Curriculum and Rates

We serve children ages 2.5 through 6 Monday through Friday 8 am - 4 pm, Part-Time Spots Available Located in Hampden, Maine.

2024 tuition rate: $300 / week

We are currently fully enrolled, and will add interested families to a waitlist for September 2024! To schedule a tour, please fill out an application on our enrollment page and we will contact you. We look forward to hearing from you!

Weekly tuition includes nature-based preschool curriculum, two daily meals and a snack, as well as seasonal events for families. We participate in the Maine Child Care Subsidy Program.

Confidence, curiosity, and joy are cultivated through authentic experiences and relationships

  • Eat

    Eating fresh, nutritious food that is grown with love is the foundation for a healthy and meaningful life. Little Learners Homestead serves two healthy, locally grown meals and one snack that guide the rhythm of the day.

  • Play

    Our teachers facilitate imaginative play as well as provide space for unstructured peer-to-peer creativity. Children are encouraged to explore and push their boundaries in a safe and supportive environment.

  • Learn

    Hands-on activities help children develop confidence and skill. Close attention is paid to each child’s strengths and challenges, creating an individualized program that progresses through developmentally appropriate tasks.

  • The following is a sample of the daily schedule, which changes seasonally as well as in response to the children’s needs and daily learning opportunities.

    8:00-8:30 Arrival. Provide a smooth transition for families in an outdoor play area. Families are welcome to explore the school and homestead with their child before dropping off with the morning teacher in the designated area.

    8:30-9:00 Breakfast. Something hardy and energizing. Options to include but not limited to: oatmeal, homemade bread, whole grain pancakes, fruit, yogurt, eggs, meat.

    9:00-9:15 Big Group Play. Gross motor activity such as a group game or obstacle course.

    9:15-11:30 Rotating Group Activities. Beginning with a brief morning meeting as a whole group to greet each other, sing a morning song, and lay out the plan for the morning. Then children rotate through three groups, each led by one teacher.

    Groups:

    Daily: Circle Time, Animal Chores, Garden/Nature Activity

    Monday & Thursday: Cooking Activity

    Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: Craft

    11:30-12:00 Lunch. Children and teachers all eat together around one table. Outdoors when the weather allows. Children help with setting the table and cleaning up.

    12:00-12:30 Swing and Individual Choices. Children have the option to do a puzzle, play with blocks, magnets, manipulatives, and look at books while taking turns swinging in a therapeutic nest swing in either the Play Room or the Cozy Room.

    12:30-1:30 Quiet Time. Each child is provided a mat for rest time. The classroom teacher reads or tells stories to the group. Children who do not nap have quiet play options to bring to their mat.

    1:30-2:00 Afternoon Chores. Children rotate through daily tasks to take care of ongoing projects and the indoor school space. Sweeping, washing dishes, folding laundry, feeding sourdough, growing sprouts, watering plants, etc. As a group, we bring pigs a daily slop bucket and make sure all animals have water.

    2:00-3:00 Outdoor Free Play.

    3:00-3:15 Afternoon Snack. Light, healthy snack. Children help prepare tea for the end of the day.

    3:15-3:45 Music. Singing, dancing and playing instruments.

    3:45-4:00 Closing Circle and Tea Time. Pick up.