About Will Smith Zoo School

Started in 2004, Will Smith Zoo School is a fully licensed preschool. It is one of the only preschools in San Antonio that uses nature as the integrating thread tying together the school’s philosophy, methodologies, classroom design and outdoor spaces.

More Information:

  • Will Smith Zoo School is a nature-based preschool.
  • Classes are conducted either from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm with the option of adding Extended Care. Extended Care options allow Will Smith Zoo School students to arrive between 8:00 am and 9:00 am. Extended Care options allow Will Smith Zoo School students to depart between 2:00 pm and 5:30 pm.
  • Will Smith Zoo School students should be ages 3-5 and display confidence in toileting and dressing themselves.
  • The teacher to student ratio is one teacher to every 8 students.
  • There are three registration options:
    • 5-day: Monday through Friday
    • 3-day: Monday, Wednesday and Friday
    • 2-day: Tuesday and Thursday

Students will:

  • Spend at least 70% of each day outdoors.
  • Explore the zoo every day and participate in animal interactions and demonstrations.
  • Cultivate an appreciation for the codependence we have with plants and animals.
  • Investigate their own curiosity about their surroundings with compassion and care.
  • Recognize that learning can be as much of a serious hands-on experience as it is messy fun.
  • Engage in motor activities to develop spatial awareness and place value on daily exercise.
  • Foster a lifelong passion for habitat conservation and self-directed learning.
  • Play with natural materials, such as rocks, dirt, water, sand, twigs and leaves (expect your child to come home sweaty, dirty, and happy).
  • Enjoy even more time connecting with nature and friends with extended hours until 5:30 p.m.

Why Nature-Based?

  • Children with views of and contact with nature score higher on tests of concentration and self-discipline. The greener the experience, the better the scores (Weeland et at., 2019).
  • Children who play regularly in natural environments show more advanced motor fitness, including coordination, balance and agility, and they are sick less often (Dankiw et al., 2020).
  • When children play in natural environments, their play is more diverse with imaginative and creative play that fosters language and collaborative skills (Prins et al., 2022).
  • Exposure to natural environments improves children’s cognitive development by improving their awareness, reasoning and observational skills (Nguyen & Walter, 2024).
  • Nature buffers the impact of life’s stresses on children and helps them deal with adversity. The greater the amount of nature exposure, the greater the benefits (Moll et al., 2022).
  • Play in a diverse natural environment reduces or eliminates bullying (Sakhvidi et al., 2022).
  • Nature helps children develop powers of observation and creativity and instills a sense of peace and being at one with the world (Beery & Chawla, 2020).
  • Nature preschools can be effective in promoting positive peer play interactions and learning behaviors and thus make important contributions to school readiness (Burgess, 2020).
  • Nature preschools are effective in supporting the development of various protective factors which contribute to young children’s resilience (Ernst, Juckett, & Sobel, 2021).
  • Nature play is a rich and valid contributor to sustainability outcomes (Ernst et al., 2021).
  • Natural environments tend to be safer, calmer, and foster warmer relationships (Kuo, Barnes, & Jordan, 2019).
  • There is a positive link between nature engagement and the mental health of children (Tillman et al., 2018).