Barn House Holistic Learning Centre

Services Barn House Holistic Learning Centre Offers

Barn House Holistic Learning Centre is located on one of the last remaining farms in Fairfax County and offers nature- and farm-based education to children 3 to 6 years of age. The Fall 2012 term runs from September 10th - December 21st.
We are influenced by the Montessori Method, the preschools of Reggio Emilia, and the unschooling movement. We focus on the values of respecting the Earth and each other, collaborating and peacefully communicating, recognizing the worth and beauty in all things, and encouraging family involvement, among others. Our emphasis is on supporting the development of environmentally conscious, self-aware, and intellectually curious world citizens.
From our Guidebook:
"A deep reverence for Earth is a value which has always been central to our philosophy. Research suggests that the most important factor in having a strong environmental ethic and feeling of connection to nature as an adult is experience with nature as a child. Some report that it may take only one awe-inspiring experience in childhood to develop a love of nature and some define experience with nature as being that of regular contact with and play in the natural world. Either way, the children of today are the policy makers and citizens of tomorrow and without interaction with the Earth now, we cannot expect much investment in the Earth of the future. Of course, there is great benefit for the child in this transaction as well. Contact with nature positively impacts children's mental, social and physical health. It is particularly important to the development of creativity and problem-solving skills as well as emotional and intellectual development. Regular contact with nature can also counteract feelings of loneliness and boredom. If a child has an emotional and spiritual connection with the Earth and an understanding that nature is everywhere s/he is less likely to feel lonely or have difficulty finding interesting activities. Besides all of that, nature deserves a little respect for providing all of our needs, right?
At Barn House Holistic Learning Centre, life is unconventional and everything we do teaches us about our world. We work with Montessori materials in the classroom but can also be found on Cox Farms feeding animals treats or taking an epic exploratory walk. We may bake muffins or make applesauce in the kitchen or head outside to make tracks with toy cars in paint. We recognize the abundance of possibilities in our world and take advantage of every one we can.
Of course, no activity is merely what it seems. When we take a walk, we are honing important skills. We survey our neighborhood of plants, discerning size, color, life cycle and seasonality. We smell blooms and sometimes we smell skunks. We identify wildflowers and attempt to propagate natives. We find animal tracks and discover that the depth of the impression may somehow be connected to the wetness of the ground… hmmm. We collect flowers to preserve in our homemade presses. We watch a tractor being repaired or maybe happen upon some sheep shearing. When we feed goats, we get to experience how the goats' coats and horns feel, how they talk, how they play, and how their bodies work. We are reminded of our own membership in the animal kingdom and compare our similarities and differences. But first we need to chop down some bamboo, because the goats love that stuff. Later, we ask questions and run experiments. Occasionally we make serious plans but we always allow ourselves the freedom to postpone. We will not take perfect kite-flying days for granted.
The range of interesting experiences is mind-boggling when we observe life as it happens and are present in the moment and we are awfully grateful that no two moments are exactly the same."
Fall 2012 is our grand opening and this enterprise is less about wanting to share my children's incredible experiences growing up on a farm in the middle of the 'burbs, and that is our bottom line.