De La Madre Daycare, Austin

De La Madre (of the Mother) Daycare creates a community for young children which fosters free play and nurtures connection to nature. It is safe & simple environment where children can feel as though they belong. We believe that structured academics has NO place in early childhood, we allow plenty of play-based learning to unravel organically in a natural environment. Mother Earth is the best place to facilitate these events and our rustic daycare environment is primarily outdoors to do just this. Our outdoor learning environment is informed by the 12 best practice indicators developed b the Natural Learning Initiative at North Carolina State University. Here are just a few of the ways they will learn through playful exploration through the lens of nature: -Sensory play with water, dirt and sand -Fine and gross motor skill development through outdoor free play -Natural cycles such as weather pattern, seasons, moon cycles & more -Gardening & animal care -Food awareness through gardening & snack preparation -Promotes physical activity We implement the method of positive discipline, as created by Dr Jane Nelson; “To create a peaceful world by teaching Positive Discipline social emotional life skills for respectful relationships.” Victoria Joy “Thor” Hutson is the Director of de La Madre Daycare RN, MSN, CDA credential (in progress), PhD Nursing candidate, BLS, Certified Positive Discipline Classroom Educator, pediatric first aid Although Thor is a natural leader and educator, she also has the appropriate education & experience to support her community endeavors as evidenced by her Master’s in Nursing Education and a Child Development Associate Credential (in progress). She is a community health nurse (10+ years as a registered nurse), as well as doctoral candidate for community health nursing to research the implementation of ‘nature play’ as a developmentally-appropriate learning tool to reduce the rates of overweight & obesity in Texas children ages 2-5 years old.” She is a full-time mother and utilizes all these experiences to inform “De La Madre Daycare;” which is much more than a daycare, but it is a community for young children with the fundamental values of nature, free play, community and simplicity.