Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Stratton.
Hi Jennifer, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Gigglewoods was created in response to the nature deficit we face as a culture and particularly post-pandemic. I saw our youngest learners relegated to learning on screens, and in my heart, I knew I could not stand by and do nothing. With more than 35 years of working in early childhood, I know children learn best through playful, wonder-filled experiences, and by nurturing their curiosity. I have Level 1 & Level 2 Nature-based Teacher Certifications with Eastern Region Association of Forest and Nature Schools (ERAFANS). I lived in Alaska for 25 years and homeschooled my two daughters there. You can’t live in a place like Alaska with two curious children and not be outside. That was probably my trial-by-fire introduction to nature-based education. We went clamming, fishing, camping, and hiking and fended off giant mosquitos all day. In August 2019, our family moved to the South, and I accepted a position as a teacher with a Forest School in South Carolina. I instantly identified with educating young people this way. Then came the Pandemic, and everything was shut down. As our community emerged from the lockdowns, I began Gigglewoods by teaching a few nature-based outdoor adventure classes for preschoolers and their parents. We made mud pies and explored the flora and fauna around us. From there, it has grown into the program we are now, with an Independent Adventure (drop off) program twice a week and Tandem Adventures (caregiver and child). The outdoor campus is co-located with our home on two and a half acres in Summerville.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been different from what you could call a smooth road. Our first location was in the backyard of a local restaurant. We had signed a year-long lease to use their space, and a month and a half after classes began, the property was listed for sale.. Determined to thrive, we sought a new space at Lily Grace Farm & Petting Zoo. We rented out a small portion of their horse pasture for a year while searching for a property we could live on and have our outdoor class space. We were looking for a property between two and five acres in Summerville without an HOA. When we found our current location, we knew it would be perfect, both for our family to live in and to create an outdoor learning adventure space as well. Our goal is, and has always been to strengthen community bonds while creating nature-based learning adventures for early childhood.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about Gigglewoods?
The Gigglewoods curriculum builds on your child’s innate curiosity and, from there, will learn math concepts (like volume and measurement), vocabulary words (petrichor and psithurism), scientific skills (compare, contrast, and categorize), and life skills which cannot be graded (situational awareness and appreciation for life), to name a few! We offer classes for early childhood, from 18 months to around 7 years old. Our program is 100% outside, regardless of the weather. Some of the best adventures are had in the rain – puddles, drips, and splashes are all a part of learning. Owner Jennifer Stratton designed the Gigglewoods outdoor classroom, which features many different ways to explore nature. In the center of the campus is a Sensory Meadow with 135 feet of curving pathways surrounded by native plants, all pollinator-friendly and safe for children to touch. There is also a dramatic play space the students named Mushroom Town, a Mud Kitchen with a pantry full of forage ingredients, hammocks, a big swing, a Sound Garden, and a giant American Chestnut tree for climbing.
Do you have any advice for those just starting?
Start small, explore the Small Business Development Center as a free resource for business guidance, and set boundaries so your work doesn’t take over your life. Find like-minded people to bounce ideas off of, to share and network with, like the people at ERAFANS, Natural Start Organization and the Children and Nature Network.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gigglewoods.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gigglewoods/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100027725453097
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-stratton/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCNT1F2hT5wk8-oUgSke-Bg
Image Credits
Jennifer Stratton, Morgan Stratton
