Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers:

Preschool is more fun — and educational — by learning outdoors at the Saint Louis Zoo! Head to the zoo for their Second Nature Zoo Preschool Open House and learn about their Reggio-inspired program, where children’s interests guide their learning. Students spend 50% of their day outdoors and draw inspiration from animals and nature.

NEW: Starting with the 2026-27 academic year, preschool will be a full-day program, and the new classrooms will be in the Zoo’s new Destination Discovery area!

Goals of Second Nature Zoo Preschool

• To support children and their families in a learning environment grounded in a deep connection to the natural world and sustainability. 
• To foster creativity, collaboration and critical thinking through child-directed learning. 
• To nurture each child across all areas of development with a strong focus on social and emotional growth. 
• To welcome diversity of all kinds and further our work and understanding of equity and inclusion issues.

The Zoo Connection

Second Nature Zoo Preschool is uniquely integrated into a community that cares deeply about animals and their futures. Students learn to think of themselves as scientists and as part of a scientific community. They develop relationships with Zoo staff and use them as resources in their projects. Likewise, the children have an amazing diversity of animals to study and observe. These unique relationships and experiences will lay the foundation for becoming scientifically and environmentally literate citizens in the future.

The Curriculum

The preschool is guided by play- and project-based learning and the Reggio Emilia Approach, considered the current best practices in early childhood education. 
 
Teachers observe students and follow their interests. In this child-directed, Reggio Emilia-inspired program, children’s play is their work. Teachers “seed” the environment with engaging, authentic materials and “provocations,” inviting students to try new things and gauge their interests. Topics that are of interest to the group can develop into projects. Students research and work as a team to develop projects based on their learning. These are long-term projects that take an in-depth look at different subjects. Projects like this encourage collaboration, allow children to highlight their own unique talents and abilities, and incorporate all the state Early Learning Standards. Students can build developmentally appropriate skills in a naturally integrated way rather than practicing them in isolation. 

Learn more about Second Nature Zoo Preschool by visiting stlzoo.org/preschool or contacting the Saint Louis Zoo’s Education Department at (314) 646-4544. Learn more at stlzoo.org/preschool.

Best,

Debra Ross
Publisher
KidsOutAndAbout.com