Home Grown: Big Red Barn, the pre-school for future farmers

Horses, sheep, guinea pigs and a mini donkey?

Sounds like a normal day on a farm, but what about a normal day for a preschooler?

In today’s Home Grown, we’ will learn how Big Red Barn preschool makes learning about plants and animals fun and educational for your curious kiddos.

So what does a day look like at Big Red Barn?

The red building you see on South Arizona Avenue is a place where many kids start their day.

Sandra Escalante is the owner and director of the Big Red Barn, open now for six years.

So why a school that allows students to experience plants and animals?

“I just feel like it’s super important for kids to get a chance to be a part of the environment, to learn about animals and growing. We live in an agricultural town, so it’s super important for them to know where their food comes from and the responsibility of animals,” said Sandra.

Throughout the school day, students go through an interactive schedule.

“We start every morning with the Pledge of Allegiance at 8 o’clock, and then we start our day. We have a very strong curriculum in the classroom. The focus is on getting kids ready for kindergarten. Phonics, letters, name recognition, all of those things that they need to prepare for school. We also do a lot of hands-on learning,” said Sandra.

Escalante hopes that teaching young children to care for plants and animals teaches them responsibility.

She also hopes this small bit of farm life will inspire them to be curious about the industry someday.

Elizabeth Escalante, business manager of Big Red Barn believes constant stimulation keeps their students out of trouble.

“When they are here, there’s constant stimulation, they are not in the same classroom all day long, doing the same thing over and over. They have a schedule that they follow, so they transition from their classroom to library time, to circle time, to plant and animal time. What our program offers is, is it takes it to the next level with getting them super prepared for kindergarten,” said Elizabeth.

Big Red Barn is an open enrollment school, meaning as long as there is space available, your child could start their education there.