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Tucked away on 10 acres of natural surroundings, including forested trails and wetlands, Gig Harbor Academy’s identity is intrinsically linked to its campus. A canopy of trees welcome families as they arrive to school, often invoking a sense of nostalgia given the rapid development so prevalent in the area. Myriad outdoor learning spaces breathe creativity and authenticity into teaching and learning. Embracing a place-based pedagogical approach, teachers are equipped and inspired to utilize our expansive outdoor campus as a catalyst for instruction.
Certified by the Arbor Day Association, Gig Harbor Academy is considered a Nature Explore Outdoor Classroom. The playground is designed for nature-based play and purposeful learning, featuring “Neverland,” where children build gross motor skills by walking the tugboat tightrope and jumping from stump to stump and “Messy Kitchen,” an inviting place to dig, concoct, and delight in mud! The rainboots and weatherproof gear lining the school’s hallways illustrate our commitment to embracing the elements every day, rain or shine! It is our hope to take full advantage of our unique and treasured campus to instill an early connection to nature and a sustaining sense of stewardship within our learners.
The muddier the better in the Messy Kitchen, a Nature Explore certified space inviting children to experiment, measure, pretend, and cooperate with one another.
Neverland is one of many treasured places to imagine, play, build, and climb on campus during recreational times of the day.
The stewardship and study of the garden beds on campus is one of the expressions of place-based education at GHA.
Making every effort to be outdoors daily, GHA students enjoy the wetlands trail tucked within this greenbelt.
An independent private school in Gig Harbor Washington, Gig Harbor Academy is a coed school serving young minds from ages preschool through fifth grade and offering childcare and summer camp.