Our Mission
Swede Hollow Nature Preschool sparks a sense of awe and wonder through play based-learning. Embracing the seasonal dance with nature, children explore our outdoor classroom as active participants in their education. Rooted in emergent curriculum we foster relationships and create connections cultivating positive growth and development.
Location
Swede Hollow Nature Preschool is nestled in the Historic Upper Swede Hollow Neighborhood. Through the gate we have direct access to 25 acres of woods and streams of Swede Hollow Park. As well as the grassy lawns and woodland gardens of Upper Swede Hollow Park, the East Side Sculpture Park, community and rain gardens. At Swede Hollow Nature Preschool we commit to outside exploration daily. Our connection to outdoor learning provides child led explorations in nature and the broader community through place based learning.
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge as we gather we are on the ancestral and contemporary Imniza Ska homeland of the Dakhota people. We honor with gratitude the land itself and the people who have stewarded it throughout the generations.
Indoor Space
Our cozy indoor classrooms are in home, grounding children in a nurturing and loving environment. Through small class size children receive individualized care and attention empowering children to develop meaningful relationships. Our classrooms are filled with open ended materials and artifacts from nature that spark curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking skills. Our small class sizes offer individualized support and scaffolding for children's ideas and interests.
About Us
Lead teacher and founder Kristenza Nelson champions a child-first approach to education. She inspires a curiosity in children to explore the natural world supporting their holistic development. She brings 15-years of experience leading classrooms at Dodge Nature Preschool. Kristenza shares her nature-based expertise through professional development programs, supporting educators locally and nationally. Her years of experience also gave her the opportunity to Co-chair the Early Learning Legislative Committee advocating for universal prekindergarten education in Saint Paul. She is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in innovative Early Child Development at the University of Colorado/Boulder Journey School in Denver Colorado.
Swede Hollow Nature Preschool is licensed through Ramsey County Dept. of Human Services.
Swede Hollow Nature Preschool is in the accreditation process through
Parent Aware. We are excited to now be able accept early learning
scholarships for qualifying families.
Education & Certifications
- BFA, San Francisco Art Institute
- Child Development Associate, from The Council for Professional Recognition, Washington DC
- CedarSong Way Forest School Certified
- U of M Master Gardener
- Planted and maintained Maria Bates Community Rain Garden
Your Journey Starts Here
We offer half day to full day programming. The preschool day runs from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with an option for early care drop off and optional extended afternoon care. Swede Hollow Nature Preschool opens Monday Sept 9th 2024 and will run the school year through Monday June 30, 2025. We will be adding a summer session July 7th through August 1st. The school calendar is available in the parent handbook.
Preschool Hours
3-Day Week
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
8:30am-12:00pm
$504 per month
2-Day Week
Tuesday, Thursday
8:30am-12:00pm
$336 per month
5-Day Week
Monday through Friday
8:30am-12:00pm
$840 per month
Optional Afternoon Care*
3-Day Week
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
12:00pm-4:30pm
$540 per month
2-Day Week
Tuesday, Thursday
12:00pm-4:30pm
$360 per month
5-Day Week
Monday through Friday
12:00pm-4:30pm
$900 per month
* Optional afternoon care tuition is in addition to normal preschool hour tuition.
Daily Schedule*
8:30 Arrival
8:45 Morning Nature Hike~ Explore the woods and gardens.
10:15 Trail Snack
11:45 Group Time - Story, Song, Planning/Reflection with the children.
12:00 Parent Pick Up
Extended Afternoon Care
12:15 Lunch
12:45-1:45 Rest
1:45 Snack
2:00 Art, Play, Explore.
4:30 Parent Pick Up
*7:30 am early care upon request for $10 per day.
2024-2025 School Year Calendar
First day of School: Sep. 16 ,2024
Thanksgiving Holiday: Nov. 28-29, 2024
Winter Holiday: Dec. 24, 2024 - Jan. 5 2025
Martin Luther King Day: Jan. 20, 2025
Spring Break: April 21-25, 2025
Memorial Day: May 26, 2025
Juneteenth: June 19, 2025
Last day of school: June 30, 2025
Parent Testimonials
What I love about this school is that it utilizes the community. Daily my son goes on walks in the neighborhood, and often in Swede Hollow Park. He is learning to embrace his curiosities and be more observant of his world. He is more appreciative of nature and is using skills he learns at school at home! I love that he is outside so often and gets dirty, and learns while he plays.
The school and Kristenza is what the community needs. She truly cares about children and I am reminded each day as I drop my son off and pick him up how LUCKY we are to have this program and Kristenza as a teacher. I cannot say enough about this school and I will recommend it to everyone!
Kristenza finds wonder in and has a deep reverence for the natural world. She is creative and bright. She creates all sorts of amazing crafts for kids based on the natural world: pine cone gnomes, earth clay ornaments with pressed evergreen and berries, fairy houses made out of sticks and moss, and jewelry made of marbles topped with acorns. Her ideas of how to incorporate play and wonder in the natural world are limitless. She has a magic like quality.
She truly embodies the wonder, enchantment, empathy, care, and love of nature which are our highest values we want to instill in our children. We absolutely adore Kristenza and offer our highest recommendation for her.
