Cottonwood Hollow Nature PreschoolWe are in our first year as a nature preschool! Since September, we have been running a 3-day / week preschool program in Columbus, Ohio out of Miss Sarah’s homestead and home. We’ve gotten great feedback from families, and are continuing the program through the summer as well.
We maintain a small class size of 6 children and have two adults present, Miss Sarah and her assistant teacher. We have access to an extensive garden, forested environment and a built out play area with a mud kitchen, play house, dirt pile and collection of loose parts. We believe the natural environment is the best tool for learning and understanding, and children are involved in caring for ducks and chickens and often encounter frogs, different kinds of birds and insects as part of our day.
Our curriculum is a takes inspiration from Waldorf, Montessori and Reggio philosophies with play and child-led learning, empowerment and emotional intelligence being of utmost importance.
Meet Miss Sarah
Sarah Zinn grew up in a few different countries, but considers the midwest home. She obtained her bachelor’s degree from Indiana University in journalism, but fell in love with working with kids in her college job at the boys and girl club. Since then, she has been a camp counselor, preschool teacher for Head Start, and Americorps Vista for Franklinton Farms, where she helped build out a healthy living curriculum for Gladden Preschool.
She purchased the home and property that is Cottonwood Hollow in 2021, where she and her partner James built out a homestead. In the Spring of 2023 she started hosting Wander Scout at Cottonwood Hollow, a free monthly program for kids and caregivers, where they nature based play and activities.
Sarah holds a certificate in Nature-Based Early Childhood Education from Antioch University, where she’s been working with mentors to build out this school’s vision. She cannot wait to offer a space for children to discover themselves and the natural world. She is CPR & first aid certified.
