting and drawing
• nature journaling
• sculpture and mixed media
• storytelling and dramatic play
• seasonal crafts
• collaborative art projects
• music and movement

3:30–4:00 PM — Reflection & Closing Circle

We end each afternoon with storytelling, reflection, music, project sharing, conversation, and opportunities for children to talk about what they explored, created, observed, and discovered throughout the day.

At Common Ground School, we believe young children learn best when they feel safe, respected, creatively engaged, connected to nature, and supported in exploring the world around them.

Our goal is not simply academic achievement, but the nurturing of thoughtful, confident, compassionate, creative, and connected young people.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Memorial Day

Image
It was supposed to be day one of our summer homeschool schedule, but I forgot about Memorial Day. I recently stopped taking ADHD medication because I’m going through perimenopause and can no longer handle the added anxiety and overstimulation to my central nervous system. Since today is a holiday, we’re going to treat it as an extended weekend while also remembering those who fought in wars, something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Speaking of enemies, have you read the children’s book The Enemy by Davide Cali? The story begins with two soldiers trapped on opposite sides of a war. Each has been taught that the other side is evil. They are told the enemy is cruel, monstrous, and less than human. But as the story unfolds, we begin to see something unsettling: both soldiers are scared, lonely, exhausted, and manipulated by the same fears. Some people believe evil is literal and comes from the devil. Others see the devil as a metaphor for our shadow qualities: greed, contempt, hatr...
Read more

How to Make a Rainstick

Image
 Rainsticks are a beautiful way to explore sound, rhythm, creativity, and recycled materials with children. This hands-on activity combines art, engineering, music, and sensory play into one simple project. For our rainstick, we used cardboard tubes, nails, dried beans, and decorative paper to create a calming instrument that sounds surprisingly similar to falling rain. Supplies: • a long cardboard tube • small nails or toothpicks • dried beans, rice, lentils, or small pebbles • tape or cardboard circles for the ends • hammer • decorative paper, paint, or fabric • glue or tape Directions: Carefully hammer small nails through the cardboard tube in a spiral pattern. The nails should poke into the inside of the tube without going completely through both sides. Pour a small handful of dried beans, rice, lentils, or pebbles into the tube. Seal both ends securely using cardboard circles and tape. Decorate the outside of the rainstick using paint, paper, fabric, yarn, o...
Read more

Replicube, Programming, and Creative Problem Solving

Image
One of the most interesting programming tools we have been exploring lately is Replicube, an open-ended programming puzzle game centered around logic, code, mathematics, creativity, and three-dimensional design. In Replicube, students write code to recreate voxel-based 3D objects by giving precise instructions to a virtual construction system. What begins as simple shapes quickly develops into increasingly complex exercises in programming, spatial reasoning, experimentation, and computational thinking. Unlike many traditional educational programs, Replicube encourages students to learn through exploration, trial and error, and creative problem solving rather than memorization or passive instruction. Students are constantly asking questions such as: • How can this shape be recreated more efficiently? • Which patterns repeat? • How can code be simplified or optimized? • What happens if variables are adjusted? • Can one system solve multiple problems? As students experiment, they naturall...
Read more