Lynnwood

Lynndale

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 a special connection to the rich flora and fauna that live at “their school.” Children develop physical strength and problem solving skills through explorations and lots of open space to play. Recently moved from Pine Ridge Park, this new campus location provides us an outdoor shelter, running water, and other infrastructure elements needed for our year-round schedule.

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Lynndale

Campus Programs

At forest preschool the children visit the same woodland on a regular basis and are given the freedom to play, opportunity to explore and learn about the natural environment, and support while learning how to handle risks, solve problems, and cooperate with their peers. Preschool runs all year, where children learn and play in the woods in all weather: sun, rain, snow, warm and cold, (barring high winds or other extreme weather). As the forest is ever changing, each day brings new and different exploration opportunities. Children play, learn boundaries – both physical and social - grow in confidence, and become self-starters. Children in this environment learn that there are different ways of solving problems and they develop their critical thinking skills daily. Learn more about Magnolia's Forest Preschool program.

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Class Details

Location:
Lynndale Park, Lynnwood, WA

Preschool Class: 2024-2025

2.5-5 years old

  • Mon/Wed/Fri, 8:30-12:30, $575/month FULL
  • Tues/Thurs, 8:30-12:30, $395/month FULL
  • Mon-Fri, 8:30-12:30, $950/month FULL

(Registration and Materials Fees due at registration.)

Summer Camp

Summer camp is a great time to try out forest school and see if your child loves it as much as we do! Registration for summer camps opens March 1st.

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Summer Camp Details

ENROLL FOR SUMMER CAMPS

Ages: 2.5-5 years old

Location:
Weeks 1-3: Pine Ridge Park (Mon-Thurs) & Richmond Beach Saltwater Park (Fri)

Weeks 4-6: Pine Ridge Park (Mon-Fri)

Time: 8:30-12:30 

Days: Monday-Friday

Cost: $255/week

  • Week 1: July 8-12
  • Week 2: July 15-19
  • Week 3: July 22-26
  • Week 4: July 29- Aug 2
  • Week 5: Aug 5-9
  • Week 6: Aug 12-16

Enrollment opens March 1st. Email our registrar for more information: info@magnoliaforestpreschool.com.

K-5th Grade

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K-5th Grade Details

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Visit Magnolia

Lynndale

and learn more

We would love to meet you! Each campus welcomes new families for tours regularly September-June so that you can see the forest school space, meet the site director, ask questions and get a taste for the Magnolia Forest Preschool experience!

Schedule Visit

Campus Director

Lauren Black

Campus Director

Lauren graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in Environmental Sustainability in 2016. Soon after, she moved to California to work in Outdoor Education as a Naturalist Intern. She quickly discovered the joy of teaching and working outside. After two years in residential outdoor education, she moved to Fresno and obtained her Multi-Subject Teaching Credential. Lauren taught 4th grade for a year before returning to outdoor education with a local Land Trust. While there, she had the opportunity to design the first nature-based preschool enrichment program in Fresno.


Through her work co-creating the preschool with her students and staff, Lauren fell more in love with the magic of place-based, child-led learning. She believes that all people are naturally curious, capable, and full of potential. By building connections with one another and outdoor spaces, children (and adults!) can become empowered stewards of their community and the Earth as a whole. Lauren chose to move to Washington to continue pursuing the wonderful world of forest education with an inspiring community of mentors.


In her free time, Lauren loves reading, playing board games, hiking, kayaking, birding, and spending time with her three dogs. She enjoys engaging her senses through nature journaling, painting, yoga, mindfulness, feeling patches of soft moss, and smelling trees. Lauren is excited to immerse herself into the wonders of the Pacific Northwest.

Lynndale

Campus Teachers

Gabriela Carter

Assistant Site Director (Lynnwood)

Gabriela Carter

Assistant Site Director (Lynnwood)

Gabby has been working in outdoor education for 6.5 years.  She has taught all ages through BSA scout programs. During her time with BSA she has taught wilderness survival, first aid, hiking, leather work, composite materials/arts and crafts, knots, and rock climbing. In addition to her Texas BSA certification as a High Ropes/COPE director, Gabby has spent time traveling to different states sharing her outdoor skills with Scouts BSA National Camp School.

Gabby has a great love for the outdoors and creating safe spaces for kids to be themselves while learning about all that nature has to offer. Gabby started her outdoor education career as a childcare assistant for ages 0-8 at Forest Home in CA. She then continued on to become a lifeguard,counselor, and commissioner of a camp in Lake Arrowhead CA. In 2021-2022, Gabby taught with Magnolia at the Pine Ridge campus in Edmonds. In 2022-2023, Gabby had the opportunity to visit over 16 different countries while working abroad with Disney in Europe. She is extremely excited to return to Magnolia and can’t wait to see what great things this year will hold!

She spends her time hiking, painting, reading, and visiting the occasional cat cafe! Gabby is excited to explore and learn with the wonderful kids at Magnolia Forest Preschool.

Kaja Ralston

Preschool Teacher

Kaja Ralston

Preschool Teacher

Kaja was born and raised in San Diego, CA where she spent most of her free time at the beach or playing sports. She moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2008. In 2014, she graduated from Trinity Lutheran College with a BA in Intercultural Studies and a minor in Visual Communications.

Over the last 17 years, she has worn many hats including nanny, preschool teacher, youth advocate for kids in the juvenile justice system and Colville tribes, park aid for WA State Parks, ESL and Art teacher for refugee students, gymnastics coach, and soccer coach. Recently, she was a character in an outdoor film highlighting the stories of 12 BIPOC Women in the outdoors. This experience lit a spark in her to find a way to combine her love for teaching and advocacy with her passion for being in nature.

As a teacher, she has always enjoyed fostering imagination, sense of self awareness, critical thinking, and independence, so naturally, she was drawn to Magnolia's out of the box approach to education.

Most days you will find her spending quality time with her husband and German Shepherd puppy or being an aunty and Godmother. She enjoys hiking, farmer's markets, reading, watching sports games, cooking, bonfires, swimming, lifting weights, snowshoeing, sitting on the dock and taking deep breaths, and watching trees dance in the wind.  

Abbi Johnson

Preschool Teacher

Abbi Johnson

Preschool Teacher

Abbi graduated from the University of Washington with her Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood and Family Studies, Teaching and Learning in 2023. She has taught in classrooms with children from zero to twelve and provided in-home childcare for numerous families. She is also a freelance writer, working towards a future where she writes and illustrates children's stories. Abbi is eager to step outside the walls of the traditional classroom and join the Magnolia team in the forest this school year!

Growing up as a Girl Scout, the outdoors are a place where Abbi feels she's done some of her most meaningful learning. From building fairy houses out of twigs to investigating various fruits and bugs, she has felt the freedom that being within nature can give a child. Abbi has remained connected to the outdoors through biking, swimming, hiking, and many moments of mindfulness.

At UW, Abbi learned the value of high-quality early learning and shifted her views on the traditional classroom setting. She's gotten to understand the benefits of play-based, child-led learning environments from textbooks and professors, making her more ready than ever to feel the magic for herself. This school year Abbi is dedicated to helping students to see each other as sources of knowledge, use their creativity as solutions, and develop relationships with nature built on respect.

Amy Patterson

Preschool Teacher

Amy Patterson

Preschool Teacher

Amy has been passionate about childcare and the natural world for over a decade, and is thrilled to be joining the Magnolia team. Her experience has led her to work with children in many different settings, including nurseries, schools, private homes, summer camps, and a variety of outdoor environments.

In 2022, Amy completed her Bachelor’s in Psychology specializing in child and adolescent development. Through her research, she found that time spent playing and exploring the outdoors positively impacted cognitive, social, emotional, and motor skills in children.

Eager to learn more and feed her passion for the natural world, Amy was drawn to continue her education at the Wilderness Awareness School in Duvall, WA where she spent two years immersed in nature engaging with both adult and youth programs. She completed her Nature Instructor Training in June of 2023, and is excited to be moving forward with a career at Magnolia that aligns so deeply with her own passions and values.

Find Magnolia Forest School Near You!

At unique campuses across the Puget Sound Region in Washington, Magnolia children learn rain and shine. Preschool (ages 2.5-5) and Waldkinder (ages 5-8) programs meet September through June. We welcome lots of new friends at our summer camps, too!

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“In the safety and freedom of the woods, [my child’s] little voice started asking for things she needed – and getting those needs met. Through climbing, exploring the natural world around her, her confidence grew. Magnolia’s style makes room for that.”
“One of the biggest leaps has been [my child’s] ability to communicate her emotions. Instead of endless tantrums or guessing games, [my child] has been able to clearly tell me what she’s feeling. Being able to identify a feeling is one of the first steps to working through it for her. This is a big deal in our everyday life, and I believe it’s truly added to her life in a dynamic manner. At Magnolia, I know I have a group of other caring adults in her life to help her learn to trust herself and others, during those difficult life moments.”
“ We look forward to the year, as well as the adventures of the K-8th program to follow. I want [my child] to continue to grow and learn to trust herself and grow into a confident child, and eventually young woman, with respect for life, others and the world around her. Those values are echoed by this school as well. Having the freedom to be 100% herself in a safe environment as she discovers who she is priceless.”
“Now, as a first time parent, I’ll admit, I had my doubts when it came to the theory behind child-lead learning, but I’m now sold on it. The confidence gained by learning to climb a rock transfers over to facing new learning milestones, like counting. [My child’s] imagination is free to expand with simple tools and toys, friends, fresh air, and the occasional snow ball. Imagination is the mother of invention. [My child] knows School is a safe place to make mistakes, explore, and grow.”
“I cannot say enough how much my child has grown since school started in September! She went from crying at drop off and clinging to a teacher, to confidently walking to a teacher at the start of a school day and strutting back at pick up.”
“[My child] has great stamina! Before Magnolia she wouldn’t walk very far and now she is able to hike up to 3 miles! She also has a longer attention span. She will stick with a task for 45 min or an hour. Again, before school she would flit from activity to activity.”

I'm interested in enrollment

We're so glad you're interested in enrolling your child at Magnolia! Families often have lots of questions, and we're here to help. Complete the interest form below, so we can support you in your journey toward forest school. You can also directly contact our Registrar, Taylor: info@magnoliaforestpreschool.com or Parent Liaison, Alex: alex@magnoliaforestpreschool.com.

I'm Interested

Request enrollment information

Forest school can be the perfect fit for so many children because it is uniquely tailored to support their strengths and interests. We look forward to connecting with you and your child further. We are happy to answer any questions you may have and hope to see you in the forest soon!

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