Muddy Boots Nature Montessori

Muddy Boots Nature Montessori is a nature‑based early years centre situated on a family home and working farm at Glencarrig House, Ballyronan Road, Kilquade, Co. Wicklow. The school blends Montessori principles with outdoor, forest‑school style learning, offering children daily access to extensive garden spaces, an organic garden, pond sensory tables, farm walks and a variety of natural play areas. The environment is designed to nurture social, emotional, physical and academic development through hands‑on, child‑directed experiences in a “home from home” setting. The centre operates two classrooms – the Garden Room and Robins Barn – providing a morning Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) session for children from six months to two years old. Their curriculum integrates Montessori methods, nature and forest‑school activities, and aligns with the national frameworks Aistear and Siolta. Weekly masterclasses expand learning to include Irish, French, German, yoga, mindfulness and gardening, all delivered alongside the outdoor resources. Muddy Boots emphasises individual learning styles, allowing each child to progress at their own pace while engaging with the natural world. Over ten years of operation have seen the model grow into a thriving, busy little gem in the heart of Kilquade, offering a high‑quality, blended early years education that balances indoor Montessori work with extensive outdoor exploration.