Free to be a Child

Free to be a Child is a family child care and learning community, currently serving both preschoolers and homeschoolers.  Owner/teacher Lise McGuinness has been a preschool teacher for over 30 years, and has been deeply inspired by the preschools of Reggio Emilia, Italy, as well as by forest schools and unschooling philosophy.   Free to be a Child is designed to support working families, and provides a comfortable home environment filled with learning opportunities: a huge library, a fully-stocked art studio, lots of outdoor time, and work on individual and group projects.  We are play-based and immersed in books and nature and art and mixed-age relationships.  In addition to our regular days at home, we spend time in nearby conservation areas and at the Mill River, take walks and field trips, and enjoy regular poetry teatimes and weekly Spanish classes.