Welcome to Magnolia Forest Preschool, a “Natural Childlife Preserve.” Our school runs on the belief that children are drawn to experience, to learning, and to each other. We see it as our responsibility to create an environment where each child can reach out for life and touch it, wallow in it, tinker with it, interpret it, and express it. The forest provides open-ended materials that inspire curiosity, wonder, manipulation, motion, contemplation, and gales of laughter. Here, our number one goal is to empower children.
POULSBO
The Sherman Hill Campus hosts our Waldkinder program for ages 5-8. On 7 acres of wooded land adjacent to Petal and Pitchfork Farm, children are given time to explore...
LEARN MOREThe Silverwood Campus opened in 2020 and hosts a dynamic wooded space beyond the classrooms at Silverwood School (a private, K-8 elementary school). Our two unique forest classrooms here provide rich inspiration...
LEARN MOREThe Kitsap Memorial Campus is our original Magnolia home. Here we launched and developed our unique play-based forest school method and continue to revel in the magic of the forest spaces where everything began...
LEARN MOREBAINBRIDGE
The Bainbridge campus opened in 2023 and is lovingly nestled in the forest adjacent to The Island School. We are thrilled to be in partnership with TIS and by their warm welcome to join this wonderful learning...
LEARN MOREPORT ORCHARD
The Port Orchard Campus, located at Manchester State Park, opened in 2023. Amidst the old growth forest, trails, and meadows, our classes will experience the joy and beauty of nature's outdoor...
LEARN MORELYNNWOOD
At the Lynndale Campus children have daily adventures on the trails and open spaces tucked away throughout the diverse forest. The environment at Lynndale makes every day unique and gives children...
LEARN MORESEQUIM
The Sequim Bay Campus was founded in 2020 and is hosted at Sequim Bay State Park off of Highway 101. Children start their day with a breathtaking hike through the old growth forest and across a large bridge. It has a magical feel that draws children in for a wide variety of...
LEARN MORELand Acknowledgement
“Every part of this soil is sacred in the estimation of my people. Every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove, has been hallowed by some sad or happy event in days long vanished.” - Chief Seattle, 1854
A land acknowledgment is a statement that formally recognizes the historical and continuing connection between Indigenous Peoples and their native and ancestral lands. In this spirit, we humbly make this land acknowledgment.
We acknowledge that the land on which we daily grow and play is within the ancestral territory of the Suquamish (suq̀ʷabš), S’Klallam (nəxʷsƛ̕áy̕əm̕), Snohomish, Skokomish, Stillaguamish, Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla Peoples, and many more. We honor the cultures, histories, and continued contributions of Indigenous Peoples and acknowledge the violent history of 500 years of colonial oppression at the hands of European explorers and those who settled here. We recognize that these Indigenous Peoples are the traditional stewards of this land and will work not only to learn about their history and culture ourselves, but to pass on this learning to the children and families we serve. We commit to being stewards of the Earth and caretakers of future generations with a spirit of compassion, intuition, and deep reflection as we continue to grow and learn. With every single step on these lands, we deeply wish to intentionally notice and care for what and who we are standing on and staying with. We will work to partner with and empower Indigenous and Native People within our community and beyond, and work towards a more inclusive and equitable community. No land acknowledgment can right the wrongs suffered by these and other Indigenous People, but we engage in this practice to promote social justice, decolonization, and greater Indigenous visibility.
