COLRAIN — A new preschool called Colrain Sapling School is looking to grow a love of nature in the next generation when it opens to students for its first fall session starting Sept. 9.

The preschool is the brainchild of two residents who wanted to instill a sense of wonder for the natural world in their children. After a few years of watching kids for their friends and family members, Anna Shuipis and Gabriella Della Croce joined forces, each earning a child care license from the Department of Early Education and Care that allows them to open the preschool by starting out small with six children between the ages of 2 and 5.

“I wanted something for my kids that was outdoors,” Shuipis said. “My background is in environmental education so I really wanted a forest school and to provide that for other kids is wonderful.”

“Of all the things I’ve done there’s nothing that really lights me up in the same way as getting to be outside with children,” Della Croce added. “As a parent it was really important to me to find a way to be home as much as possible and get to share the things I love.”

The preschool, to be operated out of Della Croce’s residence, has access to a garden, streams, the forest, meadows and a playground. While the curriculum will include plenty of nature time, Shuipis described their approach to education as being “holistic,” with equal focuses on developing social skills and academics.

“In this fast-paced technical world, it’s nice to bring kids up in grounding space that allows them to have that foundation for academia,” Shuipis said. “We believe being outside develops that foundation.”

Shuipis and Della Croce have backgrounds in environmental education and environmental science, and they plan to use nature to teach their students math, science and more. For example, Shuipis said when they were providing child care for friends and family members, she would teach science experiments such as making herbal teas and showing the students how different ingredients can change the color of the water.

Della Croce said they also plan to let students develop their own interests and let that guide the curriculum. For example, her son Elio has been interested in birds and learning how to identify birds based on their calls.

Two-and-a-half-year-old Elio said he loves playing out in the forest with his friends and his mother. In particular, he is a fan of the “mud kitchen” where he gets to make “chocolate cakes.”

The preschool will only be open two days a week, Mondays and Tuesdays, but Shuipis and Della Croce hope to grow it in the future. Della Croce said Colrain Sapling School was designed to be a coop, so other parents could volunteer or join on as staff as the preschool grows.

For the first year in operation, their child care license allows them to have up to six students. Della Croce said they have started a waiting list for future sessions, with the price being on a sliding scale of $190 to $240 per month based on household income.

Della Croce said anyone with questions about Colrain Sapling School, or seeking support in starting their own preschool, is welcome to reach out on their website, colrainsaplingschool.weebly.com.

Reach Madison Schofield at 413-930-4579 or mschofield@recorder.com.