Lab School
Summer Programs 2025
Each summer, the Lab School offers an array of summer programs meant to inspire. Our programs are designed for children ages 3 through 6 years. We hope your child will join us!
Wild Wanderers (Ages 4-6 years) Waitlist ONLY
“Nature is a tool to get children to experience not just the wider world but themselves.” – Stephen Moss
Come and celebrate the start of summer in our beautiful outdoor learning environments. A meadow teaming with life, a rushing creek, trails, an outdoor classroom, a bird blind, trees to climb, and so much more. Our mornings will be spent exploring the wild and wandering through our woods together, engaging in adventure play, and soaking up the sun. Children will be filled with peace as we practice morning yoga and read under the canopy of our trees. They will develop their sense of wonder as they are surrounded by nature in its perfectly balanced multi-sensory experience. They will make new friends, whether it be with a peer or a critter, we will support the big idea of caring for one another as well as caring for our Earth! And we will strengthen their confidence as they embody our camp name – Wild Wanderers.
Led by the Lab School teachers: Katie Pollock & Alexis Washofsky
Dates: June 2 – June 13
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Monday – Friday)
Cost: $500
Nature Explorers (36 months – 48 months) Last spot!
“A child’s world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement.” – Rachel Carson
What can children learn by splashing in puddles? From rolling down hills? Watching the movement of clouds and tall trees while lying on their backs? Adventures in our meadow, trails, woods, and hills provide opportunities to observe nature up close, wonder, question, imagine, create, and build their knowledge of nature. Nature Explorers offers children a world of opportunities to develop a sense of wonder as we all slow down to appreciate the natural world around us.
Led by the Lab School teacher: Debbie Torbert
Dates: June 2 – June 13
Hours: 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. (Monday – Friday)
Cost: $500
Mindfulness in Nature (Ages 4–7 years) Waitlist ONLY
“Nature meditation can help you cultivate a loving connection with yourself, the earth, and the entire web of life.” – Mark Coleman of Awake in the Wild
Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present, aware of our thoughts and emotions, and experiencing them with kindness and curiosity. Nature provides an ideal setting for mindfulness, offering a calming space that encourages children to slow down, explore with their senses, and develop a deep connection with the world around them.
Mindfulness has been shown to improve happiness and increase compassion, focus, curiosity, and empathy. Immersing children in nature fosters present-moment awareness, appreciation for the beauty and resilience of the natural world, and a sense of compassion for their environment and each other. When practicing mindfulness in nature, the connection helps build confidence, emotional strength, and a lifelong sense of stewardship.
The Mindfulness in Nature summer program will spend the duration of our program in the beautiful outdoors observing, encountering, wondering, creating, and caring for the natural world. Through these outdoor experiences, coupled with mindful practices, songs, stories, movement, breathing exercises, gratitude practices, and games, children will strengthen their ability to be mindful and develop a meaningful relationship with nature. Some experiences in nature may include creek exploration, walking meditation, cloud watching, sound mapping, tree-hugging, sit spots, and observational drawing/journaling.
By noticing and naming our sensations, our feelings, our thoughts, and our needs, they become manageable which makes it easier to respond effectively to challenging situations. Focusing on these skills with young children helps them build a strong emotional foundation, equipping them with essential tools to navigate an ever-changing world with resilience and mindfulness.
Led by the Lab School teachers: Kristen Chandler & Polly Lung
Please choose one of the following camp date options:
Dates: June 9 – July 3, Cost: $1100
Dates: June 16 – July 3, Cost: $850
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (Monday – Friday)
(closed on June 19th in observance of Juneteenth)
Play and Grow IN NATURE! (Ages 18 months–36 months)
Waitlist ONLY
“Roots of understanding grow deep when curious minds are nourished in nature.” – Nell Regan Kartychok, Founder of Rhythms of Play
Young children are naturally fascinated by the world around them. The richness of the sights, sounds, textures, and smells helps to connect their sense of wonder and awe and understanding of the world.
Designed for children aged 18 months to 3 years and their caregivers, Play and Grow in Nature nurtures curiosity, exploration, and early learning through hands-on experiences in the natural world. Inspired by Friedrich Froebel’s philosophy, this program recognizes that young children learn holistically from birth, absorbing knowledge through sensory-rich interactions with their environment.
Guided by the belief that nature provides the ideal setting for early development, the program engages children in activities that stimulate their senses—exploring natural textures, listening to birds, feeling the sun and the wind, and watching the clouds. These greater sensory experiences support synaptic development, which is the defining work of young children’s brains.
With caregivers as active participants, Play and Grow in Nature strengthens the bond between families and nature, creating a foundation for lifelong curiosity, confidence, and a deep connection to the world around them.