EcoKids Preschool and Kindergarten

EcoKids was established in 2010 as an alternative preschool and kindergarten inspired by the philosophies of Rudolf Steiner, Reggio Emilia and life. Located in Amman, Jordan, our school is a growing community of teachers and parents who are looking to support an unhurried childhood and holistic education. EcoKids was built with intention… It is a magical space where teachers and children grow physically, mentally and spiritually. Our hope is to build the capacity of a new generation of free thinking, responsible, empathetic and emotionally-intelligent individuals.

EcoKids is a brainchild of the beautiful energy of life and childhood, and of the reality that children speak in ONE HUNDRED LANGUAGES of wonder, discovery and creativity.

EcoKids preschool was founded in 2010 for children ages 2-4 years. The inspiration behind the preschool stemmed from a deep-rooted belief that children are vast spirits of light, wisdom and freedom…imprints of the universe. Our driving force was to build a learning space that fosters a sense of wonder in our children, expands their imagination, and provide a peaceful, loving environment where they can think, observe, create, work, and play.

EcoKids Preschool was founded on the belief that the environment is of paramount importance to a young child’s education and beliefs. In a magical way, children are open to their environment. They learn best by doing, and play is the serious work of childhood. As early childhood educators, we want to encourage and protect the sense of wonder nourishing the child’s imagination. We want to create a safe, warm place for children to create, play, work and trust in the world they live in. We believe in the young child’s capacity for creative thinking through the healthy activities we provide. Our educational goal is to build the capacities of young inquiring minds, with an interest in and reverence for the world and human beings, and a love a life-long love of learning.

EcoKids’ philosophy is based on a child-centered approach that values experience as being not the best teacher, but the only teacher! We have focused our energies on providing children with a positive, non-pressured, non-judgmental environment. We value collaboration from anyone, and we advocate that children and teachers become co-learners, co-researchers and co-constructors of their education. Everything the child touches becomes a learning experience. The collaborative relationship between teachers and children creates a rich environment that supports flexibility in learning.

To build the capacities of a generation that is the source of change…to work towards transforming the education process beyond “head” thinking to freeing the human spirit and instilling passion for life, learning and service to the world.

Our schedule is flexible, depending on the children’s interests, the weather and the season. We distinguish between “planning” and “control”. Our teachers build their daily and weekly plans from their observations of children’s interests, and the children control what, how, and where they want to learn! Teachers set up the environment and help the children see the connection between each other, the community, and the world.

Children come into life with a sense that the world is a place of wonder and magic. They feel completely connected to and mindful of everything that surrounds them. Stillness, peace and life energy that emanates from the natural world are essential to experiencing the wonders of life.

The natural environment with its diversity of elements provides children with a sense of adventure, expanding their horizon and exposing them to the unplanned and unknown. Through creating their own creative, physical challenges and risks, children practice problem-solving and decision-making and in so doing, learn much about their strengths and limitations. This is their preparedness for life.

We value and emphasize the fundamental role of creative play in early child development. Therefore, self-directed play is at the core of our education philosophy. The role of our teachers is to support the imaginative source that the child possesses through the provision of simple, natural play materials that nurture the child’s senses and maximize imaginative potential. This free flow of imagination in childhood forms the foundation for free-flowing thinking as an adult. The manner in which a child plays may offer a picture of what her/his path may be as an adult.

There is a growing body of scientific evidence supporting the fact that imaginative play is fundamental to the social, cognitive and emotional development of children. Imaginative play provides children with a chance to rehearse a wide range of life situations. It helps children build emotional affect and provides them life-long coping skills. Research has even suggested that self-directed play can potentially guard against modern-day childhood and adolescent disorders such as anxiety, depression and ADHD.

Our eco-healthy approach is reflected in many ways throughout our school, whether through recycling materials for art projects, the use of natural, non-chemical cleaners, or how we care for our environment. At EcoKids, we believe that a healthy, nurturing children’s environment does not necessitate sensory overload. We provide a dynamic blend of serene colors, natural materials, relaxing sounds and calming scents that combine to create a stimulating environment to maximize learning and play. The physical buildings meet international standards for environmentally sustainable construction and offers unique features!