'A lack of nursery schools in the Czech Republic led to the rise of a Norway-inspired phenomenon of forest kindergartens. Initially a makeshift solution, they now seem to be proving to be an even better option than traditional schools and nurseries.
By fostering love for learning, independence, and the ability to think out of the box, they raise children whose chances to do well in life are probably much higher than those of kids who are put through the traditional educational system.
Children learn through experience, have to clean up after themselves, participate in the preparation of meals, and wash the dishes. If they forget their bag somewhere, they simply don’t have it for the day, as nobody is going to resolve their problem for them, the founding mothers of the forest kindergarten in the town of Řevnice say.
Their fourth birthday is a license to knife possession because a knife is a common tool they can do a lot with, such as slice an apple or make a toy from a piece of wood. They can also choose whether to spend the day with a male or a female guide. One of the few rules the kindergarten abides by is an equal presence of men and women among the adults who help run the school.
The result, they say, is self-reliant individuals who don’t feel intimidated in the presence of adults, are not afraid to ask questions and are used to going very deep in their thinking as their learning process is not confined to a one-dimensional cramming of information from books.
The teachers are people of various professions who know how to communicate with kids. An increased media interest in forest kindergartens comes amidst a parliamentary row over legislation governing alternative forms of education.' http://www.pangeatoday.com/forest-kindergartens-give-children-better-chances-to-succeed/?topic=education&orderBy=popular
Is it possible that the learning that would take place in the forest kindergarten could be of more value to young children than traditional nursery/kindy? Should the pre-school years focus on preparing children for the schooling years ahead or more creative enterprises?
In our high tech world, are forest kindergartens a bit out of touch with what children need, or exactly what is needed?
What do you think?
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It is proposed that tax payer funded forest kindergartens should be established in our country