The day was in full swing at Apple Blossom Preschool and Early Learning Center — every corner humming with activity. 

In the backyard, toddlers were enjoying the late summer sunshine, busying themselves by climbing into play sailboats or shoveling sand and dirt. Back inside, their preschool peers were gathered around a table for lunch, rice in their bowls, forks in their hands and not a sippy cup in sight. In another classroom, a different group of children was being taught how to braid rope, learning songs as they carried along.

Already, the day was halfway spent, and before long, parents and guardians would be returning, ready to whisk their children back home. But until that moment came, there were still opportunities left for them to play, time left to explore and discover. 

These are scenes from a dream come true for director Helen Rushlow who, together with chief strategy officer Carl Salvo, opened Apple Blossom on County Road back in Jan. 2018. Ever since, they have strived to provide children ages 18 months to 5 years old with a holistic approach to care, fostering their social, emotional and creative development. 

“It’s very purposeful,” said Ms. Rushlow. “Life is the curriculum.”

Setting themselves apart

Mr. Salvo said Apple Blossom is different from the other preschool and early learning centers in the area.

Meals are different at Apple Blossom — breakfast, lunch and snacks are all provided throughout the eight-hour day, and much of the food comes from the backyard garden. It is all prepared in-house and family-style; the menus centered around what is in harvest.

This time of year, children enjoy carrot dogs with broccoli salad slaw, or perhaps zucchini fritters with black bean salad. They sometimes have a hand in preparing the food themselves, like during Muffin Mondays, where toddlers help make that special treat for the whole school. 

“They see it, so they want to eat it; they want to eat the bread, they want to eat the vegetables because they’re participating,” Ms. Rushlow said. 

Instilling imagination, building confidence

A question Ms. Rushlow often gets from parents is "What will children get out of their experience at Apple Blossom?" The answer to that, she said, can be derived straight from the LifeWays philosophy.  

Inspired by the 20th-century social reformer Rudolf Steiner’s Waldorf education model, the LifeWays approach to development is less concerned about a child learning their ABCs and 123s, and more about nurturing their social, emotional and creative growth.

“It’s all those things that you can’t teach later in life,” Ms. Rushlow said. 

Children are given opportunities for open-ended play all throughout the day. Teachers tend to take a backseat, letting children be the drivers of which activities they choose to engage in. 

At Apple Blossom, they take on a nature-based, less-is-more approach, emphasizing an interaction with the world around them. Baskets of seashells and climbing logs replace video games and smart devices. Even clothing is encouraged to be media-free, ensuring that play is largely the product of a child’s individual imagination. 

For children coming to Apple Blossom from a more traditional school, the lack of structure and mainstream forms of entertainment can be initially jarring. Yet, Ms. Rushlow and Mr. Salvo have seen that, as time goes on, the need for modern stimulants and teacher-guided direction dissipated, and the children could finally tap into their imaginations and interact with their peers. On any given day, the sailboat could be the site of a tea party, or the pavement may transform into a tricycle track. 

“They’re willing to try new things, willing to explore and test their boundaries for development,” Ms. Rushlow said. 

Teachers at Apple Blossom abide by a set of “rhythms,” or routines to guide children through their activities, though the tasks themselves may vary from day to day or season to season. Children may spend one day helping to bake bread, the next working with beeswax. 

“The rhythm of the day, and the rhythm of the year and the rhythm of the week is really what supports their security and building those trusting relationships with the teachers that are with them,” Ms. Rushlow said. 

Next-step ready 

Though subscribing to the Waldorf and LifeWays mentalities had always been a natural fit for Ms. Rushlow and her family, there was a period where she wondered if Apple Blossom should be incorporating more traditional teaching methods into its curriculum. 

That concern was recently quelled when a kindergarten teacher and former Apple Blossom educator — who, during her time at the center, often challenged Mr. Steiner’s way of thinking — returned for a visit, putting Ms. Rushlow’s mind at ease that everything was working out for the children, even at the next level.  

“She said, ‘keep doing what you’re doing,’” Ms. Rushlow said. 

Still, there is more that both Ms. Rushlow and Mr. Salvo want to be able to provide, for both children and adults. While they are limited to 28 children now — with two teachers for every eight children — as the center continues to grow, they hope to be able to add more classes, especially for toddlers. They even would like to start hosting some cooking classes for parents, helping them to replicate some of the recipes and techniques back at home.