There's been a movement out of Germany, Scandinavia, England, and now in parts of the US, to teach small children outdoors, without a school building. They dress for the weather, learn resilience, curiosity, playfulness, and love of nature even in the rain and snow. This movement may take on new meaning during the Covid-19 pandemic, when learning outdoors reduces the risk of Covid-19 transmission, and gives students a chance to see nature and experience life directly, not through Zoom!
Background
- Wikipedia, Forest School. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_school_%28learning_style%29
- The Red Tricycle, 3/19/2013. https://redtri.com/seattle/12-nature-based-preschools/
During Covid-19
Danish schools take education outside during the Covid19 pandemic.
- The Washington Post, 9/16/2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/09/16/outdoor-school-coronavirus-denmark-europe-forest/?utm_campaign=wp_the_optimist&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_optimist
The Family Meets Nature in the Backyard and Parks
Even outside the formal education of Outdoor Schools, children and adults can find adventure and discovery in backyards and parks simply by looking carefully at the creatures and plants, soil, air and water. Taking on specific tasks, such as growing food, or studying specific processes can make it more fun, and focus the mind, but sometimes it's just a matter of setting out with an open curious mind to see what you can see. Looking at pond water under a microscope is splendid. Or you can capture pond water in a large jar and place in it a water snail if there happens to be a water snail about. On rainy days, land snails may scoot about in the open and you might try keeping one in a jar for a while. The internet has all sorts of advice on how to do these and other outdoor explorations.
Adult thinking is evolving rapidly around gardens and growing food. Urban gardens were not long ago expected to be primarily decorative and a fun place to run around, then there was a period when homeowners tried to become more organic and use less water in their gardening. Now there's also a shift to thinking about our gardens as ways to feed birds and insects, making the process of gardening much more interesting for both children and adults.
Here are some inspiring adult books on transforming gardens or agricultural land rich ecosystems:
Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard, by Douglas Tallamy, 2020. https://www.amazon.com/Natures-Best-Hope-Approach-Conservation/dp/1604699000
Wilding. The Return of Nature to a British Farm, by Isabella Tree. 2019. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=wilding+by+isabella+tree&crid=1F8IYAQQWEQZ2&sprefix=wilding+by+isa%2Caps%2C224&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-a-p_1_14
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