Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is taking preschool outside. The zoo announced a new state-accredited outdoor-based preschool for Colorado kids who thrive in nature-based learning. Little Paws Preschool at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will welcome its inaugural class on the first day of school: Mon., Aug. 24, 2026. Enrollment is now open.
“We view nature as the most inspiring cultivator of learning and our students as explorers within an experience-rich, living classroom,” says Brittinie Ford, camp and school director at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. “We immerse our students in outdoor nature trails, play areas, and safe animal habitats to build resilience, confidence, and a strong sense of belonging in the world around them.”
Little Paws Preschool will offer two classes:
3-year-olds
9 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays
$220.75 per month
4- to 5-year-olds
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
$460.75 per month
Little Paws Preschool is accredited by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood. The academic calendar will mirror Cheyenne Mountain School District 12’s calendar, with classes starting on Mon., Aug. 24.
Classes will be small, with around 15 students each, and teachers are early-childhood professionals whose credentials meet state licensure regulations. Lead teachers are director-qualified through the Colorado Department of Early Childhood. Students will spend their mornings exploring established trails and outdoor play settings in and around the zoo.
A description from Cheyenne Mountain Zoo says curriculum will center on play as the foundation of early learning. Kids will have regular opportunities to learn through outdoor adventures, hands-on science and animal inquiry, creative arts inspired by the environment and more.
Little Paws Preschool will emphasize compassion and respect for all living things. Explorers will learn to care for animals, respect global cultures and make choices that positively affect the world around them. The goal is to foster empathy, responsibility and a sense of guardianship for the natural world.
Through open-ended outdoor play, preschool explorers will develop essential life skills tailored for success in a modern world, such as critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration and social communication, emotional intelligence and resilience.
For more information, visit cmzoo.org/littlepawspreschool. To begin the enrollment process and to learn more, email littlepawspreschool@cmzoo.org.
