Laura Roush has spent nearly three decades nurturing the development of the whole child, promoting a joyful approach to learning and celebrating the wonder and magic of the early childhood years. In 1995, this award-winning educator founded Laura’s Learn and Play Nature School, a Colorado-based early childhood education center. Certified as a National Wildlife Federation Eco-School, this nature-rich environment is designed to encourage children to explore, discover and engage in independent, imaginative play inspired by what they love. Roush’s unique curriculum—which incorporates elements of the Reggio Emilia, Montessori and Waldorf philosophies of early childhood education, as well as STEAM and literacy components—has earned her national recognition, including the 2016 NAFCC National Family Childcare Provider of the Year award. She earned her associate of business administration degree from the Community College of Denver in 1990 and her associate of applied science degree in early childhood education from Front Range Community College in 2010. Since 2018, Laura’s Learn and Play Nature School has served as a laboratory school for the next generation of early childhood educators at Front Range Community College. She is deeply committed to connecting children with nature and believes that math learning begins when we are born and travels with us wherever we are.
