Kindergarten Forest and Nature School
Please note: This popular program is usually filled by internal families. If spaces remain after our internal registration occurs, we will go to Onelist to fill the remaining spots.
Our Forest and Nature School Program was established in September 2014. We offer a JK/SK program guided by Forest and Nature School Canada’s (FNSC) constructivist emergent approach to learning.
Forest and Nature School programs have been offered around the world since the 1950s. Most prevalent in Scandinavian Countries, however the approach is gaining international momentum supported by research. The first Forest and Nature School opened in Canada in 2008 and today many more are opening across the country.
A certified Forest School Practitioner oversees the Forest and Nature School Program. In the Forest School Program, the children spend the majority of the day outdoors in a natural environment. Forest and Nature Schools offer sophisticated land-based education to the children, educators and families. At the heart of Indigenous learning and philosophy in much of Canada are the Seven Grandfather Teachings: love, honesty, humility, respect, bravery, wisdom, and truth. Indigenous pedagogy in many places is also rooted in the Four Directions. The Four Directions Teachings tell us about who we are as human beings in terms of our life cycles as well as in terms of our emotional, physical, spiritual and intellectual selves.
Both International and Canadian research has been focused on the benefits of the Forest and Nature School approach. The PARTICIPACTION research project is a wonderful example of a Canadian multidisciplinary research project that focuses on the benefits of outdoor inquiry based education.
FNSC is a space based, played based curriculum approach where revisiting a natural site on a regular basis exposes children to an environment where they observe day to day and seasonal changes.
Our program takes place in our natural play spaces as well as at a forest site. The environment is seen as an educator.
Children learn through the freedom to explore and make discoveries in their natural world. They partake in hands on experiences such as using tools, ropes, fort building and camp fires. Through the many loose parts the natural environment provides, children engage in collaborative projects, which enhance emotional development, resiliency, problem solving, critical thinking and creativity. The outdoor environment also contributes to the practice of early literacy, math and science.
Exposure to the outdoors enables children to better focus, and relieves stress. FNSC focuses on the holistic development of the children, educators and families. Children develop a connection to themselves, others, and the natural world. FNSC nurtures the ecological identities of children, educators and families, a connection that encourages children to become stewards of the environment.
How Does Learning Happen, Think, Feel, Act Document, and Forest and Nature School Canada’s Document are also used in guiding our curriculum.
What to Wear for Forest School in All Seasons
Forest schools run in all weathers – we’re certainly outdoors with the children come rain or shine! Here’s a parent’s guide to the forest school clothing that we recommend for activities throughout the year:
Summer Clothing
Children are active on forest school days, and warmer weather means they don’t want to be weighed down with clothing.
Comfortable long loose-fitting pants or loose leggings – shorts aren’t so good for little legs when the grass is high. We recommend tracksuit/jogging bottoms, or thinner cargo pants instead of denim. Tight fitting clothes do not keep mosquitoes or ticks away, they bite right through them!
Loose fitting T-shirt – long or short sleeved. We recommend a long-sleeved one as that’s better for protecting their skin against sunburn, mosquito bites, ticks and scratches.
A sweatshirt – ideally a lighter weight fleecy one, and nothing you would worry about getting damaged or muddy! Bonus if it zips up as that makes it easier to get on and off, for those colder days.
Socks tall enough to tuck in our pants (great way to keep ticks away)
Shoes and Rubber Boots – closed-toe shoes, not sandals or flip-flops.
Sun hat. A good hat will stay on, even when your child is active!
It can still rain in the summer, so it helps to have a water-proof layer available.
Spares! Always send your child to forest school with spare clothing: in the summer, you’d want to put spare socks, pants in their bag in case they fall in some water (accidentally or on purpose!).
Bathing suits for water play and a towel.
Insect repellent stickers, cream or spray (remember to get a brand suitable for children).
Extras: Provide sunscreen each day. Apply it before you drop your child off!
Our recommendations
Brimmed hats (bucket hats) are a good choice because they give all-round sun protection and don’t leave neck exposed. Ultimately with hats, go with what your child will wear, and something that will stay on! It’s better that they have something than rip it off the moment you drop them off.
Winter Clothing
A winter forest school is a lot more fun with the right clothes! Cold weather can make being outdoors more of a challenge if you aren’t dressed correctly.
Let’s start at the bottom: the base layer. They’ll be outside, so thermal leggings (long johns) with a thermal long-sleeved top. If you don’t have those and it’s not too cold, tights will do at a push (not a cotton layer as cotton gets wet and cold).
Warm pants – fleecy ones like jogging trousers or tracksuit bottoms.
A long-sleeved T-shirt or thin top.
A fleece sweater (preferably one that zips up).
Socks – a thick pair of ski, thermal or woolly socks. Wool works best.
Outer layer wear for winter
Snow jacket and snowpants (waterproof) – loose fitting and light.
Hat and neck warmer, balaclavas work best.
Waterproof light gloves, gloves that are too bulky and rigid are not warm.
Snow boots – check the temperature rating, make sure is below –20C.
Spares! Spare gloves, spare socks, and a spare of all of the above if possible.
Use your judgement on really cold days: send your children to forest school with an extra sweater or base layer if it feels like that would be needed. They can always take layers off but it’s hard to get warm if you don’t have the right kit.
Our recommendations
Boots: Sorels and Bogs (at least -30 temperature rating) are great footwear.
Helly Hansen raingear and snowsuits tend to be light, warm, and waterproof.
Spring and Autumn clothing
Spring and autumn feel quite similar in terms of weather, so the kit list is the same for these seasons. Expect rainy weather and some colder months but be prepared for anything!
Comfy trousers – again, we avoid denim and recommend jogging pants, or light loose materials.
Long sleeved T-shirt or similar top, loose fitting to protect from mosquitoes and ticks.
Rainsuits – choose one that’s appropriate for the weather (we have these at EaB). Spring and autumn can be variable, so on colder days opt for a heavier sweater or fleece, or even a winter jacket.
Light warm jacket or a zip-up fleece
Rain gear. A rain jacket – not needed on days when it obviously won’t rain, but a thin rain jacket is easy to keep in the bag for when it’s needed.
Closed-toe shoes, like sturdy running shoes. These are better for tree climbing, or climbing in general, than rain boots, which can slip.
Don’t forget to pack your spares! Pop a few extra pairs of socks and an extra pair of trousers in your child’s bag. Send sunscreen at the beginning of Fall and in Spring, UV rays might be still high on some days.
Insect repellent stickers or other natural insect repellents are recommended in all seasons. Remember Ticks are out most of the year except on very cold winter days.
They might need a light hat or sun hat depending on the weather. The important thing to remember is that bad clothing makes for a miserable experience, so be prepared to check the forecast, and do what you think is right for the day.
Other things to pack
Make sure you send your child with a labelled water bottle as well.
Tips
Check the weather conditions before you leave the house so you can match what you take to the current situation. However, many parents find it easier to pack a bag and bring the whole bag, whether you need those rain boots or not.
Cold wind can make a day feel much colder than the weather forecast lets on, so it’s always better to have outdoor clothing that works with layers. They can take off what they don’t need.
Testing clothing at home before you bring it to school is a great idea, children grow fast, tight boots will be very cold even with the warmest socks, remember it is the air pockets around our bodies that keep us warm, tight clothing does not keep us warm.
Please label everything, children often have the same or similar clothing items.
Happy Forest and Nature School Exploring!
Check out our Facebook Page to see what we have been doing in our Forest School Program.
Visit www.forestschool.com for more information on Forest School or email operationsdirector@eabchildcare.com