Rooted Discovery

Rooted Discovery Rooted Discovery is an immersive summer nature experience for children ages 5-12 located in rural Eastern Iowa.

NEW: Pre-registration begins April 1st for Nature Discovery School, coming August 2026 🌿

Website coming soon!

Remember to mark your calendars for Monday mornings this summer! I'll be creating Facebook events for each of these soon...
05/25/2026

Remember to mark your calendars for Monday mornings this summer! I'll be creating Facebook events for each of these soon.

Come to one or all.

What you can expect:
👣Mud
💧Water
⛱️Sand
🪵Open ended toys
🤸‍♀️Wide open spaces
🐴Animals
👸Dress up
🎨Art studio

My kids LOVE supporting our Little Sprouts open play times.

Don't forget it's for the big kids, too!

🌿📚 Book Club Update 📚🌿With summer on the horizon and LOTS of things going on between the launch of Little Sprouts, camps...
05/25/2026

🌿📚 Book Club Update 📚🌿

With summer on the horizon and LOTS of things going on between the launch of Little Sprouts, camps, and Nature School, Book Club will be on hiatus from July-October!

I hope you'll join us for our June meet up before we say "see you later". This one's for the grown ups. Children's Night will also return in the fall!

Please register so I can send you the discussion guide and keep you posted on any last minute changes!

Register here:
https://forms.gle/RTTPAFsbavdeqmMj7

Thanks for an amazing first season of Book Club!

After about two full weeks of diligently looking for them morning and night with no evidence they were still there (foot...
05/21/2026

After about two full weeks of diligently looking for them morning and night with no evidence they were still there (footprints, trails, sightings, fur or feathers from their meals) they're BACK! 🦊 And YES I immediately threw gravel from braking so hard to observe them and snap this pic from my vehicle!

If you notice the dead grass in our ditch, we have been selected for Benton County Roadside Management's Adopt -A-Prairie program! This is step one. While we're not big on chemicals, we understand this is part of the process to give the native plants a chance to thrive.

We hope we're creating a safe place for even more living things to call our land home! 🦋

🌿Nature School Update 🌿We've had some changes to the roster recently. We've officially got TWO morning only (part time) ...
05/21/2026

🌿Nature School Update 🌿

We've had some changes to the roster recently. We've officially got TWO morning only (part time) spots open! (Afternoon is FULL!)

Want to be part of our Wandering Wednesdays? (Full day excursions to area public lands to explore and play off-site 🚐) I've got ONE Wednesday spot up for grabs! Add this on to part time care OR if you're a homeschooling family, opt in for the day!

To pre-register, fill out the following form and I'll follow up with you:
https://forms.gle/GJ3AiFSWucy9mqLH8

Reach out with questions by DM or email [email protected]!

Did you know? We only have ONE more part day (half day) PM spot open and we can officially call our program FULL for 202...
05/15/2026

Did you know?

We only have ONE more part day (half day) PM spot open and we can officially call our program FULL for 2026-2027? I know. When I say I'm beyond excited, I truly mean it.

We even have a few little ones pre-registered for next school year! 🌿🙌

Rooted in play, authenticity, imagination, creativity, caring, and SCIENCE! And folks, the science is undeniable:

"In play a child always behaves beyond his average age, above his daily behavior. In play it is as though he were a head taller than himself.”

Lev Vygotsky
Russian psychologist
1896–1934

In our program, you can anticipate a daily rhythm which includes:

Setting group intentions
Authentic social emotional learning
Storytelling
Songs, finger plays, poetry, children's literature
Puppetry
Movement and music
Open ended play and imagination
Art studio
Rich conversation
Climbing, digging, jumping, pouring, splashing, counting
Joyful noise
Collaborative games and problem solving
Academic themes interwoven with intentionality
Mud, sand, water, rain, and snow (seasonally)
Exploration and investigation
Organic, healthy foods served communally

All with small class sizes! We cap all multi-age sections at 6 children to provide your child with close proximity and careful supervision for optimal growth and development.

The kicker?

Almost 90% of our day is spent OUTSIDE! 🦋

Want your child to experience public preschool AND our program? We are tailored to allow your child access to both! As a registered childcare home, transportation is provided!

To register or to reach out with questions, please email me at [email protected].

"Honey, we're the big door prize." - John Prine 🌿
05/12/2026

"Honey, we're the big door prize." - John Prine 🌿

Happy Mother's Day to all moms, in all shapes and forms. Whether you care for your own, or care for others' as if they'r...
05/10/2026

Happy Mother's Day to all moms, in all shapes and forms. Whether you care for your own, or care for others' as if they're your own, we honor you and your sacrifices.

You are making a difference through love, compassion, and modeling what it means to show up for others. It matters.

You matter 💚

Rooted Discovery is all about providing your child with authentic, connection-based, outdoor play opportunities. We're n...
05/07/2026

Rooted Discovery is all about providing your child with authentic, connection-based, outdoor play opportunities. We're not just focusing on one component of quality experiences, we're intentionally guiding, nurturing, validating, and modeling what it means to be a part of something bigger than each individual:

COMMUNITY.

Belonging.
Care.
Love.
Connection.

We view children as inherently capable, and that makes all the difference.

"No one will protect what they don't care about; and no one will care about what they have never experienced."
- Sir David Attenborough

2 part time (PM) spots remain. We've got a great group of families pre-registered with a healthy mix of 3 year olds, 4 year olds, and 5 year olds. Some have school experience, some have daycare experience, and for some, this is their first experience away from home. We welcome all. Reach out to me with questions at [email protected].

In this next chapter, I'm looking forward to walking the walk (sometimes barefoot) with your little ones holding my hand. 🌿

They're getting so big 🥺🦊You can bet I was sweet talking them (from a safe distance!) I was just getting ready to turn u...
05/07/2026

They're getting so big 🥺🦊

You can bet I was sweet talking them (from a safe distance!) I was just getting ready to turn up our driveway and caught them peeking out. Somehow, I didn't scare them and they all came out to see what was so interesting. One even acted like it wanted to come closer. I told him his momma would be mad and he skittered away!

By 8 to 9 weeks old, these kits will no longer need their den. It's not uncommon for foxes to relocate dens periodically, but these babies have stuck around (and surprisingly have not gotten any of our chickens!)

We are honored to have them choose our property and will be sad to see them go. It's been an absolute treat to watch them grow and explore each morning and evening from our front porch.

🌿📚 Book Club UpdateApparently I sent a few people on a wild goose chase on Sunday! 🫣😅 I had to cancel due to feeling wor...
05/04/2026

🌿📚 Book Club Update

Apparently I sent a few people on a wild goose chase on Sunday! 🫣😅 I had to cancel due to feeling worn down, which is not my style but my body said REST UP, MA'AM.

Sincere apologies for any confusion. I pride myself on communication and somehow this got lost in translation.

While it maybe could have been a good social experiment to see who would stick around for impromptu nature immersion and book conversation, 1) I'm not that sneaky, and 2) I would feel pretty badly about missing out! (Of course, I highly encourage these things! That's what this is all about!)

If you have a borrowed copy of Where'd You Go, Bernadette, please drop it off at your convenience at the library.

Next meet up: June 7th

Book: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Important: Please, for my sanity if for nothing else, RSVP at the link provided each month so I can get an accurate count on who is coming 😌 LOTS of irons in the fire at the moment, and I'd hate for this to happen again!

Be on the lookout for the RSVP link as the date approaches!

Thanks again, Loves 🌿

🌿📚 May Meet UpThe weather is supposed to be gorgeous for our meet up on Sunday. Life's too short to spend it indoors! *N...
05/01/2026

🌿📚 May Meet Up

The weather is supposed to be gorgeous for our meet up on Sunday. Life's too short to spend it indoors!

*NEW location: Hannen Lake (meet at the beach parking lot)

Bring a blanket, a beverage, and your book. We're discussing Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple. Of course, we welcome anyone wanting to gather with us whether or not you've read the book. Pro tip: It's also a movie starring Cate Blanchett!

Afterwards, stay for a nature walk or hike. 🥾

Let me know you're joining with the following link:
https://forms.gle/MNovtkcmaaM5qpik7

Address

Keystone, IA
52249

Telephone

+13194309583

Website

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