The Concept of Nature Schools in Non-Nordic Countries

Overview

The idea of a school based primarily in nature was born in the countries of Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Today, many countries have adopted the Nordic concept of nature schools. These schools take on different names-nature kindergarten, waldkindergärten, bush kinder- but still preserve their Scandinavian roots in terms of pedagogy and principles. In class, we have learned about the nuances between nature schools in Denmark and Sweden, but rarely have expanded upon the implementation and success of nature schools in non-Nordic countries. I am interested in the concept's success in other countries because of the previously mentioned difficulties of the programs transfusion from Europe to the United States.

Principles of Waldkindergärtens

The waldkindergärtens, modeled after its Scandinavian counterparts, follow similar principles and ideologies of the Nordic countries. In the forest kindergarten “development of the child into a responsible and community capable personality are encouraged” (Haefner 2002) much like regular kindergartens. Important lessons such as social skills, environmental education, sensory development and physical education are stressed within waldkindergärtens. Social skills such as communication and cooperation are learned through dependence of their peers and problem solving within the forest. Environmental education is easily taught through the direct relationships with nature waldkindergärtens have, and the early indoctrination of nature in young children leads to a heightened level of care and appreciation for their environment when they grow older. Sensory development is also incredibly important for kindergartners and waldkindergärtens provide a myriad of opportunities to promote this development. Finally, physical education is encouraged through the sheer amount of movement allowed in a forest setting as opposed to a four-walled classroom (Haefner 2002).

waldkindergarten kids huddling on a floor of leaves

Types of Forest Kindergartens in Germany

There are many different “types” of waldkindergärtens in Germany. There is the “pure” forest kindergarten where every half-day is spent outside, with no classroom at all. There is the integrated forest kindergarten where half the day is spent in nature, and half the day is spent in the traditional kindergarten setting. There are variants of both, including one where children can choose whether or not they want to be in nature. Lastly, there are traditional kindergartens that travel out to nature once a week, or have set dates within the school year (Haefner 2002).

Waldkindergärten Daily Routine

In a traditional waldkindergärten, the routine consists of a morning meetup and a ritual of “circle time”, where a song is sung, a game is played or stories are shared. Then, the group ventures out into the forest, the children free but always in sight of the educators. In the agreed place, children eat breakfast and are then allotted free time. After free time, there is a guided game phase or an opportunity for a story, a song, a craft or a role-playing game. At the end of the day, there is another circle ritual, where children can talk about their day, sing another song, or play another game (Haefner 2002).

Nuances

Waldkindergärtens do contain some differences from their Swedisha and Danish equivalents. For instance, waldkindergärten’s have more of an emphasis on teaching than Swedish nature schools. Rules are also found more commonly within waldkindergärtens (Waller 2017).

Bush Kinder

The Australian equivalent of a forest kindergarten is known as bush (beach) kinder. The concept of forest kindergartens are relatively new in Australia, the earliest programs only dating back to early 2010 (Elliot and Chancellor 2014). The first program was known as the Westgarth Bush Kinder Pilot.

Westgarth Bush Kinder Pilot

The Westgarth Bush Kinder Pilot was formed in response to a 2010 mandate by the Australian government requiring all 4 year olds to attend 15 hours of preschool a week, an increase from 12 hours a week previously (Knight 2013). The Westgarth kindergarten then decided those extra 3 hours would be spent in nature. The program acknowledged the Scandinavian roots and from it formed their vision.

Bush Kinder Vision

The Bush kinder vision corresponds with both the Scandinavian and Germanic ideologies of forest kindergartens. This vision centers around the children having a closer connection to nature, valuing and participating in nature-based activities, being healthy, more environmentally aware, well connected and cohesive as well as raising creative, independent and resilient children (Elliot and Chancellor 2014).

“Types” of Bush Kinder

There are, so far, only two types of Bush Kinder. The two types are similar to some of the waldkindergärtens. The first type is an off-site bush kinder, where nature access is not immediate. The second type is an adjacent bush kinder, where the bush kinder is within walking distance (Campbell & Speldewinde 2018).

Daily Routine At An Adjacent Bush Kinder

The daily routine at an adjacent bush kinder contains both similarities and differences to waldkindergärtens. There is no formal start or middle at bush kinder. Children are free to do as they please, roaming and interacting with the space. The majority of the day is unstructured, until the end of Bush Kinder. Towards the end of the 3 hours, children participate in sharing an item they have brought from home and possibly a structured game for 5 minutes afterwards. At the end of Bush Kinder, children return to the normal kindergarten setting until they are picked up.

Conclusion

The concept of forest kindergartens is slowly gaining ground in its development and implementation. Germany has a long history with forest kindergartens whereas Australia’s is just beginning, which explains the disparity in amount of information found for each. While each country has uniquely executed the idea, it is clear that the most fundamental aspects are kept and its Scandinavian roots are honored. It will be interesting to observe how the idea and implementations of forest kindergartens will continue to develop and grow in a multitude of countries and cultures in the years to come.

References

Häfner, Peter. “Natur- Und Waldkindergärten in Deutschland : Eine Alternative Zum Regelkindergarten in Der Vorschulischen Erziehung.” UB Heidelberg, 18 Oct. 2002, http://www.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/archiv/3135.

Waller, Tim. The SAGE Handbook of Outdoor Play and Learning. SAGE Reference, 2017.

Campbell, Coral, and Christopher Speldewinde. “Bush Kinder in Australia: A New Learning ‘Place’ and Its Effect on Local Policy.” Policy Futures in Education, vol. 17, no. 4, May 2019, pp. 541–559, doi:10.1177/1478210317753028.

Elliott, Sue, and Barbara Chancellor. “From Forest Preschool to Bush Kinder: An Inspirational Approach to Preschool Provision in Australia.” Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, vol. 39, no. 4, 2014, pp. 45–53., doi:10.1177/183693911403900407.

Knight, Sara. International Perspectives on Forest School: Natural Spaces to Play and Learn. SAGE Publications Ltd, 2013.