Heron's Nest
Farm and Forest Family Childcare
Summers and School Year
for ages 2.5-6
Who we are and what we believe in
Heron's Nest is a nature-based home program for ages 2.5-6, located in Deerfield, MA. The safe and inviting context of a home garden helps to teach the arts of loving interdependence, devotion to meaningful work, and admiration of our natural world. Farm animal care, gentle gardening, music making, movement journeys, story telling, and hand crafting are integral pillars to this program.
Our days are a flexible combination of structure and free play; we believe in a child-led curriculum in order to foster willful learning and genuine curiosity. We are home to a herd of dwarf goats, a flock of ducks, and expansive gardens for work and play.
As farmers and artists, our teachers Heron and Josie Wakerobin work to create a bright space full of song, plants, creatures, and liberated play for children to share.
*Sadly, we are not hosting summer camp this summer (2024)* as we are expecting a baby in July!
*We have officially closed enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year.*
Please reach out if you are interested in 2025-2026 and we can get you on the waitlist!
Children ages 2.5-6 are welcome to enroll. The program is offered for the duration of a school year - Early September 2024 to mid June 2025, Monday through Thursday (we newly will not offer Fridays this year). We will enroll a maximum of seven children to ensure a high quality of care. We will follow the general schedule of our local school district in regards to holidays and vacations.
School hours: 8 am - 3:30 pm
After care hours: 3:30 pm - 5 pm, at additional cost
We are licensed through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC)