Outdoor & Community Learning

Nelson School is located in beautiful Nelson, New Hampshire. Our campus includes many outdoor features that we have been able to incorporate into academic and social-emotional learning. In addition to a 30 minute recess each day, staff oftentimes bring students out for morning and afternoon breaks as the weather allows. This past year, staff worked in conjunction with The Harris Center to implement Woods Recess, a once-per-week alternative to traditional recess wherein students are able to engage in creative play in the woods on our campus. In Summer 2024, Ward Timberframe constructed an outdoor classroom in our “Otter Den” - an area behind our school. This space faces a small hill, with room for amphitheater seating. It promises to be a place for learning and community gathering for years to come.

We also understand that learning takes place in the world outside of the classroom. In recent years, teachers have taken walking field trips to nearby locations, such as Granite Lake to do Earth Day clean-up and the Munsonville Cemetery to explore local history. During our annual Community Week, students in lower elementary grades take field trips to local libraries, and we oftentimes invite special guests to the school to give students hands-on experiences. 

Some additional experiences we have been fortunate to have over the past year or so include:
-Contra-dancing with local callers and musicians
-Pumpkin Carving for the Keene Pumpkin Festival
-Morphs & Milestones program teaching students about rescued and rehabilitated reptiles
-Visits from Amazing Grace Animal Sanctuary
-Author visits, courtesy of the Olivia Rodham Memorial Library and the Children’s Literacy Foundation (CLiF) 
-Painting the mailboxes that are located at the trailheads in Nelson

We look forward to more unique experiences as opportunities become available.