We offer a wholesome, seasonal, farm life experience for your young child that allows them to experience and interact with the natural world in a tangible way. Such sensory discoveries help them to understand their place and purpose in the world which increases their self-confidence, enhances their curiosity, and reinforces a love for nature and the outdoors.

Buds & Blossoms is born out of my own and my husband’s journey with our four grown children, and our exposure and experience with several early childhood education philosophies, such as those of: Rudolf Steiner (Waldorf Education), which focuses on an early years education that provides practical, hands-on activities and environments that encourage creative play; Louis Malaguzzi (Reggio Emilia Approach), which contends that children learn the principles of respect, responsibility, and community through exploration and discovery in a supportive and enriching environment; Charlotte Mason, which emphasizes the value of living books, i.e., those written by one person with a passion for the topic and a broad command of the language; the Classical Christian Model, which outlines the three phases of learning in the Trivium, each with a different purpose and each roughly coordinated with human development; and Maria Montessori (Montessori Education), which respects and appreciates a child’s natural psychological, physical, and social development.

Our earliest years of home educating were the most delightful because our home was rich with language, books, music, games, farm life, hospitality, and travel. I always felt that one way I could enrich the lives of our children was to allow them to create, explore, and learn by putting raw, natural materials in their hands. So, for example, I opted for carefully supervised baking and cooking experiences in our kitchen using raw, whole foods and all our kitchen tools, rather than packaged, processed cake mixes and an Easy Bake oven. Our children learned about the cycles of life naturally by being hands-on with plants and animals. We listened to great quality music. Their physical abilities were enhanced by the organic climbing, jumping, and navigating that occur on uneven country terrain. We were constantly investigating life together!

We have now created our own hybrid model of what worked in our own home with our children (all now in college or grad school)—and what we dreamt about doing but somehow never quite found the margin for. We are today, making that time for your precious children. Our Buds & Blossoms program continually seeks to delight and capture your child’s attention.

Working again with young children (and our two and a half year old grandson), we remind ourselves to create freedom and choice within safe boundaries and the seasonal rhythms that naturally help to create structure. Children thrive with consistency and dependability, and this context breeds the freedom for creative expression and even academic learning later on.  The expression of who they are and who they are becoming flourishes within an unhurried atmosphere and within a spirit of mutual respect, cooperation, patience, and trust. We get this.

The heart of our Buds & Blossoms program is to serve the parent(s) by creating a safe and truly exciting outdoor playscape for children. We desire that our program be in addition to what your family has created at home and, perhaps, with respect to our farm life and their time on their own here, what you’d like your child to experience outside of your home.

We commit to giving your child personalized attention, healthful snacks, farm life experiences, and stimulating activities. We will become a student of your child, in partnership with you.