Hi, We are Finch and Fiddle. A nature-based Preschool located in beautiful Yarmouth, ME

Weekly Structure

Our weeks will be structured around exploring our world around us, with monthly themes such as winter survival and animal babies. Our seasonal curriculum is shared with our families throughout the year.

Here’s an example of how our weekly learning is guided:

Nature Quest -Mondays

  1. What’s happening?

  2. Who lives here?

  3. How are we connected?

  4. Who are we? 

Nature Notes - Daily as a class

Nature Sketch- Thursday

Science & Sunlight

Each month our unit begins by introducing a natural phenomenon that children can explore, observe, ponder, question, and discuss.

Our outdoor activities align with the NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas for K-12 Science Education. Littles ones at Finch and Fiddle are engaged in science practices by asking questions, defining problems, carrying out investigations, and using math and computational thinking to better understand our natural world.

How we’re learning

More than a curriculum or framework, Finch & Fiddle honors and supports our intrinsic bond with nature and fosters our innate desire to explore and play.

We take inspiration from a wide-range of sources such as Forest School, Waldorf, place-based education, Montessori, indigenous knowledges, and most importantly, time spent communing with Mother Nature herself.

At Finch & Fiddle we :

1. RECOGNIZE NATURE CONNECTION AS A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN NEED, RIGHT AND STATE OF BEING

2. VALUE AND RESPECT THE WHOLE CHILD

3. ARE RELATIONSHIP LED

4. FAVOR PLACE-BONDED, CONTEXTUAL LEARNING

5. ALIGN WITH NATURE’S RHYTHMS

6. FAVOR EMERGENT LEARNING

sense | wonder| connect

Grow their creative confidence

Kids are creative, every moment of the day… in the way they draw, in the way they experiment with language, the way they interact with objects, the way they imagine new worlds.

So how can we prevent imaginative play and creativity from being blocked?

  • Take the back seat and allow plenty of time for unstructured time.

  • Don’t hand out extrinsic rewards too quickly. Growing research is showing that rewards can dampen the innate pleasure that comes from creative pursuits.

  • Make stuff. And keep it open-ended.

  • Cull the excess- too many toys dampens creativity. And,

  • Encourage invention and experimentation.

We are co-discoverers and guides

Through creative play and exploration, early learners ages 2 1/2 to 5 will engage together, gaining nature awareness and knowledge of plants, mammals, and bird. Our staff leaders/teachers/instructors will guide children into experiences that nurture their connection to the earth and allow them to feel at home in the natural world, while fostering stewardship for the planet.