Newspaper Article Archive of
West Seattle Herald

information from City of Seattle

On a cloudy day, April Charlie explores the forests of Camp Long for the first time. Through her three-year-old eyes it is a wonderland – full of towering conifers, big rocks and colorful animals. It’s a perfect place to ramble, burrow and play. The best part is Charlie will get to enjoy an education full of healthy, active play in a sensory rich world where she will build both the social and emotional skills needed for a productive life and the academic skills needed for success in school.

In an outdoor classroom, lessons have a natural magic: instead of counting marbles, children collect and count acorns; to learn colors, geometry and fine motor control, children use paintbrushes to spread pollen between flowers and record the color, shape and number of petals to share with the class; and with a pile of leaves and twigs, they build sculptures and art that reflect the wilds of their imagination.

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