FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What's your Early Childhood Education philosophy?
Play.
But like, RIE, or Waldorf, Montessori, or maybe Reggio?
Play.
Okay but what do you DO?
Let kids play.
Do you do circle time?
We do play time.
But what if it's not play time?
These are 3-5 year olds; it's always playtime.
But how do you TEACH them anything?
We don't.
But—!
But also, we do. We teach autonomy by letting them choose; we teach social regulation by letting them play together, or independently if it's not a together kind of day; we teach physics and earth science and cause and effect and sensory exploration; we teach justice by taking their needs seriously and also taking every other child's needs seriously; we teach rhythms of the day by arrivals, meal times, and farewells; we teach hygiene by modeling mask wearing and handwashing and cleaning up, as needed; and we teach self-regulation by being a regulating presence and offering comfort and encouragement when needed. And, we don't "teach" anything, because children learn through play. So, we let them play.
So I'm paying you to let them play?
Yes! But also for knowing HOW kids play and what they like to play with, for setting up spaces and objects that encourage the kind of unstructured play we have so little time for anywhere else, for keeping an eye out for skinned knees or bee stings, for watching their play when they want that and pretending not to be watching when they don't, for making this space, for a few hours a day, safe for the most important work of a child's life.
Which is?
Play.
What do I need to bring for my child?
- Clothing, footwear, and outer clothing appropriate for the weather. Rain suits and boots are highly recommended in the rainy season.
- One complete set of spare clothes
- A water bottle
- A well fitting mask plus a spare
- Diapers/pull-ups if necessary
- A bag for wet clothes/etc to go home in
- A packed lunch
Do kids need to wear masks?
All children need to BRING a high quality mask. At this time, we are not requiring the children to wear a mask for most outdoor play, but we require they have access to a mask in case needs arise. We will be closely monitoring community COVID spread and levels and may require additional mask use depending on risk. All adults are required to be properly masked, covering nose and mouth, at drop-offs and pick-ups.
Do kids need to be toilet-trained?
Children begin our program at many different points in their potty-learning experience. We're very skilled at supporting this process. Diapers and pull ups, if used, need to be brought from home. All diapers are welcome, and we have used many types of cloth as well as disposables.
What do you do for toilets outside?
We have an outdoor, no-water/non-flush toilet set up with a full privacy surround, toilet paper available and used as in a regular toilet, and a handwashing station with soap and water nearby. The toilet is at low standard height and has a seat like a "normal" toilet, but is more similar to a portapotty. It is emptied and sanitized at the end of every day.
Are snacks/food provided?
Nutritious gluten-free snacks are provided. Lunch is to be brought from home daily; we have a refrigerator on site.
Why gluten free snacks?
Some members of the Rainbow Grove family are Celiac, and it makes it easier to have snacks available everyone can share.
What about other food allergies?
We are happy to accommodate other allergies and work to make our snacks safe for all Rainbow Grove kiddos based on the information shared at enrollment, or any time you update us about requirements. Please let us know if there's a severe allergy that would require a food to not be on the site at all so we can communicate that to the other families.
Is there naptime?
Because our program runs 9am-1pm, we do not have a designated nap time. We do however have quiet areas if children need to rest while here.
What if it's cold?
Our main outdoor covered space is set up with safe, electrical heaters, which provide a place to warm up. However, most of the time children are moving and playing and are plenty warm enough, provided they have full weather appropriate outerwear.
What if it's raining?
Then we get wet! We strongly encourage on wet days that children arrive with a rain suit or have one available, and require that they always be sent with a full change of clothes (which can be brought new each day or replaced as needed). We do also have several covered spaces, including two patios, the roofed play structure, and a canopy or tents we set up as called for by the weather.
What if it's hot?
As our program runs during the school year (September to June) and only until 1pm, we usually avoid the worst of the year's heat. We do have several shady spots, including a large portion of the yard covered by our beautiful large beech tree, and on warm days are more likely to set up water stations, hoses, misters, and other cooling activities.
What ages of child can attend?
Due to Oregon licensing requirements, we are only able to accept children after their 3rd birthday and until they are eligible for kindergarten. Which means in the fall, we can enroll 3-5yos, but our cohort may end up being 3-6yos. We would love to be able to take 2 year olds, and will just as soon as Oregon offers an option other than Recorded Program for outdoor preschools!
Do you accept DHS subsidy payments?
Unfortunately, as a Recorded Program, we are not able to. HOWEVER, we are sometimes able to offer scholarship placements, depending on the number of enrolled children we have. (Out of 6 available spaces per day, at minimum one is reserved for scholarship, but we require 4 full time equivalent enrollees in order to be able to afford to offer a scholarship space. Early childhood education is a historically underpaid and undervalued profession, and we work to balance our own needs with our commitment to mutual uplift and accessibility.)
