Nature Vision Preschool
at Farrel-McWhirter Park

Open House April 27th!

Enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year is open now! Spots available in Pre-K Discoveries and Creative Play.

Are you searching for the perfect preschool that combines the wonders of the outdoors with play-based learning? Nature Vision Preschool, nestled in the heart of Redmond’s Farrel-McWhirter Park, is your child's gateway to a world of exploration and growth.

Our mission at Nature Vision Preschool is to provide a nature and play-based experiential learning environment to help foster a sustainable culture in our community. Located in the unique setting of an educational farm and forested park, our preschool program supports the learning and development of our students mentally, emotionally, physically, and socially.

Our teaching is grounded in the philosophies of child-centered, playful learning within an emergent curriculum framework. We follow the natural, seasonal cycles of change in our forests, stream, and meadows as we weave in academic themes of math, language, science, art, music, movement, and environmental education. We work to provide all children with the opportunity to learn about what interests them in ways that are effective and meaningful.

By nurturing our students’ independence and self-esteem skills, we pave the way for students to be ready for the next step in their educational journey.

Take a look at our school online! Nature Vision Preschool Virtual Tour Nature Vision Preschool Spaces

For COVID-19 safety questions, please see our 2023-2024 Preschool Handbook, or email Kathryn Sooter, Preschool Manager.

Enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year is open now! Spots available in Pre-K Discoveries and Creative Play.

Creative Play (Age: 3.5 - 4 years) - 1 SPOT OPEN

Creative Play offers an introduction to outdoor preschool for our younger students. With an emphasis on a small class size and play-based curriculum, Creative Play students are ready for fun, rain or shine! By exploring their interests and the world around them, children develop long-lasting connections to the earth and to each other.

Students learn about the forest through active play and discovery, and begin to make sense of the patterns in nature. Fostering these curiosities helps students grow their connections to the world around them. Who is making that bird song? Who calls this tree home? Creative Play students are going to find out!

Teachers weave academic concepts throughout daily activities, encouraging authentic, meaningful, and contextual learning in a nurturing and engaging environment. At the end of this growth-filled year, your student will be ready to move into Pre-K Discoveries or Preschool Explorers with a matured sense of connection and place in our preschool community. Creative Play is intended for students two years away from Kindergarten.

Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:30-11:00 am*
Sept. 3, 2024 - May 29, 2025
Location: Farrel-McWhirter Park
Max Class Size: 12 ONE SPOT OPEN
Age Range: 3.5-4 years old
Tuition: $489/month
Must be potty-trained.

*Class times are subject to change dependent on Lake Washington School District start and end times for 2024-2025*

Pre-K Discoveries (Age: 4 - 5 years) - SPOTS OPEN

Pre-K Discoveries students are budding and blooming scientists, artists, mathematicians, and storytellers. Students will enjoy discovering all that our forest has to offer through hands on exploration, while developing their Kindergarten readiness through our play-based curriculum.

By building on existing abilities and knowledge, students explore topics with more depth and self-direction through our emergent curriculum. Teachers gradually and gently encourage children to take bigger steps towards self-reliance and building their own curiosity to help each child develop their potential and thrive in our preschool community!

With a focus on social and emotional development, your child will build confidence, inquisitiveness, and lifelong skills, resulting in a happy and rewarding school year. Students will show teachers and each other all of the amazing things the forest has to offer underfoot and all around them. By the end of the school year, your student will be fully prepared to enter Kindergarten.

Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays, 8:30-11:30 am*
Sept. 4, 2024 - May 30, 2025
Location: Farrel-McWhirter Park
Max Class Size: 14
Age Range: 4-5 years old
Tuition: $696/month
Must be potty-trained.

*Class times are subject to change dependent on Lake Washington School District start and end times for 2024-2025*

Preschool Explorers (Age: 3.5 - 5 years) - This class is full, join the waiting list or enroll in Pre-K Discoveries

Children have a lot to teach us, and each other! Preschool Explorers embodies this idea through the unique and exciting community of a mixed-age class. Students will learn and grow with each other while we discover the magical forest we call home!

Who made the hole that owl is living in? Why is that fern growing on the tree? How do nurse logs help the forest? Through an emergent and play-based curriculum, teachers make natural connections to academic themes and provide a rich environment where students will continue to grow their social-emotional and academic skills. Your child will become an active participant in their own education as they gain independence, self-esteem, and leadership skills through cooperative learning projects.

At the end of the school year, older students are fully prepared to move into Kindergarten, while younger students may return for one more year of Nature Vision Preschool. Preschool Explorers is strongly recommended for students with previous preschool/daycare experience.

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays, 12:30-3:30 pm*
Sept. 3, 2024 - May 29, 2025
Location: Farrel-McWhirter Park
Max Class Size: 14
Age Range: 3.5-5 years old
Tuition: $696/month
Must be potty-trained.

*Class times are subject to change dependent on Lake Washington School District start and end times for 2024-2025*

Spots available in Pre-K Discoveries and Creative Play

Enrollment Information:

2024-2025 Enrollment Dates and Open Houses
Enrollment is now open for all families! Open Enrollment for families stays open until the program is full.

Open Houses April 27th: 10:00 AM -12:00 PM No registration is required for open houses. Questions? Email Kathryn Sooter, Preschool Manager/Lead Teacher.

A non-refundable Enrollment Fee of one full month’s tuition is required to secure your child’s spot at Nature Vision Preschool for the upcoming school year. If you stay for the duration of the 2024-2025 school year, this amount will be applied to the final month of the school year. Our program runs for 9 months, and all students must be 3.5 and potty trained prior to the first day of school.

We are not hosting tours at this time.
Questions? Email Kathryn Sooter, Preschool Manager/Lead Teacher.

Take a look at our school virtually anytime! Nature Vision Preschool Virtual Open House Nature Vision Preschool Virtual Tour Nature Vision Preschool Spaces

Melissa Pendleton has spent over 20 years teaching preschool and kindergarten and this is her fifth year at the Nature Vision Preschool. Melissa graduated with a degree in Social Ecology from University of California, Irvine. She also holds an Advanced Core Certificate in Early Childhood Education (UCLA) and has taken classes in Elementary Education (California State University, Northridge). In addition, Melissa earned a professional certificate in Museum Studies from Oregon State University that focuses on teaching/learning in informal settings like museums, zoos, science centers and nature settings. Melissa grew up in both Massachusetts and California but has lived in the beautiful PNW for half of her life now and loves it here! She is married to her husband Brad and has two sons, Nate and Jack, and a dog named Penny. When she is not in school, she likes to read, hike, kayak and camp. Melissa firmly believes that preschool is a very special place that should be filled with joy and wonder!

Kathryn Sooter is in her 7th year with Nature Vision Preschool, and has been the Preschool Manager for the last 5 years. She graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, where she focused in particular on zoology and plants. Since 2011, Kathryn has been actively involved in environmental education, previously teaching at the Woodland Park Zoo and Seattle Aquarium. Her passion for teaching young students about nature has been a driving force in her career. A lifelong learner, Kathryn also has a minor degree in American History, and has continued her education with the K-12 Certification program through UW. Kathryn is originally from Oahu, Hawaii and has lived in California and Iowa before moving to Washington. She married her college sweetheart Erik and has two golden retrievers, Freya and Eowyn. Outside of preschool, Kathryn enjoys any activity that gets her outside, including mountaineering (she has climbed every volcano in Washington!), running, and skiing!

"Both of our sons have attended Nature Vision Preschool. We love the balance of indoor and outdoor time. It’s reminds me of the summer camps that I attended as a child. But is a like a parent and child’s dream come true because it is school, and can happen all school year long rather than just one week of summer break. Exploring the forest, farm and gardens at the park opened our children’s eyes and minds to the nature that surrounds us in the Pacific Northwest. I can't say enough positive things about the teachers. They use evidence based practices in their lesson plans and activities. The teachers are patient, understanding and just wonderfully open minded individuals. I'm a teacher myself (although currently a stay at home parent) and I see so many great things happening in the classroom everyday. I feel our children have been well prepared for kindergarten upon completing 2 years each at Nature Vision Preschool. The balance between learning the ABCs, 123s and social emotional skills is well balanced."
Jenn, Pre-K Discoveries parent

"Our family really enjoyed this past year with Nature Vision. We love the kindness and enthusiasm of the teachers, the indoor/outdoor curriculum, and the farm park setting." Katherine, Pre-K Discoveries Parent

"The preschool is such a special place! We are fortunate to have two of our kids go through the entire program and couldn't be more happy. The opportunity to spend so much time outside, learning about the changing seasons and natural world before entering the classroom based K-12 system is so valuable. This time spent outside, learning to find joy and things to do in nature is a skill that will serve our kids well through their entire lives." Doug, Pre-K Discoveries Parent

"We love how she's being taught mindfulness. The level of care and concern the teachers show for every child is the reason why we chose this school. We love the inclusive environment. Our child has really learned how to appreciate people's uniqueness and be kind to everyone." Samna, Preschool Explorers Parent

"We absolutely love Nature Vision preschool. [Our child] thrives in this magical setting. We can’t wait for next year to start!" Carly, Creative Play Parent

“Nature Vision preschool has been instrumental for both of my daughters. They entered the school reserved and watching from afar and within months, they were actively participating in activities and making friends…they wanted to go! The teachers are warm, patient, kind, funny and have an amazing passion for both nature and children. This was a perfect fit for both of my kids, not only did they learn how to be a responsible and kind part of a class, but also part of a community and our world as a whole. It was more than I could ask for!”
Jessie, Pre-K Discoveries Parent

Withdrawal Policy

Our program is a 9 month program, September-May. The Enrollment Fee to hold your child’s place for the school year is non-refundable. If you stay for the duration of the school year, this enrollment fee will be applied as May tuition. If you choose to withdraw your child from the program, please notify the program administrator, Ginny Sanchez Ballard at gsanchez@naturevision.org in writing. The withdrawal notice must be received at least 45 calendar days prior to the last month your child will attend. For example, if your child’s last month of school is March, we must receive notice by January 15th. If notice is given within 45 days of the last month your child will attend, you will be charged for the full month of tuition after your last month. For example, if your child’s last month is March and we are notified Feb 1, you will be charged for April tuition. If you withdraw before the start of the school year, the Enrollment Fee is also non-refundable. You will be billed for September tuition if the withdrawal notice is received after July 15th.

Preschool Handbook 2023-2024 School Year (subject to change based on COVID-19)

Contact Us

If you have questions about our school, or to inquire about open houses, please contact Kathryn Sooter, Preschool Manager/Lead Teacher, at ksooter@naturevision.org.

If you have questions about enrollment, please email Ginny Ballard, Executive Director at gsanchez@naturevision.org.