About Us
About Into The Woods Nature School
Into the Woods Nature Preschool provides an entirely outdoor education program that is distinguished by its commitment to 100% outdoor time nature immersion, interest-led flow learning, emergent curriculum, inquiry-based teaching style and an emphasis on authentic play.
Our program is designed to integrate children with nature and engage them in quality outdoor activities which is designed to emulate their innate curiosity about the natural world. Our teaching style encourages children to learn through direct experience with nature.
Friedrich Fröbel, a German educator, opened the world’s first outdoor kindergartens (children’s gardens), more than 50 years ago with the belief that young children should play in nature, away from an emphasis on too many numbers and letters.
Meet Founder/Head Teacher
Thea Gironda-Sandmann
Growing up in the beautiful mountains, forests and fields of South Africa, Thea spent countless hours exploring with her father and siblings. This love stayed with her and when she moved to the United States and was introduced to a whole new world of wonders she decided to find a way to combine her love of nature and children.
She completed the Cedarsong Way Residential Teacher Training Program with Erin Kenny and started the process of changing her dream to reality. Raising two sons, being nanny to young children and finally having grandsons of her own prepared her for the ultimate adventure of sharing her knowledge and love with a new generation of young nature lovers.
