OPEN AIR VILLAGE
Est. 2020
Nature-Based Education in Yellow Springs, Ohio
NEW LOCATION FOR FALL 2026! Join the waitlist for more information!
Located in Yellow Springs, children learn naturally through PLAY in our "Open Air,"
outdoor classroom. Our core values are respecting children, embracing diversity,
community involvement, and nature education.
Welcome
Welcome to Open Air Village, where we believe caring for children means caring for the whole family. Created by Nicole and Bryan Gay, our intentionally small, home-based preschool offers a nurturing environment where children are known, valued, and celebrated for who they are.
We believe it truly takes a village to raise a child. From our daily care and learning experiences to parent groups, seasonal family events, and parent nights out, we strive to create a connected community where children and grownups alike can build meaningful relationships, find support, and grow together.
At Open Air Village, children experience a "home away from home" while families discover a place where they belong. We're so glad you're here, and we look forward to welcoming your family into our village.
Our Story
TA-DA Learning, 2016
Our Story
Long before Open Air Village existed, Nicole and Bryan Gay were discovering the work they were meant to do together.
In 2007, at just 19 years old, they began volunteering side by side in a preschool classroom. It was there that they discovered a shared love for early childhood and experienced the joy of seeing the world through a child's eyes. Those early experiences inspired Nicole to change her college major to Early Childhood Education and planted the seed for what would eventually become Open Air Village.
Over the years, Nicole and Bryan continued working with children in a variety of settings while growing their own family. In 2016, they launched TA-DA Learning, offering Nature Adventures, children's yoga, and sensory art classes through Fairborn Parks and Recreation and Beavercreek Parks and Recreation. From 2018–2020, they taught together at Evergreen Children's Center, a WILD Certified preschool in Beavercreek, where they further developed their passion for nature-based, child-led education.
In September 2020, they founded Open Air Village with a simple vision: to create the kind of childhood they wanted for their own daughters—one rooted in play, meaningful relationships, outdoor exploration, and a strong sense of community.
Today, Open Air Village is an intentionally small, home-based preschool where children are welcomed into a child's home away from home. While the setting has changed over the years, the heart of the program remains the same: preserving childhood through play, nurturing curiosity, and building lasting relationships with children and their families.
Meet Nicole and Bryan
2026 Yellow Springs Earth Day Festival
As owners and lead teachers, Nicole and Bryan Gay spend each day alongside the children, creating the consistent, relationship-based environment that has become the heart of Open Air Village.
Nicole earned her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from Wright State University in 2010. Her professional experience includes Spanish-immersion teaching in Chile, serving as a lead teacher for students with diverse learning needs, and teaching kindergarten in the public schools before transitioning to child-led, nature-based education.
Bryan brings a business background and nearly two decades of experience working with young children. His passion for outdoor play, risk-taking, and nature education helps create meaningful opportunities for children to build confidence, resilience, and a lasting connection to the natural world.
Together, Nicole and Bryan have spent nearly twenty years learning, teaching, and growing alongside children. Their work was recognized in 2026 when they received the Five Rivers MetroParks OUTstanding Teachers of the Year award in the Early Childhood category for connecting children with nature through meaningful outdoor experiences.
When they're not at Open Air Village, Nicole and Bryan enjoy spending time outdoors with their two children, who continue to inspire the philosophy behind the program they lovingly created.
OPEN AIR VILLAGE
where children learn naturally through play
NATURE-BASED EDUCATION
“A nature-based early childhood curriculum has dual goals of promoting whole-child development and environmental literacy, with nature as the organizing concept of the curriculum. Teaching practices in a nature-based [pre]school reflect established best practices in early childhood and environmental education, with an emphasis on play-based learning.”
OUTDOOR CLASSROOM
Using Nature as our guide, the outdoor classroom is utilized as our primary location for inquiry based projects and day to day rhythms and routine. Nature-based themes emerge as children show interest in discovering the eco-systems in which we live and play.
INSPIRATION
We believe that children learn naturally through self-directed play and exploration.
Outside and in nature, we embrace the ideals of free play. Taking inspiration from the Reggio Emilia approach, we treat our environment as a child’s “third teacher,” putting careful thought into the space in which learning evolves and takes place.
OUR MISSION
Respecting Children
Our mission at Open Air Village is to provide a respectful and nurturing environment for the developing child. Our program is specifically designed to encourage each child’s growth by being in tune with their social, emotional, physical, and educational interests. By providing high quality, scientific-based care, parents can relax knowing their child is having their individual needs met.
OPEN AIR PROGRAMS
The Nature-Based educational programs at Open Air Village were created with our children’s needs in mind:
to grow and develop in our safe yet stimulating environment. Take a look below to learn more about each program.
NATURE-BASED PRESCHOOL
ages 3 - 4
9 am - 12 pm (preschool)
8 am - 4 pm (full-day child care)
Our youngest students learn naturally through play in our sensory-rich outdoor classroom while also enjoying a thoughtfully designed indoor learning space filled with plentiful opportunities for play-based exploration. Open Air Village provides a screen-free, home-based preschool where childhood is preserved through play, meaningful relationships, and time outdoors—regardless of the season or weather. Children enjoy a daily rhythm filled with music, literature, big body play, sensory art, gardening, neighborhood walks, and open-ended exploration while experiencing a "home away from home."
Qualified early childhood educators thoughtfully guide a child-led environment where children's interests inspire meaningful learning experiences. Each day offers opportunities to build friendships, develop confidence, express creativity, and connect with the natural world in ways that honor every child's unique pace and curiosity.
*NEW 2026: Kindergarten eligible children (born August 20, 2021 or before) do not qualify for OAV preschool due to limited class sizes in the home-based program.
MLS AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM
ages 5 - 10
2:30 - 5:00 pm
Nicole and Bryan offer a small After School Program for siblings of currently enrolled Open Air Village preschool students and Open Air Village alumni who attend Mills Lawn Elementary School. Following dismissal, children are transported by school bus to Open Air Village, where a healthy afternoon snack is served upon arrival.
The afternoon includes outdoor play, nature exploration, and child-led activities in a familiar, home-based environment. Open Air Village also offers an indoor, sensory-friendly atmosphere for completing school work, with caring educators on hand to provide encouragement. The after-school group may occasionally take supervised walking field trips within the community.
