Our History
Prairie Flower children explore the plant beds at Bethesda Lutheran Church, where we've been based since April 2023.
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Since 1996, Prairie Flower Children's Center has offered an alternative early-education model for children from Ames and nearby communities.
Our first iteration, the Little Cottage School, opened in 1994. A micro version of our nature-based, play-based approach, it expanded four years later and became Prairie Flower Children's Center. For many years, co-founder Delphine Douglass served as director and lead teacher. Passionate about Prairie Flower and the principles underpinning our work, and a trained Waldorf educator, she brought many aspects of Waldorf philosophy to Prairie Flower. In 2016, she retired and Blue Morningsnow, who apprenticed for a year under Delphine, took the helm. During Blue's tenure, Prairie Flower started its transition away from the Waldorf approach, and transitioned to nature schooling as our approach. Learn more about our educational philosophy here. |
Different Locations
Over the years, Prairie Flower has had a range of locations, from a house in Campustown in the early 2000s to a rented classroom in the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship building on North Hyland Avenue. In 2011, we moved to the little red cabin on the Camp Canwita property next to Inis Grove Park, which eventually became synonymous with Prairie Flower.
In 2022, due to expanding programs at Camp Canwita that were set to cause scheduling conflicts with our programming, we set about looking for a new location. We scaled back our programming for a year as we sought a location that would also position us for growth into the future -- and would let us work towards our goals of becoming more accessible to more families.
We found gracious partners in Bethesda Lutheran Church, on Northwestern Avenue, who offered us two classrooms to rent inside, along with access to all areas of their property. The location was ideal in many respects: The Ames High prairie and woods are located a short walk away; the meadows and trails by Ioway Creek are nearby; we're on central CyRide bus routes; and we're near Furman Aquatic Center and Brookside Park, offering enticing possibilities for our summer programming.
In April 2023, we moved in and have been creating our new routines, rhythms and steadily improving the space so it will serve us -- and many more children -- into the future.
In 2022, due to expanding programs at Camp Canwita that were set to cause scheduling conflicts with our programming, we set about looking for a new location. We scaled back our programming for a year as we sought a location that would also position us for growth into the future -- and would let us work towards our goals of becoming more accessible to more families.
We found gracious partners in Bethesda Lutheran Church, on Northwestern Avenue, who offered us two classrooms to rent inside, along with access to all areas of their property. The location was ideal in many respects: The Ames High prairie and woods are located a short walk away; the meadows and trails by Ioway Creek are nearby; we're on central CyRide bus routes; and we're near Furman Aquatic Center and Brookside Park, offering enticing possibilities for our summer programming.
In April 2023, we moved in and have been creating our new routines, rhythms and steadily improving the space so it will serve us -- and many more children -- into the future.
Images of the "Little Red Cabin"
The little cabin at Camp Canwita that housed Prairie Flower for 11 years, from 2011-2022, represented our longest home base since our founding. The iconic 1930s-era cabin and surrounding woods framed the Prairie Flower experience for many cohorts of children and their families who became part of the Prairie Flower community. It was a charming spot, and many adventures and fond memories were created there.
The space was not without its challenges, however. As we sought to grow and expand on our vision, we were hampered by the size of the space. Our arrangement with Camp Canwita also meant we had to move out each spring and move back in again each fall. And being in the north end of Ames, the location presented obstacles for families who needed to use the bus or who lived farther away in town.
We appreciated our time at "the little red cabin," and will always remember it fondly. But we are very excited to be in our new space at Bethesda Lutheran, with all the possibilities it means for the future.
The little cabin at Camp Canwita that housed Prairie Flower for 11 years, from 2011-2022, represented our longest home base since our founding. The iconic 1930s-era cabin and surrounding woods framed the Prairie Flower experience for many cohorts of children and their families who became part of the Prairie Flower community. It was a charming spot, and many adventures and fond memories were created there.
The space was not without its challenges, however. As we sought to grow and expand on our vision, we were hampered by the size of the space. Our arrangement with Camp Canwita also meant we had to move out each spring and move back in again each fall. And being in the north end of Ames, the location presented obstacles for families who needed to use the bus or who lived farther away in town.
We appreciated our time at "the little red cabin," and will always remember it fondly. But we are very excited to be in our new space at Bethesda Lutheran, with all the possibilities it means for the future.
