In a city defined by buildings, public transportation, and concrete sidewalks, one early childhood program makes nature a daily priority. The Aspen Grove School serves children ages 6 weeks through 5 years with an urban nature-based, Reggio-inspired approach that takes full advantage of neighborhood green spaces.

The school’s name itself tells a story. Aspen trees have interconnected root systems that create vital communities. “The aspen trees and the aspen family of trees have this unique trait where they’re always found in groups. Their roots are intertwined beneath the surface so that they can share nutrients,” explains Sharon Jayakumar, founder of The Aspen Grove School. “This metaphor reflects the school’s approach to raising children. Raising children requires an interconnected community, and nature is always our teacher in this. “Nature is our teacher” is actually one of our core values,” Sharon says.

The name carries additional significance. The building The Aspen Grove School occupies was once the historic First African Baptist Church. Before that, it was an orchard. “Grove is a little connection to our history before this became an urban setting,” Sharon notes.

A Beautiful Space That Honors Childhood

Sharon founded The Aspen Grove School after touring various programs for her then-18-month-old son. She couldn’t find what she considered basic: taking children truly outdoors every day, having natural light, and offering a prepared environment. “Almost every school will tell you that, but I found that it wasn’t that common unless a school had its own dedicated playground,” she says.

Finding and constructing the right space took over two and a half years. The physical environment reflects both the nature-based approach and a Reggio philosophy. One core tenet of Reggio education holds that the environment functions as the “third teacher.” The school needed a space that fully complemented its philosophy.

“It’s very aesthetically pleasing,” Sharon says. “Having aesthetically pleasing spaces is calming and appealing to young children. It creates a sense of home, a sense of emotional safety.  A saying we love is ‘control the environment not the child’”.  

Natural light floods nearly every classroom. Wood beams over a hundred years old span the ceilings. The school repurposed wood from the original church for the reception area and throughout the building. Skylights in the gross motor area create what one parent called a “dreamy” effect where light falls throughout the day.

“It felt like with the light from inside, a tree could literally grow inside that building,” one visitor observed.

Why City Kids Need Nature Most

While nature based programs are more commonly found in suburban or rural settings, Sharon  argues nature-based learning matters even more for city children for whom an experience with nature needs to be intentional and encouraged. Nature based learning offers the fundamental building blocks for lifelong learning: emotional regulation, sensory integration, problem solving, improved focus and cognitive development.

“I would argue it’s so much more important for city kids because, unlike children who live in the suburbs, being outdoors is not as easy as playing in your own backyard,” Sharon explains. “In the city, a child’s options can often be screen time or other experiences that are a lot less.  So in a learning environment where a child spends the majority of their day most days, an intentional experience with nature becomes so important.”

Aspen Grove emphasizes the importance of social-emotional development as a foundational skill that nature-based learning helps develop. “The biggest area that children need to develop in the 0 to 5 years is emotional regulation,” Sharon says. “A strong social emotional foundation is the predictor of future academic success.”

The Image of the Child: Seeing Children as Capable, Curious and Competent

At Aspen Grove, it begins with how children are seen. They are seen as capable, curious and competent individuals and teachers as a guide to a child’s natural curiosity.  “These magic moments of true learning are possible only if you see the child a certain way,” Sharon says. “Otherwise, adults miss important moments. You’re pushing something down on them. You could still be nature-based, but it’s you, the teacher, demanding a certain thing.”

The school emphasizes one question above all: “What is your image of the child? How do you see them? And how do you treat them with that sort of respect?”

Bringing Nature Indoors

The school actively brings nature inside its walls. Children don’t just count with traditional beads—they count with pine cones or seashells as well and use natural materials for math and science activities.

Alexis Gardner, Director of Education at The Aspen Grove School, describes how one class discovered enormous seed pods at a nearby park. “The seeds are in these giant seed pods that then fall and you break them open and they’re huge,” she explains. Children collected handfuls, filling their pockets and shirts. The class brought a bag the next day to collect more intentionally.”

“Small children love little trinkets and little things.,” Alexis says. The class used the seeds for counting, weighing on scales, making patterns, creating faces, and even building maracas. “Something so simple can go a million miles when children are interested and invested in it and feel like active participants in their learning.”

Learning Empathy Through Classroom Pets

Some classrooms have plants. Others have classroom pets. One class adopted a guinea pig named Cherry from a local pet store after a walking field trip. The children learned to prepare vegetables, chop lettuce with child-safe knives, and care for another living being.

“It let them build on some of those responsibilities, but really built up that empathy and ability to care for someone else in a way that most of us don’t have until we’re significantly older,” Alexis reflects. Children would announce at lunch, “I wish I could eat food like Cherry,” leading to conversations about vegetables and healthy eating.

The experience extended to home. Families took Cherry home for weekends, creating a meaningful home-school connection. “The ways in which their empathy and gentle touch came through would surprise me.  The things that they would think of—I wonder if Cherry likes when we’re doing this or if it makes her feel nervous,” Alexis says. 

Daily Outdoor Exploration

The Aspen Grove School takes its almost 200 children outside every single day, within regulatory parameters. Children have access to about five parks and green spaces. The closest is Carpenter Green, a small community space where children collect items, draw, and explore. “Our kids go out every single day,” Sharon emphasizes. “Most of our families actually tell us that that’s the reason why they chose Aspen Grove and it’s something that they appreciate.”

Infants and younger toddlers ride in buggies—and they get to move and explore when at a park. Teachers blow bubbles, read books, and help children explore their surroundings

Older children walk on rope lines with rings to keep the group together. Nature is everywhere if we look for it – in a muddy puddle, in a flower growing through the crack on the sidewalk, in the expansive sky above, all of which children are prompted to observe. The school goes outside in nearly all weather conditions. “They’ll go out rain or shine, or snow, as long as we are within regulatory parameters in keeping children safe” Sharon says. 

Inquiry-Based Learning That Prepares Children for Kindergarten 

A common question for families is how a nature-based and Reggio educational approach can help with school readiness.  “If we follow the science on what is truly needed for school readiness, it is to create in the child the ability to learn.  The first step in building an ability to learn is to be able to regulate emotionally in a group setting – being in nature helps with that process.  Then, there is the ability to learn through inquiry.  Nature offers endless opportunities for questioning, problem solving and reasoning.  Within this construct, children learn literacy, math and science concepts that are well aligned with PA early learning standards.  Each Fall we receive wonderful feedback from neighborhood schools on how Aspen Grove children are doing in their Kindergarten program!”

 “The school follows a loose parts approach—using natural, open-ended materials that can become anything a child imagines . That’s what you experience when you’re outside in nature as well. So really building inquiry and inquisition and asking why is what develops a child cognitively.”

Traditional settings make these skills harder to develop. “These are skills that are so much harder to achieve in a cookie cutter academic environment where a school relies on worksheets and rote memorization more than facilitating the thinking process.”

Training Teachers in Nature-Based Education

The Aspen Grove School looks for teachers aligned with wanting to be part of an urban nature-based program. The hiring process examines whether candidates align with the school’s core values. The first core value “We value The Importance of Being Little” comes from the title of the book “The Importance of Being Little” by Erika Christakis, a book that deeply influenced Sharon while planning to open Aspen Grove. “It’s just a masterpiece on what young children really need from grown-ups and from their environment.”

“Another core value is “Nature is our Teacher”.  “One of the best ways to nurture the magic and wonder of childhood is to have intentional experiences with the natural world.”

Professional development happens regularly. Teachers explore what Reggio education means and why it matters. Through professional development, teachers receive approximately 30 credits each school year. The school has worked with Nature Explore, which trains on how time, space, and materials can interplay to create great learning experiences.

Inside, Outside, and Beyond

Sharon summarizes nature-based learning in an urban setting with three parts: inside, outside, and beyond.

• Inside encompasses the physical environment—the natural light, materials, and aesthetics that make learning spaces beautiful and functional.
  
• Outside means not only spending time outside daily but having intentional interactions with nature. Children learn to express the concepts of “I notice…, I wonder…, this reminds me of…” a simple strategy to build their focus, awareness and cognition.
  
• Beyond includes field trips for older children. It also captures stewardship—how children learn to care for animals, plants, and the world around them.

Moving almost 200 children in and out of their space every single day for outdoor time requires commitment. But for The Aspen Grove School, this daily practice makes nature-based learning real for Philadelphia’s youngest citizens. Rain, shine, or snow, children head outside. Teachers push buggies, manage rope lines, and follow children’s curiosity wherever it leads—even when it means a pileup over a puddle!

“Nature is our teacher,” Sharon says. In a city of concrete and skyscrapers, The Aspen Grove School ensures that this idea reaches every child, every day.

The Aspen Grove School is located in Philadelphia and serves children ages 6 weeks through 5 years. The school is open from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. throughout the year. For more information, visit aspengrovephilly.com.

Photos courtesy of Megan Tidmore Photography.

The Aspen Grove School’s story supports the Philly Family Community’s Education Guide. Collaborate with us.