A Current Program Review

For today's blog post, I've chosen a current nature school and will review their program, their history, and their successes.

Cedarsong Nature School is considered one of the first nature kindergartens in the United States. Based off the German "waldkindergarten" model, Cedarsong has no indoor spaces. The lessons are not typically planned ahead of time, and the students follow their own interests in the forest, and the learning arises from there.

Students ages 3-6 are welcome to this private preschool. The cost is about average compared to other preschools in the state of Washington. For 3 classes a week, 10 months of the year, the cost of Cedarsong is approximately $3,600. According to the National Association of Child Care Resources, the average cost of child care in the state of Washington (for a school-age center) is $4,674. They offer scholarships for deserving families. Classes are limited to 8 children, and the teacher:student ratio is 4:1.

A packing list is given for all seasons, and children (and parents!) are reminded that, "there is no bad weather, only bad clothing choices". A fund is set up to help families afford the outdoor gear which can get pricey.


Overall, the school, which was started in 2008, is thriving. The waiting list is long, the kids happy." Being outdoors provides them with not only fresh air, it encourages imaginative play, creativity, hand-eye coordination, balance, physical strength and mental clarity. When children's natural curiosity is stimulated, learning flows organically from stimuli encountered in the outdoors. "


Why aren't there more schools like this out there?
Would you send your child to a school like this?
http://www.cedarsongnatureschool.org/index.php

Benefits of Outdoor Play

There are many benefits to playing outdoors, both physically and mentally. Students that have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder tend to concentrate better in the outdoors. “By bolstering children’s attention resources, green spaces may enable children to think more clearly and cope more effectively with life stress” (Wells in Louv, 2005, p.g 103). A study done by Grahn (1997) states, “Children who play regularly in natural environments show more advanced motor-fitness, including coordination, balance and agility, and they are sick less often” (Fjortoft, 2001). When children play, the amount of things they learn is staggering. Outdoor spaces promote physical growth (i.e. balancing, climbing, feeling, manipulating, molding, exploring, and digging), emotional growth (i.e. fantasy play, role-playing, creative self-expression, and group participation), social growth (i.e. copying, explaining, cooperative projects, planning, obeying rules, and solving conflicts) and cognitive development (i.e. spatial orientation, making things, observing, using tools and social experimentation) (Rivkin, 1995)

Fjortoft, I. (2001). The natural environment as a playground for children: The impact of outdoor play activities in pre-primary school children. Early Childhood Education Journal, 29(2), 111-117.

Louv, R. (2005). Last child in the woods: Saving our children from nature-deficit disorder. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.

Rivkin, M. S. (1995). The great outdoors: Restoring children's right to play outside. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Let's head to the forest!

Hello, and thanks for reading! This blog is a joint venture between the Alberta Council of Environmental Education and myself, a graduate student at Minnesota State University, Mankato as part of my capstone experience for graduation.

Throughout this blog, I will talk about the history of forest kindergartens and schools, some research about kids and the outdoors, and any other little tidbits of information I happen to come across. Please feel free to leave comment questions about anything, and I'll do my best to find the answers for you!

Today's topic....what IS a forest school?

Starting primarily in Europe, but beginning to find it's way to North America a forest school is a new approach to traditional education. Forest schools are a way of teaching that encourages interaction with the natural world. Many forest schools have limited indoor spaces and instead make do with the world around them. Rain or shine, the students head to the woods and fields. Using what they find in the natural world, they discover the limits of the natural environment, how to assess and handle risks, and how to problem solve with themselves and others.

Here's a great video from the Archimedes Forest School director, explaining the forest school. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpJ1ta-4rMg&feature=player_embedded#!

Enjoy!

Until next time have fun being outdoors!

Liz P.