Anna Fryer exemplifies the essence of collaboration. As the Multi-site Director/Supervisor of Teddy Bear Day Care and Preschool in Traverse City, Michigan, she partners with numerous organizations to enhance child care and preschool both at her center and others. Serving over 150 families, Anna not only improves the Teddy Bear Day Care, but also assists other facilities in upgrading their programs and collaborates with Great Start to Quality (GSQ) for continual improvements.
“Our curriculum is a great fit for our families and community,” Anna shares. “As we reviewed Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) parameters, we decided our nature-based curriculum was the right choice for our children.” This curriculum, now successfully implemented in three child care centers, has fostered significant local, regional, and national partnerships.
Anna passionately believes that nature serves as a powerful teacher. Her nature-based program emphasizes hands-on learning in natural settings, which she finds most effective for child development. “The first 1000 days are the most critical in a child’s life,” Anna emphasizes. Teddy Bear Day Care’s child-centered practices highlight their expertise in nature-based programming, reflecting their commitment to enhancing child care through collaboration.
“We’ve welcomed other childcare centers to observe our operations,” Anna notes, explaining that children in her centers spend over 90% of their time outdoors, weather permitting. “We play in the rain, enjoy our meals outdoors, and engage in both large and small group activities.” With a curriculum centered around responsive care and seasonal learning through play, Teddy Bear Day Care and Preschool fosters a journey of discovery and wonder for children.
This philosophy of wonder and discovery has been carried through the organization and helped Anna and her staff to collaborate with international organizations such as The Nature Conservancy and the Audubon Society to develop child-centered programs. The collaborations have resulted in more nature-based programing which is shown to benefit children as they are learning and growing.
Outdoor education exposes children to multiple sensory inputs from new sounds, smells and textures. Outdoor education gives children the chance to explore new information, experiences and opportunities to learn and in ways that are not possible in a classroom setting. Children can run, jump and climb more easily in an outdoor environment, building muscles, skills, and confidence in a unique way. Outdoor education is also child-led as children are often curious about their environment and such curiosity allows children to discover new information through observation classification and creative play with peers.
To learn more about nature education for children, parents can contact their local or The Nature Conservancy office in their state and/or the state Department of Natural Resources. Preschools and providers can learn more about Nature Preschools by visiting Natural Start Alliance.