Our journey to becoming Harmony.
The story of Harmony Natural Learning Center began in 2010 in a small retail plaza in Rowley, MA.
At that time, we were known as Play Makers Family Enrichment Center. We focused on creating quality programs for parents and children to attend together focused on natural play through the senses. Several years later, the addition of our drop-off programs for children aged 2 ½ through 4 years old, had us realizing that we had quickly outgrown our space so we began the search for our forever home. After many months of searching, this property came to us in the form of a small house with a separate office building and a large lot surrounded by conservation land located in Newbury, MA. PERFECT!
Together we spent countless team meetings brainstorming what we thought the ideal Center would look, feel and even smell like, creating a vision board along the way where we posted photos, inspiring quotes and words that spoke to us. Through this process, and as part of the transition to our new location, we felt like it was the right time to select a new name that more clearly identified the goals of our Center and the unique atmosphere that we offered to children and families. We began as Play Makers Family Enrichment Center, but evolved into Harmony Natural Learning Center, a name that better encompasses all that we do.
We knew that the decision to change locations as well as change our name was risky, but our fears were quickly put at ease as the community embraced our move and supported us through our transition. We’ve collectively created a place for children that supports the joy of creative experiences, honors simplicity, provides a slower rhythm and pays the utmost respect to a child’s capacities for play.
Many months of renovations later, Harmony Natural Learning Center was born and opened to wide fanfare in October of 2014. Our Parent & Child Classes and Open Play options allowed families in our community to gather together and celebrate these early years with new friendships.
Two years later, we became fully licensed as a preschool adding a morning toddler program serving children aged 2 years, 3 months through 3 ½ years old and a morning preschool program serving children aged 3 through 5 years old. Both programs quickly filled with an active waitlist. With this growth came construction once again. Plans to tear down the little white house were made to make way for a separate preschool classroom as well as a home for Harmony’s founder.
Once again, brainstorming sessions and a vision board were needed as we prepared to build not only a beautiful classroom space, but also a beautiful home for Harmony’s founder and her family. From the architects plans to the result, we have accomplished both. An inspiring place for children in our community to gather, connect and play and a simple home for a growing family. Completed at the end of spring 2017, we welcomed our summer friends into the new space and have continued to fill the classroom with beautiful smiling faces ever since.
Also undergoing quite a few changes have been our outdoor spaces. From our Discovery Garden perfect for our youngest friends to our Big Backyard, we continue to provide children with outdoor experiences filled with movable parts and open-ended play opportunities.
But hold on, we weren’t done yet! We added on an Extended Day Program for the 2019-20 school year. And to complete the early years cycle, a combination Pre-K & Kindergarten Program was started utilizing the empty apartment above Harmony’s main building. Now with our oldest friends leading the discovery and play, our Center feels complete.
Six years have passed since we opened the doors to our new and improved Center and we have been blessed many times over by a supportive community and wonderful staff. Harmony Natural Learning Center continues to provide quality programming in our Parent & Child Classes as well as our Toddler, Preschool and Pre-K/Kindergarten Programs. We are often sought out as a resource for parents and teachers who are committed to the early years of growth and development. We continue to be invested in honoring a child’s need for play for it is through play that children learn and grow!