frequently asked questions
do you cancel class for bad weather?
"There's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing."
At Little Sprouts we believe if your child is dressed appropriately for the day, they will enjoy themselves. We celebrate all the weather Utah has to offer, including rain and snow. No puddle goes unexplored! That being said, the health and safety of our students is our top priority.
We will follow Nebo School District school cancellations if road conditions or weather become dangerous. Additionally, if we deem weather conditions dangerous for our students (high winds, lightening, extreme cold) we will cancel class and notify parents in a timely manner.
Can i stay with my child?
Yes! Parents are asked to volunteer in the class one hour each month to give you an opportunity to connect with your child in class and have a better understanding of how to support their nature exploration at home. Teacher assistant positions are available. Please reach out if you are interested.
is nature school a good fit for my child?
While we believe everyone benefits from time in nature, a nature school program may not be a good fit for every child or family. We are committed first to the safety of all students, so we require that every student be able to follow directions and stay with the class.
Nature school is also a bit of a commitment for parents - from dressing your child in appropriate all-weather gear to fostering a sense of wonder at home to complement school time. There are many variables that can affect whether or not a nature school program will work with your little one (ie. a child's previous time and experience in nature, a child's readiness to be away from their family, a child's ability to connect with their teacher and obey our safety rules, etc.).
what clothes and gear does my child need?
We explore areas with tree branches, grasses, puddles, bugs, and mud. Children need to wear appropriate shoes daily in the fall and spring and a full insulated snowsuit with layers in the winter including a warm hat, waterproof mittens, wool socks (recommended), and insulated, waterproof snow boots.
Helping your child dress comfortably for the weather and role modeling a positive attitude about all different types of weather are the two things you can do to set your child up for success in our programs.
Boot Recommendations:
Roma: www.romaboots.org
Oaki: https://oaki.com/collections/toddler-snow-boots
Plae: https://plae.co/collections/december-2020
Sorel: https://www.sorel.com/c/kids/
Base Layers Recommendations:
Smart Wool: https://www.smartwool.com
Woolino: https://woolino.com/
Ella's Wool: https://ellaswool.com/
how big is the class?
Our preschool classes have a capacity of 16 students. Each class has 2 teachers. For parts of the school day the class is split into smaller groups of 8. Our classes will never go over a 1:8 ratio.