Preschools with outdoor space allow kids to take their play and learning outside. Some of these outdoor preschools in Singapore even have herb and butterfly gardens, mud kitchens and school pets!
Looking for a preschool with some outdoor space so your little one can get active and up close with nature? In an urban city like ours, the need for outdoor space has never been more important – we all crave fresh air, natural surroundings and outdoor play more than ever! So finding a preschool with a natural outdoor playground, sand play, and water play can be a great way to ensure children are nurtured by nature and can develop gross motor skills. Most of the larger international schools with preschools have outdoor playgrounds, sports fields and other outdoor learning spaces but this guide focuses on smaller preschools. Keep scrolling for ‘outdoor preschools’ in Singapore with amazing outdoor features some even have their own animal sanctuaries with chickens and turtles!
Read more: Best Bilingual Schools in Singapore with Mandarin Immersion
9 Preschools with Outdoor Spaces in Singapore:
Adventure Tree Preschool
Outdoor preschool features: Wooden playgrounds, sensory and edible gardens, swings, trampoline, sandpit, water play, tricycle
Adventure Tree Preschool takes pride in its play-based curriculum designed to foster curiosity and learning in a natural setting. Its expansive outdoor areas let kids explore the world through outdoor playgrounds featuring swings and trampolines, sensory and edible gardens, and more. The campuses, set amidst lush greenery, fully utilise outdoor spaces for both play and learning, which the school incorporates into its lessons, offering regular outdoor explorations, nature walks, and even nature scavenger hunts. Teachers use the outdoor environment to teach visual and creative arts, storytelling, and game sessions. The school believes these activities not only contribute to holistic development but also provide children with unparalleled opportunities for hands-on learning and an opportunity to foster a deep connection with nature.
Sassy Mama readers save $535 on registration fees at all campuses! Offer valid for confirmed enrolments before 31 August 2024, with a start date no later than 31 January 2025.
Adventure Tree Preschool, three locations including Katong, Bukit Timah and Holland, www.adventuretree.com.sg
House on the Hill Montessori Preschool
Outdoor preschool features: Wooden playground, swings, water play, tricycles, gardening, mud kitchen
Children at House on the Hill Montessori Preschool enjoy expansive outdoor spaces designed to enhance their learning experience and connection with the natural world. It’s also a key component of a Montessori education. Whether it’s exploring the wooden playgrounds with swings, tricycles, grass fields, and a garden where children can learn about gardening, there are plenty of opportunities for children to learn and explore. The preschool also features outdoor water play areas and a mud kitchen, encouraging creativity with open-ended loose-parts play. These outdoor elements also help improve fine motor skills, role play, exploration and social skills, laying a foundation for lifelong learning and wellbeing. Understanding the importance of outdoor learning and play in Montessori education, the school fully integrates these elements into its curriculum. For example, children learn Mandarin by writing characters with leaves, harvesting mangoes from the tree or tending to their gardening projects.
Eligible enrolments enjoy $753 off registration fees! Terms and conditions apply.
House on The Hill Montessori Preschool, multiple locations in Singapore including Mount Sophia, Balmoral Crescent, Pasir Panjang and Hollandse Club, [email protected], www.houseonthehill.com.sg/welcome
Wharton Preschool
Outdoor preschool features: Outdoor playgrounds, field, track, multipurpose court, water play, sand play, trampoline
Outdoor spaces at Wharton Preschool’s campuses are carefully designed to create an enriching environment that engages all five senses, where children are encouraged to express their creativity and curiosity to explore. Wharton Preschool @ East Coast campus boasts an expansive 18,000 sqft outdoor space, which has been utilised for sports, sand and water play, picnics and even foam parties! Its proximity to nature also allows little ones to discover the world of flora and fauna and appreciate nature in a safe environment. Wharton Preschool remains a strong advocate of education through movement, and their new Wharton Preschool @ Admiralty campus boasts of a pristine outdoor area that offers ample sunlight and space for limitless fun. Their curriculum offers a generous dose of active immersion to promote physical well-being and cognitive development. Kids also have access to optional enrichment classes such as Wushu and Multi-sports. Discover what the new campus has in store at their Open House on 29 June and 6 July, 9am – 1pm! Tour the facilities, meet with the teachers and explore why this award-winning preschool is the top choice for many parents. Register here.
Enjoy free Montessori enrichment classes worth up to $654 at the new Wharton Preschool @ Admiralty from enrolment until 31 December 2024! Offer is available for the first 30 sign-ups.
Wharton Preschool, 791A Upper East Coast Road, Singapore 466601 and 8 Admiralty Street #01-13, Singapore 757438, www.whartonpreschool.com
Agora Preschool
Outdoor preschool features: Football field, climbing structures, swings, slide, water play.
Agora Preschool has recently unveiled a new playground on its outdoor terrace just outside the preschool. It serves as an exciting addition to their already well-furnished outdoor space, which has a small football field, climbing structures and even a water play! Agora Preschool believes in the importance of outdoor play, ensuring that it’s not only fun for the kids but also helps them foster a love for nature and adventure. These facilities are designed to encourage physical activity, nurture team spirit, and aid in developing cognitive, social, and emotional skills. The outdoor space also has plenty of shaded areas, protecting the kids from the sun and rain. Kids can also run and jump around safely as the area is covered with turf. Although, one of the standout features of Agora Preschool’s outdoor space is its high platform, where little ones can enjoy scenic views of Keppel Bay.
Quote SassyEarlyBird2024 during enrolment to pay just $1,689 for the remainder of the calendar year 2024! Offer is valid until 30 September 2024.
Agora Preschool, HarbourFront Centre, 1 Maritime Square, #04-01 Lobby C, Singapore 099253, www.agora-colearning.space
Alphabet Playhouse
Outdoor preschool features: Water play, sand play, open field and playground with natural grass.
Alphabet Playhouse has large outdoor spaces with a focus on outdoor sports, cycling, skating and playing soccer, along with sand play, water play and slides. Kids get to explore the outdoor spaces during the school’s Ready, Set, Grow! outdoor programme, where they can learn fundamental skills, including teamwork and resilience, through different sports games.
Alphabet Playhouse, 16 Dublin Road and 440A Upper East Coast Road, Singapore www.alphabetplayhouse.com.sg
Children’s Cove Preschool
Outdoor preschool features: Outdoor classroom, edible garden, sand pit, mud kitchen, water play, playground
Catering to a mix of local and expat families, Children’s Cove Preschool puts an emphasis on bilingual learning along with elements of play. Kids can get active outdoors on the trampoline, cycling track and mud kitchen or interact with the resident animals.
Children’s Cove Preschool, six locations in Singapore including Jalan Penjara, Orange Grove, Novena, Sembawang, Pasir Ris and Amoy, Tel: (+65) 6655 0077 (Jalan Penjara centre), childrenscove.sg
Mulberry Learning Namly
Outdoor preschool features: Wading pool, log walking, swings, climbing, slide structures with tunnels.
Spaces Mulberry Learning are carefully designed and planned to stimulate the children’s senses, unleash their innate creativity, and encourage their natural desire to explore. The Namly centre has an outdoor play area with a wading pool, log bar swing, climbing and slide structures with tunnels and more.
Mulberry Learning Namly Centre, 36 Namly Cres, Singapore 267551, mulberrylearning.com
Rain Trees International Kindergarten & Preschool
Outdoor preschool features: HUGE garden, mud kitchen, climbing frames, sand pit, water play
Rain Trees International Kindergarten & Preschool has one of the largest outdoor spaces for a preschool. Spanning more than 35,000 square feet of open space, kids have plenty of space to develop their physical fitness and stamina. Kids can play in the sand pit, ride a tricycle or play basketball. Teachers also use the outdoor space for hands-on activities where kids can collect sticks, leaves and even worms and learn more about them in class afterwards. They even have a giant tree trump, nicknamed ‘the cave’, where kids can climb, explore and observe the tiny creatures that live in its nooks and crannies.
Rain Trees International Kindergarten & Preschool, 255 Holland Road, McMahon Park, Singapore 278604, www.raintreeskindergarten.com
Shaws Preschool
Outdoor features: gardening, mud, sand and water play, tricycles, pool*, playground, gym
Shaws Preschool is known for its holistic, play-based curriculum that gives little ones a safe space to learn, roam and explore! Whether it’s making a mess in the mud kitchen, splashing around with water play to beat the heat, or building sand castles in the sand pit, little ones get plenty of hands-on opportunities outdoors to learn through play. All five campuses have plenty of outdoor space with shaded and sunny areas, play equipment and open space to run around (*while the Shaws Lorong Chuan campus also has a pool). Shaws’ kids play outside every day, and kids in Pre-Nursery to K2 get active twice a week in Shaws Little League through rugby, tennis, football and more.
Shaws Preschool, five locations: Tanjong Katong, Katong Post, Braddell Heights, Lorong Chuan and Mountbatten, [email protected], Tel: (+65) 9772 4035, shaws.com.sg
Star Learners
Outdoor features: Large outdoor area, playground equipment, water play, trampoline, garden.
Tucked away from the rush of the city, Star Learners @ one-north sits on a generous plot of land. Besides its spacious interior, the outdoor grounds house age-appropriate playground equipment, a water play feature, a large trampoline and an expansive garden, providing children with farm-to-table food education.
Star Learners, multiple locations in Singapore including Ang Mo Kio, Bishan, Bukit Batok, starlearners.com.sg
Read More: Forest Schools in Singapore
More preschools with great outdoor areas:
Capella Preschool
The Children’s Place
EtonHouse
Kinderstori Schoolhouse
LeClare Preschool
Little Paddington Preschool
Little Village
Red SchoolHouse at PUB Recreation Club