Park Adventures: Exploration Beyond the Classroom​​

Just down the street from our co-op is a space full of possibility—the neighborhood park, where learning expands beyond the classroom walls and into the rhythms of the real world. Our regular visits to the park are a beloved part of the Homegrown Learning experience, offering children a chance to explore a new environment while developing crucial life skills in the process.
Every walk to the park is an opportunity to teach road safety, self-regulation, and responsibility. Children participate in a buddy system, practice crossing streets safely, and learn to move together as a group. These experiences foster situational awareness, teamwork, and independence—skills that build confidence and carry into all areas of life. Studies show that walking field trips improve executive functioning, spatial reasoning, and decision-making abilities in young children.

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While we walk, students are also introduced to basic navigation concepts, learning about cardinal directions—north, south, east, and west—as part of their natural surroundings