Why have an outdoor classroom? Web.a.ebscohost. Forest Kindergarten - A better way to teach our young children? : Do your children tend to fight more when they are stuck inside watching TV or playing video games all day?
Mine do. They usually end up fighting, are more aggressive, moody, easily irritated and bored and not very talkative. However, when they spend the whole day outdoors in nature, they are the total opposite: happy, excited, love to tell stories….just in a great mood! That’s why I am such a big fan of Forest Kindergartens and I really wished my kids attended one. No matter what season or weather condition, the kids are encouraged to play and explore the forest or other natural environment with adult supervision. Forest Kindergarten are very popular in Europe, especially in Germany, Denmark & Switzerland. Here the exclusive SAFBABY interview with Erin Kenny: SAFBABY: Tell us a little bit about your Forest Kindergarten and how/why you started it. Erin Kenny, Founder of Cedarsong Forest Kindergarten:
Call To Action. Early-Childhood Education Takes to the Outdoors. Kids in Waldkindergarten, also known as forest kindergarten, are building fires and braving the snow.
And they're all the better for it. Chilling Out: At a Waldkindergarten in Zurich, forest kindergartners gear up -- literally -- for learning outdoors. Credit: Waldkindergarten "I made a snowman today," my first grader squeals as I pick him up from school on a fresh, snowy January afternoon. My son stares at me. Think Outside the Classroom For most families in our Long Island community, keeping kids indoors for recess on a snowy day isn't a shock; it's expected. Gathering Place: At the Waldsofa, a parent-built roofless structure, teachers and kids meet daily to learn, explore, and cook their lunch. Features of Forest Schools. Forest school promotes. Benefits for Children of Play in Nature. By Randy White The children's play gardens (naturalized playgrounds) that our company designs for clients emphasize a rich natural environment as the play setting and nature as the play element.
Our designs are based upon an extensive body of research and literature on: the significant benefits for children of regular play experiences in nature, children's play preferences, and the most effective designs to support children's development. Following is a summary of the many benefits that regular play in nature has for children: Children with symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are better able to concentrate after contact with nature (Taylor et al. 2001). "There's no way that we can help children to learn to love and preserve this planet, if we don't give them direct experiences with the miracles and blessings of nature. " References Bartlett, Sheridan (1996). Benefits of Connecting Children with Nature_InfoSheet.pdf.
Children and play. I will understand outside.