Our Guiding Principles

Nature

Throughout history, children have spent much of their free playtime engaged in nature play. Today, for many reasons, children are spending less time interacting and playing in nature. A growing body of research suggests nature is an essential element to a child’s development. Louve (2005) coined the phrase “nature deficit” and suggests a lack of exposure to nature is directly linked to increasing childhood depression, anxiety, and childhood obesity. At the Terrateer Club, we recognize the many benefits of exposing children to nature through exploration, play, and stewardship.

Kindness

During the preschool years, children begin to form and navigate pro-social behavior. Children who participated in a mindfulness and kindness education program demonstrated greater pro-social behavior than those who did not participate in kindness education. At The Terrateer Club, we promote kindness by modeling kind behavior and spreading kindness at home, school, and in the community.

Executive Functions

Executive functions are a critical set of skills that help individuals to focus, self-regulate, think before acting, problem solve, follow multi-step tasks, plan for the future, and adapt easily to change. In children, executive functioning have been correlated with school readiness and healthy socioemotional functioning. Early childhood is the perfect time to intentionally build a foundation for continued development of effective executive function skills. The Terrateer Club provides children with opportunities to develop these crucial skills through self -directed activities, social interactions emphasizing joint attention, modeling and practicing of emotion regulation, and decision-making exercises.

Acceptance

Children as young as age 2 are able to recognize differences such as gender and ethnicity, which is why it is so important to begin building their cultural competence and cultural intelligence as early as possible. Children live in a diverse world and it is important to create opportunities for them to learn about similarities and differences among those around them. Helping children to develop awareness of and appreciate their own culture, as well as the cultures of others encourages their engagement in the global community.

Yoga and Mindfulness

Mindfulness practices help children develop awareness and acceptance of their thoughts, emotions, and physical feelings. Children who participated in mindfulness-based interventions showed improved psychological and cognitive functioning. Studies have also shown mindfulness activities may positively impact neural connections. At the Terrateer Club, we believe that teaching children ways to calm their body and mind promotes inner peace, positive coping and empathy.

Community Connections

Creating an encouraging and supportive environment for children has a positive impact upon development. When children are part of loving and caring families, schools, and communities the benefits to development are great. Young children enjoy learning about community helpers. At The Terrateer Club we take that interest one step further and help children become community helpers. There are many ways in which young children can learn to be of service. Planting seeds to volunteerism is important as children who are involved in service are 50% less likely to abuse drugs, alcohol, or engage in other destructive behaviors.

Come Join The Terrateers!