The idea started after a talk at dinner with my family.
Our story begins before that, though; we were doing farm work and listening to the 1000 Hours Outside Podcast hosted by the amazing Ginny Yurich. She had a guest, Erin Maejeske, who has her own outdoor school in Washington State. Erin talked about how simple it was to start an outdoor classroom so I set up a consultation with her.
We plan on creating a temporary classroom using an awning and a picnic table, but are looking forward to building a new 10′ x 12′ classroom above our storm shelter. We have visions of playing in the woods almost every day! We have hopes that we can share hot chocolate for breakfast when it rains and we will build lots of obstacle courses out of cardboard. There will be frog, turtle, and dragonfly spotting around the pond. It will be all kinds of wonderful. We do not know what lies ahead of us, but we know without a doubt that it will be worth it!
For Summer 2023, we are hoping to put on 2-3 different day camps centered around farm animals, growing a veggie and flower garden, as well as discovering and creating art in nature. Information and dates will be posted about this amazing opportunity very soon!
I believe so strongly in the power of childhood education and it is something that will leave a huge impact on the world. I believe that children who learn to speak to each other with respect, who learn to sing and play and ask great questions, who know what their feelings feel like and what to do with them, are children who are happy. When we share these tools with them, we pave their roads.
I have been officially teaching various grades from second grade to high school athletics. I have even spent a year virtually teaching and tutoring students of all ages from my computer. I have run tutoring and sports camps with a focus on fun and learning. I am a wife, a mother, a reader, a dreamer, and lover of all things having to do with farming and gardening. I have a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a minor in history. I also have my Master’s of Education Degree in Creative Arts in Learning. Teaching kids of all ages is my passion.
It sounds like a dream… because it is. Snow Farms Outdoor School is made up of so many of my biggest dreams. All of the “we’s” in the story are different people who have inspired and helped me grow the dream, too. This is my school but it is all of ours. I am so glad you have joined us.
-Andrea Snow, master teacher
Snow Farms Outdoor School 