Thorne Nature Experience

Thorne Nature Experience Kids grow better in nature! Connecting youth to nature through nature preschool, camp, and more.

Thorne endeavors to teach students how to think, not what to think about nature and the environment. Thorne provides joyful education experiences, because we believe that all students learn best while having fun. Thorne teaches in nature or uses nature artifacts to teach in the classroom, because we believe nature provides an engaging, enjoyable venue for discovery. Thorne believes that inspiring

an excitement and passion for education in our students helps support their growth as life-long learners. Thorne’s programs encourage hands-on learning, because we believe that meaningful education grows out of experience – when students use their senses to touch, hear, see, or smell something in nature, they can more deeply understand it. Finally, Thorne teaches place-based education, because we believe that direct association with the local environment is not only the best way to build a lasting connection to the natural world but is also fundamental to understanding and relating to global environmental issues.

Looking for something different after school?Our new afterschool programs allow 1st through 3rd graders to get to know t...
08/28/2026

Looking for something different after school?

Our new afterschool programs allow 1st through 3rd graders to get to know the animals around us, and 3rd through 5th graders to learn hands-on wildlife skills.

We’ll start with the basics, provide the tools, and build from there.

Registration is open now! We're so excited to see you there! 🐦
https://www.thornenature.org/nature-club

Calling all nature lovers! 🐦🔎At Thorne’s NEW after-school Critter Club (1st - 3rd grade), and Outdoor Skills Club (3rd -...
08/26/2026

Calling all nature lovers! 🐦🔎

At Thorne’s NEW after-school Critter Club (1st - 3rd grade), and Outdoor Skills Club (3rd - 5th), your child can learn about the amazing creatures of the outdoors or hands-on wild skills, depending on their grade level.

Basically, after school just got a LOT more interesting.

Come join us! 🪶
Register here: https://www.thornenature.org/nature-club

If you’ve been part of a summer at Thorne, there’s a good chance Molly had a hand in making it special. 💚As our Camp Pro...
08/25/2026

If you’ve been part of a summer at Thorne, there’s a good chance Molly had a hand in making it special. 💚

As our Camp Program Director, Molly puts so much care into our camps, our educators, and, most importantly, the kids who spend their summers with us.

And when she’s not making camp magic happen, Molly is happiest outside herself. Backpacking, hiking, swimming, or noticing the wildflowers changing with the seasons are some of the places she finds the most peace.

Molly, thank you for the care, energy, and heart you bring to Thorne. Our summers simply wouldn’t be the same without you. 🌼

Parenting young children can be full of really wonderful moments, but it can also feel isolating. Sometimes, simply bein...
08/24/2026

Parenting young children can be full of really wonderful moments, but it can also feel isolating. Sometimes, simply being around other caregivers who are in a similar season of life can make a difference.

One caregiver described it as “really calming to be at the creek” while connecting with other parents. Another shared, “I loved being able to feel safe and vulnerable when sharing with the group. Everyone really held each other where they were at.”

Nature Together is a place for your child to explore, but it’s also a place for you to connect, exhale, and find community.

Come for your child. You might find something for yourself, too. 🌿

Spots are still available. https://www.thornenature.org/nature-together

For little ones, friendship often starts with something as simple as watching another child splash in a creek and joinin...
08/24/2026

For little ones, friendship often starts with something as simple as watching another child splash in a creek and joining in. Building a fairy house together. Following each other down a trail. Learning a new way to play. 💚

Nature Together gives children the time and space to see the same faces, play alongside one another, and let friendships form naturally.

As one caregiver shared, a favorite part was “watching the kids learn from each other, whether it be a new way to play or truly learning a new skill.”

Because sometimes friendship doesn’t need an introduction. It just needs time, a place to play, and someone to explore alongside. 🌿

You can register here: https://www.thornenature.org/nature-together

For young children, nature is full of opportunities to notice, wonder, try something new, and work through big feelings....
08/22/2026

For young children, nature is full of opportunities to notice, wonder, try something new, and work through big feelings. A puddle, a pinecone, even the creek can all be a whole new world to discover.

At Nature Together, even our check-ins are inspired by the outdoors. 🌦️
Children use a “weather report” to describe how they’re feeling, giving them a simple way to start putting words to their emotions.

And sometimes, those little rituals make their way home, too. 💚

Register here: https://www.thornenature.org/nature-together

Consider this your sign to add a little more Thorne to your closet. 👀Shirts, hoodies, hats, stickers, patches... we’ve g...
08/21/2026

Consider this your sign to add a little more Thorne to your closet. 👀

Shirts, hoodies, hats, stickers, patches... we’ve got something for every kind of Thorne fan (and every member of the family).

Rep your favorite nature nonprofit while helping more kids get outside. 💚

You can shop here: https://www.thornenature.org/store

What if the best enrichment for your child is actually the simplest? 🌿Time to move. Explore. Wonder. Get messy. Just be ...
08/19/2026

What if the best enrichment for your child is actually the simplest? 🌿

Time to move. Explore. Wonder. Get messy. Just be outside.

And the best part? Nature Together isn’t only good for little ones. Caregivers feel it, too. 💚

As one Nature Together caregiver shared, “It reminded me how beneficial being in nature is for our nervous systems, mine and my child's.”

Another gave us a pretty convincing bonus: better lunches and longer naps after class. 😴

Sometimes, getting outside together really is that good.

Register here to join us for our Fall session of Nature Together: https://www.thornenature.org/nature-together

Meet Erin, Thorne’s Director of Vision!🌿Erin is one of the creators of Thorne Nature Preschool and the teacher behind ou...
08/18/2026

Meet Erin, Thorne’s Director of Vision!🌿

Erin is one of the creators of Thorne Nature Preschool and the teacher behind our Nature Together caregiver + child program, helping shape some of our youngest community members’ very first experiences in nature.

Her work at Thorne is all about looking ahead: imagining new possibilities, creating meaningful ways for families to connect outside, and helping our programs grow with intention.

And when she’s not dreaming up what’s next? She’s usually outside herself, hiking, biking, splashing in creeks with her family, or chasing the next adventure.

Thank you, Erin! For your vision, creativity, and love for the outdoors. 💚

Today, Thorne Nature Preschool is back in session at the Lafayette Nature Center! 🌈New routines are taking shape, famili...
08/17/2026

Today, Thorne Nature Preschool is back in session at the Lafayette Nature Center! 🌈

New routines are taking shape, familiar faces are finding each other again, and a whole year together is just beginning!

We can’t wait to see where their curiosity takes them. 🥹

Happy first day, preschool families! ☀️

Address

300 Old Laramie Trail E
Lafayette, CO
80026

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+13034993647

Website

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