Prairie Flower Children’s Center

Prairie Flower Children’s Center is an independent, non-profit childcare center in Ames that runs unique nature-based programming for toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children. Nature is the setting for most of our activities – we spend as much of the day as possible outside – and also our main object of study. Children form a strong connection with nature by observing the seasonal rhythms of our local area and caring for the areas we visit.

In operation for over 25 years, Prairie Flower now offers year-round and full-day programming for preschool and school-age children. New in Fall 2025 is an income-based sliding fee scale for tuition. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, funds raised help fund tuition assistance and the cost of outdoor gear for low-income families, so that no child who wishes to attend but lacks funds is turned away.

Our belief: “All children need nature. Not just the ones whose parents appreciate nature. Not only those children of a certain economic class or culture or set of abilities. Every child.” -Richard Louv, author, Last Child in the Woods

Prairie Flower is located on the second floor of Bethesda Lutheran Church with daily access to woods, prairie, creek, river, and meadow—right in the heart of Ames.

For the 2025–2026 year, Prairie Flower will offer a mixed-age preschool/kindergarten (ages 3–6), a parent-child playgroup (14 months–3 years), a school-age after-school program (ages 5–12) with busing available, and weekly summer camps (ages 3–12).

Learn more at www.prairieflowercc.org.