AREAS OF GROWTH AND LEARNING

Areas of growth in Social Emotional Learning

Our social-emotional learning helps children build emotional intelligence, resilience, and social awareness. By managing emotions, they strengthen communication, foster kindness, and enhance cooperation, while developing problem-solving, patience, and responsibility—skills that lay the foundation for empathy and positive relationships throughout life.

Areas of growth in Science

These topics help students explore the natural world through observation, hands-on experiences, and inquiry-based learning. They study plant diversity, adaptations, and seasonal changes, while learning about seed dispersal, pollination, and the role of animals in ecosystems. Observing behaviors like hibernation and migration deepens their understanding of food chains and ecosystem balance. These experiences build a strong foundation for scientific literacy and environmental responsibility.

A Sprout’s Daily Flow

A day in the life of a Sprout is filled with wonder, exploration, and connection. The morning begins with community building as children gather in a welcoming circle to breathe deeply, greet one another, and share in song. From there, the adventure unfolds with free play, allowing children to follow their curiosity, engage in imaginative play, and collaborate with peers.

Along the way, spontaneous nature discoveries spark excitement—perhaps spotting animal tracks, building shelters, or observing the changing seasons. Songs and stories woven throughout the day deepen their connection to the natural world, while snack and lunchtime offer moments of nourishment and reflection. Each day at Sprouts is an ever-changing journey, where children learn, grow, and thrive through the magic of the outdoors.

Details

Cost:

5 days = $6,840.00 a year or $760.00 a month

4 days = $5,535 a year or $615.00 a month

3 days = $4,185.00 a year or $465.00 a month

2 days = $2,880.00 a year or $320.00 a month

The more days your child attends Sprouts, the better the rate! Increased attendance not only saves you money but also supports your child’s growth and learning while fostering consistency for both them and our staff.

Time: Sprouts is a 4-hour half-day program. You can sign up for the AM session, Monday-Friday, from 8:30am to 12:30pm, or the PM session, Monday-Thursday, from 12:30pm to 4:30pm.

Ages: Potty trained – 6 years old

Snack: Families provide a morning snack for their Sprout.

Lunch: Families pack and send Sprouts with lunch from home.

The Sprouts program runs for the full academic year. A yearly commitment is needed to enroll in this program. We have rolling enrollment until we are full. We maintain a 1 staff to every 7 students ratio, and we are full at 14 students.

The Sprouts Classroom

The Sprouts classroom spans two acres, where nature is the teacher and adventure is always unfolding. Children have endless opportunities for movement and play in a large field for running and playing games, while nearby, the garden invites little hands to dig, plant, and explore. Chickens roam freely, offering daily encounters with animal care and responsibility, and on special days, we enjoy a visit from our farm dog, Nugget, who brings joy and companionship. Natural play structures abound, from logs and trees for climbing to Mud Mountain for sliding down in the rain, ensuring endless excitement in all weather. The dig zone and mud kitchen encourage hands-on exploration, fostering creativity and problem-solving skills. When it’s time to eat, we gather under a covered shelter for eating, sharing meals and stories together. Every corner of our outdoor classroom is designed to inspire curiosity, resilience, and a deep love for nature.

SPROUTS PHILOSOPHY

At Asheville Farmstead, we believe that teachers come in many forms. We value the social experience where children learn from spending time with each other in safe and engaging places. We acknowledge that we as teachers can learn from the children in our care, and their parents and guardians. Often times this is how we can understand the bigger picture regarding a child’s strengths, fears, or behaviors. And as a nature-based school, we emphasize the role that the Earth has to play in teaching us all about life, science, history, respect, humility, and awe. By creating an intentional community of children in a beautiful forest setting, we aim to make learning simple, useful, and joyful.

The Sprouts Educators

Sprouts Educators are passionate mentors who build deep, meaningful relationships with students while ensuring their safety and fostering curiosity through inquiry-based learning. By following each child’s interests, they create engaging experiences that encourage exploration, confidence, and a sense of belonging. Recognizing that risk is essential to learning, educators eliminate hazards while allowing students to take appropriate risks, helping them develop resilience and problem-solving skills. Strong communication with families is a priority, with Brightwheel used to provide regular updates, ensuring transparency and collaboration. Educators document student growth through kudos, growth rubrics, and daily nature discoveries, capturing both academic and social-emotional development over time. Their commitment to professionalism and continuing education ensures they stay informed on best practices in early childhood and outdoor education. Through mentorship, observation, and dedication, Sprouts Educators create a nurturing and enriching learning environment where children feel supported and inspired. Their expertise and passion shape meaningful early learning experiences that foster lifelong curiosity and growth.

As educators, we have been influenced by a variety of educational philosophies from Montessori, Waldorf, Emilio Reggio, Project-Based-Learning, Place-Based-Learning, and The Cedarsong Way. We strive to pull aspects from as many proven techniques as we can, weaving in the strengths from each to put forth a new and innovative approach to Early Childhood Education.

Asheville Farmstead School is proud to be one of seven internationally accredited Cedarsong® Way Schools.

The Cedarsong Way is a compassion-based nature pedagogy that promotes kindness, respect, emotional intelligence, mindfulness, social connection, teamwork, cooperation and self-empowerment. “The Cedarsong Way stimulate children’s inherent love for and feelings of stewardship towards nature; it provides children with an understanding of the self-soothing aspect of nature; and, through the unstructured flow learning, it encourages children’s natural love of science resulting in a deeper understanding and superior retention of natural science principles”.

Sprouts

THEMES

AREAS OF GROWTH AND LEARNING

A Sprout’s Daily Flow

Details

ENROLLMENT PROCESS

Our 2025-2026 school year is now enrolling students on a rolling basis. The remaining spots are limited!

The Sprouts Classroom

SPROUTS PHILOSOPHY

The Sprouts Educators

Cedarsong Way Accredited School