One of the first nature preschools in Montana, and the first in the Billings area, Fledglings Nature Preschool is founded on the idea that kids learn best through play and hands-on experiences. 

Students spend at least 80% of their time outdoors, guided in exploration and learning by our skilled team of teacher naturalists.

Class Schedule & Cost

In the 2025-26 school year, we offer eight classes in four class times. Each class time has two separate classes of 8 students. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday we offer one preschool class and one kindergarten enrichment class.

 

Morning

M-W-F — 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — $325 per month

T-Th — 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — $265 per month

 

Afternoon

M-W-F — 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. — $250 per month

T-Th — 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. — $190 per month

Fliers Kindergarten: M-W-F — 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. — $250 per month

Our Approach

Academic skills such as pattern recognition, letters, numbers, and colors emerge from the child’s experience–counting birds on the pond, looking for matching colors of flowers and bugs, tracking animal prints in the snow, journaling about nature observations, etc. Positive social interaction and respect for others is heightened and reinforced by outdoor exploration and play, and the children’s learning is grounded in sensory experience of what is closest–the animals, plants, rocks, and weather that surround them every day. Fledglings Nature Preschool is a proud member of the Natural Start Alliance.

Our approach draws from multiple sources, including Nature Pedagogy, Interest-led Flow Learning, Reggio Emergent Curriculum, Inquiry Learning, and others. Our teacher-student ratio of 1:8 ensures in-depth mentoring and relationship-building, and frequent contact among the families of our students creates a community that goes beyond the classroom.

Flyers Kindergarten

In the fall of 2020 we started our Flyers Kindergarten program.

Our kindergarten program is an extension of our preschool following the same learning through play philosophy as our preschool programming.

This class extends informal learning for one more year before formal schooling and is intended to continue to build self reliance and social skills. Many parents of students in this class supplement their child’s learning journey with homeschooling.

To learn more or sign up for a tour, please contact:

Sarah Chatwood
Early Education Manager
Montana Audubon Center
Billings
406-294-5099
Montana Audubon Center © 2026