Butterfly Garden is a Spirit Play-inspired classroom for children in pre-k to 1st grade. Spirit Play is a Montessori-inspired approach to learning that encourages children to ask “big questions” in a safe and nurturing environment.

For more information about Spirit Play, visit www.spirit-play.com

Weekly lessons are introduced by the adult Storyteller. Children are then encouraged to make meaning of the story through wondering, awe, and artwork. Children choose their own methods and work at their own pace. This approach encourages independent thinking, values different learning styles, gives children choices, creates community in a mixed-age setting, and helps children develop a sense of the sacred.

This year, the Butterfly Garden kids focus on the UU Sources and on introducing “spiritual practices” like singing sacred songs, experiencing nature through scientific exploration, and practicing meditation, prayer, and yoga. Our goal is to help the children make meaning of their lives through the lens of Unitarian Universalism.