Nature kindergarten in Toronto that goes outside. Every single day.
A full-time, Ontario curriculum-aligned Kindergarten program delivered outdoors in The Beaches, with small classes and the kind of individual attention your child deserves.
Maximum of 12 students per class, 6:1 student-to-educator ratio
Ontario Kindergarten curriculum aligned
Voted Best Private School: Toronto Star Readers’ Choice 2025
You’re looking for something better and gentler for your kindergartener: a smaller class, daily outdoor learning and Ontario curriculum-aligned.
You’re in the right place.
If you’ve been quietly wondering whether the public kindergarten system is going to work for your child, you’re not alone.
Maybe you’ve heard from parents navigating classrooms of 30 kids with one teacher. Maybe your child is active, sensitive, or simply comes alive outside and you’re not sure a desk and a whiteboard is quite the right start for them. Maybe you just believe that childhood is short, and that learning should feel joyful.
Toronto Nature School’s full-time Nature Kindergarten, in Toronto’s Beaches, is a genuine alternative to public school—a forest school approach, not an academic compromise.
Your child will spend their days outside, learning to read and count and ask questions and make friends in the forest, at the beach, and in the world around them. With two experienced educators and a maximum of twelve children, they’ll be truly known and given the attention they deserve.
“Our daughter absolutely thrived in the Nature Kindergarten program this past school year. The small class size allowed her to develop strong relationships with each of her classmates. Her confidence grew at the same rate as her sense of adventure as each day’s explorations were exciting and full of opportunities for learning.”
– Danielle Cooke, Nature Kindergarten Parent
WHAT MAKES THIS PROGRAM DIFFERENT
Small class, real relationships.
Every class has a maximum of 12 children and 2 dedicated educators, a 6:1 ratio. In a world where public kindergartens regularly have 26–30 students with one teacher, this matters. Your child won’t fall through the cracks, their educators will really get to know them.
Outside isn’t a break, it’s the classroom.
We spend the majority of every day outdoors, in the forest, at the beach, and in nature, in all seasons and all weather (yes, rain, snow and sunshine!). In our outdoor kindergarten, the outdoors is our classroom – literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional learning all happen outside. That’s the whole point.
Ontario Kindergarten curriculum so they’re Grade 1 ready.
Our program is built on the four strands of the Ontario Kindergarten curriculum, including the updated 2026 changes. This includes explicit phonics instruction and number sense woven into every day. Your child will enter Grade 1 with the skills they need and the confidence to use them.
Designed and led by educators & specialists.
Toronto Nature School was founded by Julia, an Ontario Certified Elementary Teacher and specialist in Teaching Reading, with Additional Qualifications in Kindergarten and Special Education. The kindergarten curriculum was developed with Melanie, a certified Forest and Nature School Practitioner, Orton-Gillingham trained educator, and certified outdoor mental health practitioner. This is expert-designed education, not improvised outdoor time.
A gentler entry into school life.
For children who are sensitive, spirited, or who find larger group settings overwhelming, the transition to school can be hard. Our small, warm, outdoor environment offers a less intimidating first experience of school. Many of our families arrive relieved and their children arrive excited to be there.
No screens and a lot more of everything else.
Storytelling, music time, library visits, pizza lunches, field trips, these are all the things that make childhood memorable! There’s zero screen time and as a result, a lot more of everything else. Think: muddy boots, imaginative play, real friendships, and time to just be a kid.
WHAT A DAY ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE
Every day at Toronto Nature School is different, because nature is different every day! Here’s an example of what a typical week feels like:
- Mornings begin with gathering, greetings, and a walk to the forest or beach
- Literacy and numeracy instruction is woven throughout, think: counting pinecones, writing letters in the sand, reading stories under the trees
- Children have long stretches of open exploration and child-led play
- Social-emotional learning happens naturally in small group settings outdoors
- Afternoons include creative projects, music, storytelling, and reflection
- Before care (7:30-9am) and after care (3-5:30pm) are available for working families
Rain or shine. Snow or sun. Our learning happens outside!
“We love the full-time program. The educators are so good at reading what the kids need and guide them in such a non-judgmental way. They respect children like equals. They are also creative in their teaching and super fun!”
– Nature Kindergarten Parent
2026/2027 Program Details
Start date: Tuesday, September 8, 2026
End date: Friday, June 18, 2027
Ages: 4 (or turning 4 in the fall) – 6 years old
Days: Monday – Friday, 5 days per week
Hours: 9:00am – 3:00pm (full day)
Class size: Maximum 12 students
Ratio: 6:1 (student to educator)
Before care available from 7:30 – 9:00am
After care available from 3:00 – 5:30pm
Location: 2245 Queen Street East, Lower Level, Toronto, ON M4E 1G1
Tuition: $20,975 for the full school year
Holidays follow the TDSB calendar
Payment details: A non-refundable deposit of $2,097.50 is due upon registration. Nine pre-authorized monthly payments of $2,097.50 will occur on the first of each month from September to May. Before & after care are available for an additional fee. Additional fees may apply for field trips.
Questions we hear from parents
How is nature kindergarten different from public kindergarten in Toronto?
In several meaningful ways. Our class has a maximum of 12 children, not the 26–30 typical of public school classes. Your child has two dedicated educators who know them well, a 6:1 ratio. Children spend most of the day outdoors in a program designed by specialists with deep expertise in early childhood education, literacy, and nature-based learning, rather than a system stretched beyond its capacity.
How much does full-time nature kindergarten cost?
Tuition for the 2026/2027 school year is $20,975, payable as a non-refundable deposit of $2,097.50 at registration followed by nine monthly payments of $2,097.50 from September through May. Before and after care are available for an additional fee, and occasional field trips may involve extra costs.
What is the teacher-to-student ratio?
Every class has a maximum of 12 children and two dedicated educators, a 6:1 ratio. By comparison, public kindergarten classes in Ontario often have 26–30 children with a single teacher and a DECE. The small group means your child is genuinely known by their educators and receives real individual attention.
Where is Toronto Nature School located?
Our full-time Nature Kindergarten runs from 2245 Queen Street East (lower level) in The Beaches, in Toronto’s east end. Children spend most of their days in the surrounding forest, beach, and natural spaces.
What curriculum do you follow, and who teaches the program?
Our Nature Kindergarten uses the Ontario Kindergarten curriculum as its foundation, then enhances it with additional elements inspired by forest school principles for a well-rounded educational experience. All of our programs are led by qualified educators, including Ontario Certified Teachers (OCTs), Early Childhood Educators (ECEs), Forest School Practitioners, and Child and Youth Workers.
Will my child fall behind in reading and math at an outdoor kindergarten?
This is the question we hear most often, and the one we love answering. Our Nature Kindergarten includes explicit, daily instruction in literacy and numeracy, aligned with the Ontario Kindergarten curriculum (including the latest 2026 updates). Phonics, letter formation, and number sense happen outside, every day. Children leave our program ready for Grade 1 and confident using the skills they’ve built.
Our teaching methods and assessments are created by educators with specialized additional qualifications in Kindergarten, Mathematics, and Reading, including an Orton-Gillingham trained educator, in consultation with the classroom educators.
Is nature kindergarten just play? What does "learning through nature" actually mean?
Great question. Forest school principles guide our approach, which means child-led exploration, healthy risk-taking, and deep engagement with the natural world, all happening alongside intentional, structured teaching. A morning might include a literacy lesson built around tracks in the mud, a math activity using natural materials, and a long stretch of open play that builds social skills and resilience. It’s both rigorous and joyful.
What happens when the weather is bad?
We go outside anyway! At the start of the year we give families a clear clothing guide, and the right gear makes rain and snow genuinely enjoyable. Part of what we teach is that weather isn’t something to hide from, it’s something to experience. For extreme weather we do have indoor space available, and we use our indoor classroom at points throughout the day for things like lunch, reading, and projects.
Do you offer support for children with different learning needs?
Our small class size and high educator ratio mean every child receives genuine individual attention. Both educators have backgrounds in special education and differentiated learning, so we adapt our teaching to meet each child where they are.
What ages is the full-time kindergarten for?
Our full-time Nature Kindergarten is for children ages 4 to 6. Your child should be 4 by December 31st, 2026. Children also need to be toilet trained (out of diapers) to attend.
What should my child wear? Do you provide any gear?
Children are outside in all weather, so being dressed for the conditions makes all the difference. When your family enrols, you’ll receive our Parent/Guardian Handbook with a full clothing guide for every season. While we don’t provide any clothing or gear, we do keep a complete change of clothes for each child at our Queen Street headquarters, so no one is ever stuck in wet or muddy clothes for long.
What do children eat? Are meals provided?
Students bring their own lunch and snacks each day. We’re a nut-free program, so all food sent from home needs to be nut-free to keep every child safe.
Can we try the program before committing? Do you offer shadow days?
Yes. We offer shadow days for prospective families interested in our full-time kindergarten. This is a chance for your child to spend a morning or afternoon with the group before you register. The best first step is to book a discovery call with Julia to learn more, and from there we can arrange a shadow day.
How do I register for the full-time kindergarten? Is there a waitlist?
Registration for the 2026/2027 school year is open now. The best first step is to book a discovery call to make sure the program is the right fit for your child, and from there you can register online. A non-refundable deposit secures your child’s spot. If the current year is full, we also keep waitlists for upcoming years, so get in touch and we’ll let you know what’s available.
We're finding this program mid-year. Can we still join?
Mid-year transitions are absolutely possible, and we’ve supported many families through them. Get in touch and we’ll walk you through what it looks like.
What happens after kindergarten?
Toronto Nature School’s connection to your child doesn’t have to end at Kindergarten. Our part-time programming continues for Grades 1–4, once or twice a week, so children can stay rooted in nature-based learning as they move through elementary school.
Limited spots left for September 2026.
We’re currently enrolling for the 2026/2027 school year. Spots fill quickly, especially once spring arrives and families begin planning for fall.
The best way to find out if our nature kindergarten in The Beaches is right for your child is to talk with Julia. Book a 20-minute discovery call. This is a no-pressure conversation for you to ask questions and learn more about the program and whether or not it’s the right fit for your child.
