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Differences/Similarities:
I feel these two programmes are two different ways of teaching children the same outcome of sustainability. Both programmes are creating environments for children, where they will be able to gain the understanding of how our environment needs to be valued and respected.
Banksia Park seems to be a program that is teaching children how to use the environment to benefit the needs of a person to live. Teaching children how to gather food and care for the animals that provide us food. Teaching children how we need to care for our environment through recycling and composting. This is the programs way of teaching children how to use the environment is a respectful way.
Tawingo College seems to be a program that is teaching children how to explore and discover the environment around them. How nature looks when you use it to play with instead of looking at it through a window.
What i like from both programs is they way they use real life materials and allow for the children to explore them how they see fit. They programs are both trying to show children how they can use the environment for sustainability.

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Similarities

-        The similarities with both programs are there is a focus on the child’s interest. Both programs have inquiry-based learning with many of the activities/play happening outside in all different types of weather.

-        Within both programs there is a growth in the children confidence, independence as well as a respect for the natural environment.

-        Within in program there is a clear understanding that the educators are very passionate about the program and enjoying being part of the children’s learning environment.

Differences

-        The Banksia program offers several different experiences for sustainability in term of having chicken, compost, feeding pets and watering the plants. The children are learning about the full cycle of growing and reusing different natural material example compost- planting using comport and eating the fruit and vegetables the children have grown.

-        The Twingo Outdoor Kindergarten program is located close to a lake with a beach and a ravine for the children you have a different experience with nature.

1 thing I like in both programs

-        Banksia Park Kindergarten

I like that this program has a environmental plan that has been incorporated to the program and is used to increase the sustainability and the connection to the community. The program has to many amazing aspects like reusing rainwater for watering plants, water for the birds and lizards. The Children had the ability to reuse different recycle materials to make a insect motel and placing plastic materials over the smaller plants so they don’t get hurt. The Branksia program also maintains a connection to the families and community by using material donated like the sinks.

-        Twaingo Outdoor Kindergarten

I like that the Kindergarten program is so close to a lake. This gives the children great experience and inquiries about the changes within the water, plants, fish and wildlife within the different seasons.

Link to other programs

I found a great article looking into the benefits of having a nature based program for children and the developmental benefits

FOREST AND NATURE SCHOOL IN CANADA growth NADA: A Head, Heart, Hands Approach to Outdoor Learning. This article looks at the different perspectives of the educator, aboriginal and child. The article goes into detail about the different developmental learning that can happen with following the child’s lead and interest. There is a focus on the many aspect of learning that happens within the program like social play, learning about the environment and the natural world around us.

https://childnature.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/FSC-Guide-1.pdf

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Challenge Task A

After viewing both videos some of the similarities I saw were that both programs were nature based, with the main goal to get the children in touch with nature and to use the outdoors as their classroom.  Both programs were allowing the children to follow a play based structure and used open ended materials and conversation.
I really liked the Banksia Park Kindergarten and how they had animals and gardens for the children to help take care of.  This allowed them to have so many opportunities.  I found this program included alot sustainability with the reusing of materials and teaching the children how to recycle and compost also while teaching them that they can grow their own food and actually allowing them to cook with it.
With the Tawingo College I believe that, that program is more achievable for many places as getting outside in the sense of exploring is much more achievable for centres.  I liked how the educator allowed the children to take all the time they needed to be independent in what they were doing.  How she had a general schedule but allowed the children to explore without rushing them.

I like the layout of both programs and how they allow the children to use more imagination and creativity while exploring and learning.

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Both programs are basically touch based to nature and environment. Difference: The Branksia park was more about how children can get involved in plants, animals, trees to have sustainability to explore about nature and to be involved with living things and learn more about them, but Tawingo College was more of how they will balance theirselves in a very uneven ground.
Similarities: The similarities are that all kids are involved in eachother, helping eachother and learning together.
My likeness: It was so nice seeing how the educators were helping children with knowing about the nature and helping them know what to do in such a peaceful environment and how to give respect to it. I really liked the branksia park program because the children were involved with living things and they learned about the science of it.

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Similarities:

Both programs have very common interests in connecting with nature and embracing being outdoors. They both emphasis on children being in the outdoors and show great interest with playing and learning. Children are curious by nature and natural scientists. They enjoy experiencing sounds, sights, scents and even texture and what better way to let them experience this then being in nature and this is what both programs have in common despite the difference in seasons. Furthermore, both programs teach the children to respect and being responsible of their surroundings.

Differences:

The Banksia program focuses more on learning how to compost, recycle, growing food/plants and collecting rainwater for their plants. There is a focus on converting school’s food scrap waste into valuable natural fertilizer that they can add to their garden to grow more plants. It teaches them how the environment work and how to reduce waste.

The Twingo program was more focused on playing and being engaged in nature during their outdoor walk. It is teaching them how to explore their environment without toys or equipment. The children used their own way to be involved with their surrounding such as making snow angel, playing with sticks, and daring themselves going down the hill.

I like how the Banksia program has many activities for kids to learn about math and literacy through nature around them such as counting eggs or reading books about how to grow plants.

As for the Twingo program, I liked how the educators give ample time to get the children ready to go outside, it sets a positive attitude for the outdoor learning they will gain. I also enjoyed how spacious and quiet their outdoor environment was as it let their five senses come to life.

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Challenge Task A

I found there were a lot of similarities between these 2 programs in regards to teaching children sustainability, developing a connection with nature, respecting the environment and developing an independence and stewardship for their environment around them.

The program at Outdoor Kindergarten seemed more focused on being in their natural environment around them with less focus on being restrained by a time frame. They had a more open-ended structure that was built around the children’s interests and where they were at in relation to that environment. In turn this built their understanding of that environment and how they directly effect it. Successfully building their confidence in themselves, their capabilities and their place in this world.

Banksia Park Kindergarten seemed to focus on teaching the children how to keep their environment around them sustainable. Caring for the animals, like chickens, in which they would in turn gather eggs from. Caring for and harvesting lemons from a tree, in which the learning was extended by the children juicing them for lemonade they would then have for their own snack time. They were able to participate in all of the steps for these different concepts of sustainability.

I thought both programs were wonderful in incorporating these important concepts of our environment, our stewardship towards it, and responsibilities to sustain it.

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After reviewing both videos I observed the following:

The similarities:
-Both of the programs that an immersive experience in a natural environment gives young learners a deeper, more meaningful, appreciation and respect for nature.
-Both programs have unstructured, child-led learning opportunities
-Both programs mention a strong, positive community response. Parents in the community intentionally choose their programs because of the commitment and connection with nature.
-Both programs allow the child to grow their confidence and independence
-Both videos showed nurturing and caring adults who acted as facilitators to the child's learning experience

The differences:

-At Banksia Park, there was an inclusion of hands on sustainability commitment projects. The environment included: chicken coops, class pets, composting, recycling initiatives, water preservation, and gardens.
-Banksia Park makes a sustainability pledge
-Banksia Park demonstrates how learning objectives can be incorporated into their everyday outdoor learning experiences.
-Tawingo shows how nature is the classroom -At Tawingo the teacher noted that learning objectives may be a challenge, rather than incorporated. While giving children the opportunity to self dress, enough time may have passed that the thought "We haven't even counted anything today", crosses her mind.
-Tawingo has to be flexible in scheduling of their day as changes in weather in Ontario play more of a factor than in AU

I loved the idea from Banksia to include the children fully in a reduce, reuse, recycle program. The children composted, and used their compost to grow new food. They recycled what could not be composted and learned and shared with family and peers which bins to place everything in. Using the rainwater collected in barrels for outdoor water play was brilliant. This allows them to be mindful of water conservation, being responsible for their own water consumption rather than wasteful, while including learning objectives.

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I really enjoyed watching both of these videos. It’s certain that both programs appreciate the importance and benefits of children enjoying time in the great outdoors. I like how they both allow children to enjoy the benefits of nature and fresh air. I also love how they both encourage children to learn through exploration all while teaching them the importance of caring for nature and their environment.

At Banksia Park, they focus more on specific teachings. This appears to be a more structured environment that focuses on teaching the children about sustainability and real-life skills such as getting the eggs from the chicken coupes, conserving rainwater to water the plants, planting and growing their own fruits and vegetables, reusing, reducing, recycling and compost. One thing I absolutely love in this program is how the children are so engaged in long term projects that teach them step by step life skills. For example; planting the tree, caring for the tree, watering the tree, watching the lemons grow, picking the lemons, and then finally, turning the lemons into lemonade, and enjoying the lemonade as a nice refreshing afternoon snack.

At Tawingo College in Huntsville, the focus is less structured and more open ended. They simply want the children to explore the outdoor environment and get comfortable with nature and their surroundings. They do not focus on specific teachings, but instead they build on the children’s interests and follow the child’s lead. I love how this program allows the children to just be free to explore and take risks. I love how it helps them build their confidence in themselves and their environment (for example how the video explained that kids feared the uneven ground or complained that they couldn’t go down the hill on their own, and over time they built up their confidence to take appropriate safe risks.)

There is a similar program here in London that I used to take my daughter to when she was younger. It is a free outdoor playgroup for toddlers and preschoolers called “Wild Child” through Childreach.

https://www.childreach.on.ca/outdoor-play

There are also many forest schools opening in Canada. I learned about these in my ECE program and find them quite fascinating and beneficial! We are hoping to have one here in our city soon!

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/first-of-its-kind-forest-school-blazing-trail-with-london-kids

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In the video from Tawingo College I liked that their program provided children as much unstructured and uninterrupted time as possible throughout their day, allowing the children to explore their outdoor surroundings on their own time which contributes in making connections to the world that carries into their relationships with others in a caring, gentle and kind manner. I also liked that the outdoors provided an unlimited amount of resources for the children (such as sticks).-Rania Pilquil

In the video “Education for Sustainability: Banksia Park Kindergarten” I liked that the program provided the children a natural environment where they had the opportunity to take care of real animals (chickens) and have a garden where they can grow various foods, herbs, fruit and trees. I liked that the children were able to partake in growing food where they could taste and eat the foods and also learn where the foods come from and how to dispose, reuse, recycle and regenerate natural resources from what they had produced. I enjoyed the process of collecting eggs from the chickens-encouraging numeracy and that the children were taught to collect chicken scraps to feed the chickens-teaching children the lifecycle of a chicken. In this video I liked that the children had the opportunity to partake in a natural space while caring for that environment.-Rania Pilquil

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Similarities

It’s interest-based learning, allowing the child to explore their interest and inquiries, it also engages children in learning through nature and environmental experiences

Another similarity is how children spend most of the time learning outdoors than indoors. The Taiwan college focuses on the importance of outdoor learning and allowing the children to explore their interests,

Independence between both schools is highly favourited. The Tawingo College emphasizes the importance of allowing children to be independent and confident in themselves, the Banksia program also allows the children to be independent but also showing them through learning which builds their confidence when they do it on their own.

Differences

The Tawingo College spends most of their learning outdoors. They’re out in the community and exploring new environments.

The Banksia program splits their time outdoors with indoor learning. The children spend their outdoor time in their “playground” rather than in the community or new environments. I also find it a very structured curriculum compared to Tawingo which is less structured and allows the children to explore new environments and allows children to learn play through their inquiry. For example, the Banksia program offers learning experiments such as planting a tree while Tawingo College goes out in the community and climbs trees.

What I liked about the Banksia Kindergarten is the learning and respect of the environment and earth we live in. The children learn through play and are always doing something that directly impacts the environment, such as planting trees, composting and reusing objects.

What I like about Tawingo College is how the children are free and allowed to explore their interests in the environment they’re in. Children are encouraged when they feel like they can’t do something such as going up a hill or climbing a tree. They’re challenged and supported at the same time. I also enjoyed seeing that the staff wasn’t rushing the children in translation and allowing them to take their time.

One of my co-workers used to work at this location and said its philosophy and curriculum were amazing and based on the interest of children through play.

http://www.forestgrove.ca/programs

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Similarities

-After viewing and comparing both programs, they have the same philosophy to teach children to respect, care and appreciate their environment. Both programs are very child led and allow children to be competent, capable and curious through their play. The staff allow the children to both explore natural, outdoor spaces but also engage in inquiry experiences and play. The programs are both fostering independence while allowing the children to guide their own activities and engagement through exploring their environments. The programs also both encourage their communities and families to be involved in their philosophy and integrate their children's learning outside of the programs.

Differences
-One difference I noticed between both programs is the Banksia kindergarten was more focused on teaching sustainability and a focus on the environments health, where as Tawingo is more of an outdoor kindergarten that allows children to inquiry and play through outdoor play and is less structured in their learning.
-The second difference I noticed is Banksia has more of a focus on teaching numeracy and literacy and integrating it through their sustainability programs. Tawingo seemed to have outdoor play more child led and numeracy and literacy were not intertwined.
-The third difference I noticed was the Tawingo outdoor school is less directed activities and play, although Banksia is a lot of open ended, inquiry they also provide a "program plan" and have guided learning experiences.

I really liked the Banksia program and all it encompassed, one particular part of the program I like was how much they are emphasizing respecting the environment, and animals and allowing the children to be so involved in the feeding, counting eggs, planting trees etc. This really shows me they see children as competent and capable

One aspect of the Tawingo outdoor kindergarten that I like is they emphasize how important giving children large chunks of time to play and engage in their play, the staff are not rushing the children through a schedule but instead letting them be immersed in their environment.

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Once I finished watching both videos, I feel they are both similar in the sense that they are programs allowing the children to explore and experience nature, however both have their own unique way of teaching the children. One is more free play and exploration based while one is more farming based.  The Banksia Park is more structured compared to the Tawingo College program.
At Banksia Park Kindergarten, I loved how the children are learning positive life skills based on farming and getting to do the action of what they are learning. For example, every morning the children collect the eggs from the chickens, instead of just being told that eggs come from chickens. Collecting them is an entire new learning experience. I love how at Banksia Park Kindergarten has the space for the children to experience and have the opportunity to do some gardening. They read a book based off how a plant grows and then they got to experience planting a tree. It re-enforces what they learned in the story in such a positive and exciting way. It is also wonderful that they have the space for animals, that gives the children the opportunity to learn more about them and have experience taking care of them. It is wonderful to see the children so hands on in all the activities as it created a lot of learning opportunities and experiences.

What I enjoyed about the Tawingo College program is how the program is unstructured and gives the children a lot of outdoor time to play and explore. I like the fact that this program is more open-minded in the sense that the children are given a lot of time to explore what interests them while outside. Another thing that stood out was how the educator mention how she does not rush the children just to meet a schedule and check off that something was done. It is definitely based on the interests and needs of the children.

I found this Farm and Forest school in Cambridge Ontario, that is similar to these programs.  https://farmandforestschool.ca/#our-site

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Cambridge Farm & Forest School - The Cambridge Farm and Forest School is a not-for-profit organization, an Ontario private school (BSID#886571), and certified Forest School that provides alternative education and programming to children, families, and school groups on a privately owned 150-acre farm and forest.

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The Cambridge Farm and Forest School is a not-for-profit organization, an Ontario private school (BSID#886571), and certified Forest School that provides alternative education and programming to children, families, and school groups on a privately owned 150-acre farm and forest.

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Challenge Task A
While both programs highlight active participation and direct experiences in appreciation to the worlds natural materials, they also show contrasting ideas on intentional play.

Starting with Banksia Park, the video begins with various learning areas including the garden, a pond for bugs & lizards as well as the "bug motel". These components come together upon children's interests and build a sense of culture where everyone participates within a sustainable environment. This form of intentional play is encouraged alongside an educator which enhances this through connections with the community. Using developmental milestones in numeracy, reading and writing as well as fine/motor development, natural resources continuously undergo the reduce, reuse, and recycle process with a goal of maintaining resources for as long as possible. Reflecting on this program, I enjoyed seeing the concept of reusing plastics as well as utilizing food scraps to help grow their garden. I can see how these connections of minimal waste can develop an environmental awareness and commitment to respect the value of natural materials with friends and family.

Next, Tawingo college takes a similar approach to learning about the community through direct experience in a natural and nurturing setting while in contrast with Banksia park, focuses on independent learning and exploration in a vast environment with a scarce amount of natural material. In assurance that developmental milestones are reached the program relies on ongoing observation and curiosities children encounter throughout the day. During long durations of long, open-ended play, the educator extends learning through the children's curiosity and wonder in appreciation to the environment. What I enjoyed in this program involved the vision that children learn through their natural curiosity to explore their surroundings. As they utilize natural materials, they grow more confident engaging in risky play alongside peers and seeing the impact of nature in their daily lives.

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Banksia Park & Tawingo College.  Lisa Ruggiero

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Banksia Park & Tawingo College.  Lisa Ruggiero

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There are several similarities between Banksia Park Kindergarten and Tawingo College. Children in both settings are given daily opportunities to connect with nature which both foster respect for the environment. In the scopes of both surroundings the outdoor environment provides opportunities for awareness, exploration, problem solving, thinking, growth in confidence and independence, and prompts natural wonder. The two programs considered together, allow for connections to be made at home where the learning can be shared and continued with family.

The difference I find between the Banksia and Tawingo programs is that sustainability is included in the immersion of natural exploration at only one program, Banksia Park Kindergarten.  Trees are planted, not just played beneath, insects and animals are used to sustain their environment, not just observed, and the entire curriculum at Banksia Park Kindergarten ensures all aspects of living and learning in their program are reflective of sustainability, right down to what they eat and drink. I also noticed that there was more family and community involvement in the Banksia school than at Tawingo.

Both programs foster connection to nature.  I really liked that students at the Banksia school had opportunities to enjoy the fruits of their labour by making lemonade from the lemons they grew, and then were able to continue the cycle by composting peels, and using the compost to grow new trees.  At Tawingo I appreciated the unstructured time provided to the students for exploration of their natural world. Even with intentional teaching considered, the children were guiding the learning without time restraints.

It is very clear in both settings that "a nature-based learning experience provides an understanding and appreciation of the natural environment, knowledge of how systems interlink and how we affect our surroundings. By spending time in the environment using it to play and learn effects us at a deep level." (https://hand-in-handeducation.com/what-is-nature-education/)

Lisa Ruggiero

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After viewing both videos it is clear that both programs offer a very engaging outdoor natural program. It is evident that both program allow the children to explore nature while understanding the need to take care of, and respecting our natural environment. Both these programs allow children to be confident in their abilities as well as independent. While these two programs are similar in delivering the concept of valuing our natural environment they are different in there approach. I felt that Banksia Park offered a program with experiences related to agriculture. It allowed the children to see how we can care for ourselves and the environment we live in by showing the children how to maintain our environment and its benefits to the well being of people. Seeing the children plant a tree and understanding the concept that it can provide resources for us just like the lemons from the lemon tress as well as care for the animals that also provide food for us shows the children that when we take care of our environment it becomes a resourceful part of our life. What stood out most for me with this program was the engagement within the community and the understanding that the teaching throughout the day at Banksia are teaching that are taught in all aspects of our life. Tawingo College seems to be a program where the children have more of an opportunity to engage with the outdoors. While it also teaches the children about respecting nature it allows them to explore it through play. When outdoors the children seemed to find their own sticks and everyone was able to find one because there is no limit to resources. I found this program offered more opportunity for each child to be successful with tasks like getting dressed because the children were able to do it at their own pace. I understand how scheduling can be difficult because meeting the benchmark for the next grade offer challenges in itself as well as when weather plays a role making it difficult to explore. I like how both program operate with the intention of offering valuable lessons about respecting our communities and environments although both programs deliver their ideas differently.

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Here are the similarities between the Bankisa Park Kindergarten and Tawingo College:

The educators are mindful in their practices. For example, Petra from Tawingo College admits that time is a challenge. The transition to go outdoors is a challenge as she feels the need to rush them. However, she states that she "tries consciously to not rush them" because she wants the children to be independent and follow an unstructured schedule.

Both programs have a strong "sustainability culture". The commitment to practice sustainability runs through all age groups. Each age group has an opportunity to have a deeper connection with nature and engage in sustainability outside the classroom by sharing knowledge with their families.

Both programs are following one of the guiding principles of early childhood education for sustainability: experiential learning. The children are engaged in the learning process and are continuously reflecting on their experience.

Here are the differences between the Bankisa Park Kindergarten and Tawingo College:

Elspeth, the director of Banksia Park Kindergarten, highlights that sustainability is their program. Subjects like math and literacy is incorporated into their sustainability practices everyday. The children can exercise, for example, their numeracy skills by counting the amount of eggs in a basket.

For the children at Tawingo College, the forest is their classroom. The educator guides the children to a space where they can freely express themselves and come across some challenges, like walking on uneven grounds or climbing hills. The children learn to solve their own problems and give each other support to overcome obstacles.

The children at the Banksia Park Kindergarten are exposed to more wildlife than children at Tawingo College. The children can feed chickens and see lizards crawling into a bowl of water. There seems to be a greater connection between children and animals.

Here are my thoughts on each program:

The idea of sustainability as a program is insightful. Before watching the Banksia Park Kindergarten video, I thought sustainability is something extra you can do to enrich children's relationship to the environment. However, the educators at the kindergarten prove that you can incorporate all learning subjects through sustainable practices.

I admire the forest space at Tawingo College. It definitely gives children freedom to, for example, sing loudly and provides a space to challenge their physical capabilities, like climbing a tree.

Unfortunately, I do not know a childcare centre that has a sustainability or outdoor program.

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Similarities:
I noticed how both of the programs' philosophies we're similar which is to foster an appreciation for the natural world through active participation; both programs also stated how this learning carries over to the child's home life and encourages their families to partake in sustainable practices

I also noticed how children often worked together to achieve common goals within the space provided to them; in Banksia the children worked together to plant a tree with each child having a different role; in Tawingo, the children we're there to encourage and assist their playmates with challenging tasks (Climbing up hills)

Finally, I also took note of how each program integrated nature and concepts of sustainability into most or all of their learning stations; In Banksia the literacy area had books and charts about the life cycle of plants; in Tawingo one area had an idea tree where children could ask questions they had about the environment

Differences:

The first thing I noticed that was different was the environment of each centre; Banksia did have a few man made structures in it, like a small chicken coop and swing set, while for Tawingo, the playground is the forest area

Another difference I saw was the types of equipment that were used in each program; Banksia did have toys for children to play with both inside (Frog puppet and books) and outside (Pretend kitchen ware and swing set) I also noticed how they used technology within their curriculum. While Tawingo encouraged children to be creative and use what was in the environment as their toys (Sticks and rocks, snow mounds, etc)

1 thing I liked about each centre

Banksia: I liked how Banksia taught children about the concept of reusing materials for other things; I saw how they used butter containers as holders for plants and how the old kitchen sink could be used for outdoor play; I also liked the idea of how children we're caring for animals at the centre as well. I feel like this is important for fostering children's awareness for other living creatures and seeing how they have needs as well

Tawingo: I loved the idea tree used in the Tawingo childcare centre; This encourages children to go beyond just what they're seeing and to ask more questions about their environment; this can lead to more engagement amongst the children and raise even more questions which can help us build better curriculums and activities for them. I also like how this program was able to bond the children together via challenging tasks; when child is struggling, instead of just watching, another child helps. I feel like this is important since it teaches kids that it's okay to ask for help from our peers and it is important to help others too.

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Kyla Beck- Banksia Park and Tawingo College

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Kyla Beck- Banksia Park and Tawingo College

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Similarities:

There were a few similarities I noticed between the two programs. One similarity I noticed was that both programs focused on Kindergarten and the kindergarten age group. Both programs also focused on outdoor education and how we can teach children about the natural world around us. I noticed that both programs focused on letting the children be independent and explore their interests as they pleased. Both programs allowed the children to take risks and have access to natural materials 24/7 which is so important for outdoor education.  Both programs provide the benefits and challenges of outdoor education. The programs allowed the children to work on their physical, cognitive, communication, social and emotional development. I saw many connecting ideas within both videos.

Differences:

There were a few differences between the programs which made each one unique and special. The Banksia program had elements that Tawingo did not. In the Banksia program children were able to engage in activities including animal feeding, composting and gardening. The educators were engaged and asking inquiry based questions as well as knowledge based questions to support the children’s learning/development. The Tawingo program seemed to let the children be more independent and navigate the outdoors on their own. The Tawingo program allowed the children to take risks and use their independence to solve problems. The Tawingo program focused on learning outside for the majority of the day whereas the Banksia program split their time between indoor and outdoor education. Both program differences make them unique and they each have their own benefits for children.

I really loved how the Banksia program allowed the children to be independent while still challenging them. For example, a young boy asked to help get the eggs. The boy was independent in asking the educator what he wanted and she supported him in the experience. While the young boy and another girl were holding the eggs the educator asked how many they had. The educator was challenging their cognitive development and math skills within the learning experience of retrieving the eggs. I really enjoyed this approach in the Banksia program.

I loved that the Tawingo program challenges the children's fears. As they allow the children to independently explore they become more aware of the environment and are more comfortable with different tasks/activities. The children begin to be afraid to try new things and are constantly asking for help with things they are scared to do. The children start thinking they are not capable of many things. I loved that as the program allowed them to explore and gain a sense of the materials, the children became less scared and more confident in their abilities. The Tawingo program is really great at supporting risky play and experimentation.

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When comparing the Banksia and Tawingo programs from the previous videos, it is evident that both schools encourage the children to be independent and to explore their environments in their own ways. Another comparison between these two programs is the usage of natural materials and loose parts for play and exploration. Both programs encourage the children to get hands-on involved in their learning and to take charge of what they want to be doing.

When contrasting the Banksia & Tawingo programs, the biggest difference between the two is that the Banksia program is more focused on teaching the children about sustainability in their environment while the Tawingo program is more focused on having the children immersed in nature. The Banksia program encourages the children to reduce, reuse and recycle almost everything they use; rain water, composting, etc. The Tawingo program focuses less on the 3 Rs and focuses more on the children just being out in their environment. Another difference between the two programs is that the Banksia program includes a blend of indoor and outdoor learning whereas the Tawingo program incorporates as much outdoor learning as possible.

The aspect that I appreciated most from the Banksia program was the involvement of the children in caring for the garden and the animals. I think this creates endless opportunities for the children to learn about responsibility for others and their environment.
The aspect that I appreciated most from the Tawingo program was the opportunities for risky play when outdoors. I think this allows for the children to fully explore their environments while also gaining self confidence!

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The two programs both have similarities and differences represented in the videos.  Each program has a unique way of including and teaching sustainability.

Similarities

-          Both programs have created an atmosphere where the children are engaging in outdoor play.  The educators allow children to interact with the environment without limitation.

-          Another similarity represented in both programs is independence.  In both programs the educators seem to be teaching and allowing the children to be independent in engaging with the environment.  The Tawingo program, the children are encouraged to walk through the community discovering the environment. In the Banksia program, the children are encouraged to take care of the animals and plants in their garden.

Differences

-          The Tawingo program seems to be emphasizing their teaching style on sustainability by allowing the children to spend more time outdoors rather than indoors.  The educators encourage and teach the children to engage in surroundings.  The children use the environment as their materials and equipment to play.

-          The Banksia program created an environment within the centre, this includes the garden and the “farm”.  The educators gear their teaching towards learning about the environment and ways for sustainability.  This is done outdoor and indoors, using materials and nature itself.

What I liked about the Tawingo program is the time management.  I like how the educators allow the children to independently dress themselves.  It’s good to see that the children don’t have a restricted time frame to get ready.

What I liked about the Banksia program is the use of nature’s material to teach sustainability.  I like how they use visual and hands on learning. The educators uses books to educate the children on different ways to be sustainable and then go outside perform those visuals.

I really like how both programs promote and educate our future children on keeping our earth sustainable.

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Both Banksia Park and Tawingo College had similar views on using nature and our natural environment to nurture children's learning. Each program focused on children gaining a respect for the environment as well as strong independence in themselves. Both programs reminded me of the structure of How Does Learning Happen? when it comes to basing the programming off of the children's interests and allowing the children to be leaders in their own learning experiences. Banksia Park, similar to Tawingo College had nature at the forefront of their education, but also had animals like chickens and fish involved in the structure of learning about the environment. This allows the children to take responsibility in well-being and care for others by feeding the fish, and taking care of the chickens. Being exposed to animals as well allows children to gain a better understanding of not only the environment, but other beings within the environment. Tawingo College shared a focus on building individual skills in the children such as dressing themselves, by giving them time to do things on their own without rushing. The idea of using nature as a guide in the children's learning at Banksia Park and Tawingo College remind me of Maria Montessori's theory in Montessori schools. I used to work at a Montessori school in a toddler room program and the philosophy and the materials in the rooms would strongly encourage independence in the children. The children learned various life skills with learning presented in an engaging way that was based off of their interests. The children would advance at their own pace without being rushed, and the natural outdoor environment was a large factor in the Montessori program. Risk play in the outdoors was a key component in part of the children's learning process. I strongly believe that exposing children to the natural environment, and allowing them to be leaders in their exploration of the outdoors benefits children's learning, their well-being, and sense of belonging in our community and world on a global scale.

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I enjoyed watching both videos. I have always been intrigued and fascinated with outdoor classrooms.  Similarities that I found within both programs are:
- They both provide majority of their learning outdoors
- There is evidence of "risky" play such as climbing trees, using tools and rough and tumble play.
- There is the opportunity to explore children's natural curiosity.
- Inquiry based learning.
- Promotes independence and self confidence.
The difference that I noticed in both programs is that while Tawingo College provides the opportunity to make positive connections with nature and outdoors by being outside majority of the time, Banksia Park promotes taking care of the earth and environment. The children are taught to be self sufficient through gardening, taking care of animals, recycling and composting.
One thing that I liked about Tawingo College is when the teacher mentioned the importance of allowing children to be independent when it comes to getting dressed. Although we always have an agenda and a schedule we like to follow, promoting independence in children is very important. I love how Banksia Park teaches stewardship and taking care of our environment. As a First Nations person, I think it is important to teach our children to care for Mother Earth and that all things should be respected.

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I think these two programs were  similar in their program delivery. Both focus on sustainability, immersing children in the world around them while allowing children to learn authentically & holistic items in a natural environment.

Although similar in their practises, they have different ways of attaining sustainability with the land and resources around them.

Banksia Park incorporates their sustainability practises into each facet of their program. They utilize chickens they raise for eggs and lemons they grow for juice/lemonade, for example. This is a practise that allows for an environmentally friendly way to provide for the needs of their program, but also remain in harmony with the resources around the area. Using the food that they grow partly eliminates the need for purchasing outside items, which in turn works to eliminate pollution.

Tawingo uses the outdoors as a learning space for children, eliminating the need for an excessive amount of materials being purchased & used. In the video children were seen playing on snow banks, using branches as open-ended materials and exploring the terrain with their educators. Tawingo was less structured than Banksia's program. As Petra mentioned, they strive to give children the opportunity to learn & take the time to work through basic tasks without rushing them.  It seemed to be more explorative & child led as well.

Both programs will have long term impacts on the environment and sustainability efforts in the future. The children involved in both programs will have the confidence, knowledge and understanding of the importance of nature and the environment and how to care for it.

Someone I know has a child that attends this school: https://www.wildpathschool.com/ It's located in Neustadt (near Durham/Hanover). This program has options for full-week programs or Friday's only. Very interesting!

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Wild Path Forest School is dedicated to fostering deep connection between children and the natural world.

Through play and exploration in forests, fields, and gardens children develop confidence, resilience and a sense of wonder. Experienced mentors support children in their exploration and extend their learning by providing resources and encouraging inquiry.

Development of connection, caring, and ecological awareness empowers children to become stewards of the natural environment.

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Wild Path Forest School is dedicated to fostering deep connection between children and the natural world. Through play and exploration in forests, fields, and gardens children develop confidence, resilience and a sense of wonder. Experienced mentors support children in their exploration and extend their learning by providing resources and encouraging inquiry.

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Task A
Similarities:
The similarities I found in both programs are that they both teach the children/the children are mainly learning in a outdoor environment. The children all seem to gain a love and respect for nature. Both of the programs have the children using natural materials for play and exploration. Lastly, all the children are gaining the important development of independence, confidence, and empathy skills.

Differences:
I believe that the Banksia program focusses more on how to care for the environment (planting, recycling, reusing materials etc.), and specific life skills. It goes into depth on many different sustainability topics. I think that this program has the children and educators working more as a team to see what they can achieve together. The other program in the second video seemed more focused on spending time to explore nature and what it has to offer. The second program seemed to allow the children to discover things more independently and use their imagination.

1 idea I liked from each program
Banksia:
The children were given many opportunities and shown different skills that they may not be able to learn in their home environment. They interacted with different animals and got to use materials that they possibly would not of had the chance to outside of this program.

Tawingo College:
The children were trusted and encouraged to explore on their own. Their skills and learning was never underestimated. I believe this program pushed them to really use their imagination, be independent, and take risks within nature.

Both programs are amazing for teaching children about sustainability and caring for the environment!

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Challenge Task A:

Similarities:

·      Both videos take place outdoors and aim to connect students with their environment.

·      Through the numerous activities that were carried out, the students in both videos achieve a deeper level of respect for the outdoor environment.

·      In both videos, the students explore their senses in more than one way to become in touch with their surroundings.

Differences:

·      Banksia Park places the students in a warm environment, while Tawingo has more of a winter setting.

·      While Tawingo has a less rigid structure and allowed the students to explore as they please, Banksia Park was more focused on particular topics such as sustainability and real-life skills.

One thing I really liked about the Banksia Park program was how deep sustainability was emphasized to the children. It was great to see how they were already concerned about throwing their trash into the right bin from such a young age. It was also rather impressive how they were able to tie in components such as numeracy and literacy into their daily routine while still teaching the children about how to treat their environment.

At Twingo, it was amazing to see the kids be given the freedom to explore in whatever way they desired. A lack of limitations meant that the kids were free to discover whatever it was they were curious about. I personally find that kids thrive when they are put in open-ended environments with no time limits to focus on their interests and build up their own sense of self-confidence.

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Similarities/ Differences

I noticed both had a focus towards nature and allowing the children to be immersed in all that the outdoors had to offer. In regards to their differences, the opportunities at The Banksia school allowed children to be hands on and understand how to use the materials in their environment to the fullest capacity. Teaching them all the ways they can plant, grow and reuse materials etc. Whereas at Tawingo seems focus's more on the play aspect and allowing children to explore play in an outdoor environment.

Banksia:
One thing I really loved watching was how involved and genuinely interested the children seemed with wanting to be hands on during each activity. I loved that this school had so many thought out environmental plans that made it incredibly easy for the children to understand and feel involved in. I love that this program teaches children some basic knowledge when it comes to sustainability and the ability to reuse materials such as the rain water and growing their own lemons, then being able to see the product of their hard work by making lemonade.

Twaingo:

I love the outdoor play aspect this school prioritizes. It is teaching children to be fearless and to go out of their comfort zone, which I think is incredibly important. The children are learning so much about themselves, about nature and improving their physical movement as well by exploring and playing in the outdoors. As was mentioned in the video, the fact that there's no "limit" to the resources that the children can uses to find fun in so neat. There's no augments over who gets the last of a certain toy, because in the outdoor area they're in, there's endless resources for the children to choose from

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Wow, what rich valuable programs these two schools are providing their children. They are doing an incredible job of using the land and teaching children in the early years the importance of caring for our land while providing them a student led learning environment focused in a natural setting. I feel that while these two programs differ in a few ways, both are teaching the children the importance of sustainability and caring for our environment and using our natural resources around us. Banksia seemed to have a bit more of a structured focus surrounding sustainability with their environmental management plans and community sustainability pledges. They had recycling programs running and focused a lot on life skills surrounding nature like caring for live animals, planting and harvesting food, and recycling/composting. Tawingo’s focused seemed to be more focused on teaching children how to explore and discover in the natural environment around them. I think Tawingo had a bigger focus on providing the children with rich uninterrupted and unstructured blocks of time to explore and inquire in the outdoor environment around them.

I really liked how Banksia had such a big focus on sustainable practice’s and had a strong focus on community involvement. I think it is so important in the early years to involve families and communities in a child’s learning. If parent’s are committed to supporting and being involved in their child’s learning, then there is always more growth and success for those children. In a world where we are facing so many challenges such as global warming, there isn't a better time to be teaching our littlest learners the importance of sustainability.

A program similar to Tawingo’s outdoor learning program near me is Dogwood Acres Forest School. The link is:

https://www.dogwoodacresfs.ca/home

It is so fulfilling to see so many new forest schools and outdoor learning programs popping up in our local community. I feel like there is no better environment for a child to learn in than our own natural settings. Like the educator said in the Tawingo video, I also feel a pull between providing children with that valuable uninterrupted play time they need while meeting provincial bench marks or admin expectations to get the children “academically” ready for Gr. 1.

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Though each video is unique in their own ways with their own philosophy, there were many similarities observed. One similarity that stood out most to me was that both programs had a large focus on the outdoors, nature and the environment. The programs allowed the children to participate in play-based learning and explore each child’s interests and real-life situations which as mentioned can be hard to come by in certain programs. Allowing the children to explore their independence was a common theme.

-        Banksia Park

What I enjoyed about this program was that the educators put trust in the children to complete tasks that may be difficult for a child. For example, handling eggs and other fragile materials. For many programs the simpler the better so to see this is a breath of fresh air

-  Twaingo Outdoor

This program has more of a focus on nature and their environment. This program appeared to be a little more flexible as they were opened to participate outside even though it may be raining or snowy.

Although I was unable to locate a specific school or program, I have heard of programs where children nap outside in the winter to strengthen their immune systems. This was something that blew me away at first glimpse, but as I learned more about it, my interest grew. Below is a link that talks a little bit more of this.

https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-21537988

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After viewing both videos on Banksia Park Kindergarten and Tawingo College, I have seen the importance of outdoor play and experiences in early childhood education programs.

Similarities I noticed between the two programs was their philosophy on the importance of outdoor play and the effects it can have on children, the way they utilize outdoor play and the space in their environment, and they both have a similar goal to connect children to the environment.
One difference I noticed about the two programs was at Banksia Park, they have a bigger emphasis on sustainability in the environment and how to use resources outside for play; whereas Tawingo College is more focused on the outdoors, nature, and risky play. Another difference is Banksia Park Kindergarten is within a certain range with some fences and paths with buildings whereas Tawingo College is more open space and within the woods.

One thing I found interesting about Banksia Park Kindergarten was that they have lemon trees, a garden of produce and chickens that produce eggs. I like the idea that they are making their food for the children within their environment and being sustainable.

One thing I found interesting about Tawingo College was their view on the outdoor space and play. They mentioned there is no lack of resources or toys outside; this made me stop and think about how many times a child has come up to me upset that they cannot have a turn with a toy. I find their view on letting the children use nature and their imagination for play amazing for children's development.

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Difference: After learning about both programs a difference that I have discovered is that one appears to be more structured while one appears to have a more open ended approach. The Banksia program appears to have more of a set schedule and list of activities that the children participate in during and throughout the day such as egg collecting, plant watering, etc. The Tawingo program shows that when creating the flow of the day this program tends to eliminate pre planed activities or time frames and follows the children's lead.

Similarity: A large similarity that I have found to be shared between both programs is the goal to foster inquiry based learning. Both the Banksia and Tawingo programs allow the children to explore their natural inquires both independently and collaboratively through allowing the children to form and act upon their natural curiosity and questions regarding the world around them. The children are given the opportunity to act upon their interests in a way that allows them to problem solve, learn fine and gross motor skills, and much much more.

Video #1: One aspect of this program that I really enjoyed hearing about is that due to the fact that the children are being introduced to the ways of sustainable thinking at such a young age that it is positively setting them up for a life long future in respecting and caring for our environment with a sustainable mindset.

Video 2: One aspect of this program that I really enjoyed hearing about is that the children's frequent exposure to many different outdoor turains and climates has resulted in a rise of the children's overall confidence and independence when participating in tasks and exploring the environment around them.

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Similarities

About the two schools, they have the same interest characteristics: contact with nature, outdoor activities. Both enable children to acquire more cognition in learning and playing. Both programs offer children a chance to learning and feeling nature. Children will paint nature according to their perception

Differences

Banksia Park Kindergarten’s program is working on learning and playing. Their focus is on learning. Through the teacher's early guidance, the children have a preliminary understanding of nature.  Then the child learns more about nature through play and communication.

Tawingo’s program is working on playing and learning. Their focus is on playing. In the process of education, educators will not have much intervention and guidance.  It encourages children to acquire knowledge themselves and then sharing their newfound skills or cognition with others. It will be a recognition and validation for the children.

I am working with Today’s Family Early Learning Child Care-Greendale location. This location is a fusion of these two programs. According to the age of the child, this is modified accordingly. There are two gardens, a playground, and a greenspace. Every room possesses a spot in the garden. Playground: Wooden slides and steps provide children with maximizing sensory experiences. With the only goldfish in the classroom for health safety. Preschooler classroom named a squirrel 'Johnny'

Playground link: https://www.earthscapeplay.com/project/todays-family-early-learning-child-care-natural-playground-greendale/

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I really enjoyed both of these videos. I actually find there are more differences between these programs than similarities, at least from what I gather from the videos.

Similarities
- outdoors are a huge component of the program
- sustainable practices, high degree of nature involved in program
-encourage/allow risk play

Differences
- seasons/weather due to location of schools
-Banksia Park is an enclosed area vs Tawingo is wide open space
-Banksia park had more tasks to complete ie: water the plants vs Tawingo  a lot of unstructured play
-Banksia teaches sustainability practices vs Tawingo uses nature and how it impacts children

My favourite aspect from Banksia is the rainwater collection. It is a step above in becoming sustainable. So much more than just growing a plant to eat the product. Actually collecting and using rainwater for multiple uses (crops, animals, play) is awesome.

My favourite aspect from Tawingo is how the resources for the children are so readily available. There is little to no limit. If they want to play with sticks they can go find sticks.

ForestKids in Nova Scotia is a program I enjoy following.
https://www.facebook.com/ForestKidsCanada
This program is amazing. My favourite activity/post they have shared is the children asleep in hammocks. And at the end of nap time it had snowed and they were covered in a soft blanket of snow!
Amazing.

Oh also a thought - both of the programs in the videos had "natural" playgrounds. We have some of these here that we call natural but are still man made and shaped. Tawingo was in pure untouched nature for their playground. Very different from wooden logs and play structures(which are lovely too!)

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These videos are always so interesting to myself as i love seeing the difference and similarities as children learn, grown and develop new concepts. Both of them were very absorbing, with an increasing amount of new and old knowledge.
Similarities:
- Both school had areas for the children to engage in risk taking
- Each child has a variety of examples to practice their independency skills.
- "sustainable culture" is present in each school in a very clear way, whether that is with nature, each other, the environment there is always an opportunity to increase that mindset for each child.
- All of the educators want the best for the children and they give pure examples of how passionate they are about what the goal of development and learning is.

Differences
- Watching each video I had the impression that Banksia park was focusing on the aspect of developing the children into learning about life. They participated in collecting food, growing trees, making the lemonade etc. Where as Tawingo was very strong and passionate on the more of the nature and environment and growing the children with that area.
- Tawingo, spends most of their learning time outdoors, were they are are exploring the nature and environment.
- Banksia spends their learning time both indoors and outdoors which is different from Tawingo
- Tawingo is more based on the outdoor environment where as Banksia adds in more of the literacy and numeracy into their developing of the children.

Something that really stood out to me that i enjoy was at the Banksia program involved animals, crops, garden areas, etc. into the learning. I think it is very important for the children to learn "life duties" at a young age. This will allow the children to grow older and see how important it was learning at early years how many opportunities are given based on the little things they learned. I loved the idea Tawingo gave the children the freedom that they deserve, i think that alone sets a variety of examples for the children and can be used in multiple aspects of life as well. The idea of independence will allow the children to develop in many different categories as the grow older and older.

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After watching these videos, I felt inspired by what they are doing in their programs. I am very enthusiastic about nature and taking care of the earth. I could always do more, but we all have to start somewhere and seeing what other schools are doing is a great way to learn.

I noticed that although the philosophies of both schools were similar in that they wanted the children to spend time outside and in nature, I saw that the first school focused on animals, recycling, and conserving materials. The second school seemed to focus on spending time outside to gain an appreciation for the world around us.

One thing I liked about Banksia Park Kindergarten was that they didn’t view sustainable practises as special or extra. They built these practices into their everyday lives. They included learning math skills while gathering eggs from the chickens. They talked about the growing cycle by planting a real tree and they learned how to separate and sort recycling materials from their lunches. I loved how all these practices were expected from the children and they seemed to really know them.

One thing I appreciated about Tawingo College was that the teacher talked about balancing the learning goals that she had, with the desires of the children. She also talked about wanting the children to learn to be independent and one way she did this was by not rushing them while they were getting dressed. She talked about how this was an important learning opportunity for the children. I really appreciate this.

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I feel that both programs talk about how important outdoor education is for children. However, both programs have a different approach to how they will facilitate their program to ensure that children are learning about the environment. In the video education to sustainability talks about a more teacher-oriented program in which we can see that children are planting, and the teachers are educating the children on how to plant, the teacher proceeds to show children how to pick off lemons and create a recipe for lemonade. In the other video the outdoor nature approach program shows to be more student oriented and how they are allowing children to discover the outdoors, and its more spontaneous for the children to discover and learn through play. The teacher proposed that the children were more connected, independent and were able to help another through this learning process.

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I truly was in amazement watching both of these videos and learning how each program is committed to, learning to respect, admire and live in harmony with our environment.

I am going to bring a few of these concepts into the centre where I am currently working as all our programs would benefit from more outdoor activities.

Similarities

They started off small with an idea / initiative and have been on a journey ever since, growing their programs.
What stood out to me was how each program valued and were committed to their community. After children participated in many activities throughout the day, they went home to share their ideas and findings with their families, Banksia even passed out a survey for both the children and their parents.

Both Banksia Park and Tawingo College made efforts not only to connect children with nature but to connect children with their educators, peers and families, which was inspiring.
The educators in each video showcased caring adults respecting nature which lead to the children caring for their environment.

At each location children gained confidence, independence and made so many achievements.
When children are able to study their environment with hands on activities they are able to protect it.

Differences

Each program are unique in their own ways.

Banksia Park had more focus on activities such as feeding the animals, counting their eggs, planting trees, collecting rainwater and composting.
Tawingo College used less materials and resources while allowing children to find their own sense of space and having no limits to the sticks they were playing with.

There is also a difference in the delivery of their daily schedule, Banksia is more structured while Tawingo is more relaxed.

Overall, each location respects mother nature, provides challenges for children to overcome, meets each child’s interests and fosters an appreciation for the environment.

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Similarities between Banksia Park Kindergarten and Tawingo College are that both program are invested in immersing children into nature and teaching children how to love and care for the outdoors. To add, both sites also discussed following an inquiry based program.

Difference between the programs are Banksia Park Kindergarten seemed to be focused on teaching the children about sustainability. They do this by having animals and plants for the children to grow, feed, and take care of. Although Tawingo College also has a focus on the natural environment, it appears the focus is more on getting the children to love being outdoors and connecting to nature through play and exploration.

I love the philosophy surrounding outdoor education programs. Specifically I love that Banksia Park had animals and plants in their program, I can see the value this brings with rich learning about how to care for all elements of nature and sustainability. I also liked how Tawingo College gives children the time needed for routines without limits. Often we see these transitions being rushed, I think allowing for the time for children to transition without being rushed adds more value to these times of the day.

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Helen Idiake

Challenge Task 1

Similarities

Both Banksia Park Kindergarten and Tawingo College programs are exposing children to the importance of environment, allowing them to connect with their environment, discover and appreciate/value nature. They provide children with enough natural spaces to wonder, explore and experiment with nature for sustainability as they engage and have fun.

Differences

I think Banksia Park Kindergarten program seem to be allowing children to experiment with things, animals and food in the environment. There seem to be more intentional hands-on teaching within the natural space. The children seem to be gaining knowledge with all their senses for example producing the lemon juice and having to taste it.

On the other hand, children of Tawingo College seem to enjoy the serenity of openness of the large space, allow children to wonder and explore the environment and connect with nature. The children playing snow angels and engaging in physical walk.

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I really enjoyed watching these two videos and found that they were both unique and different in their own way, but also very similar in their means of wanting to foster outdoor play as a major component of their curriculum.

I feel that many more classrooms should adapt this curriculum as it has many great added benefits to the children.

In terms of similarity, they both seemed to share the common goal of wanting to embrace our beautiful earth, and what it has in it to offer and wanted to embed this into the children’s heart and mind.
They also both appeared to really want to help the children understand how to persevere in an outdoor setting, which is very impressive to see.
However, they were both different in their own way as well.

I feel as if Banksia Park was a little more structured. They wanted to teach the children the importance of using our Earths resources, and learn how to live a green way of life. They taught children how to re-use many things more than once in their lifetime and how to save our planet while being able to explore in it. Examples were, they taught them to compost their food so they can use it to grow new food in the garden, or to use rain water to plant their crops or even when they showed the children taht they can use a “used sink” more than once or for other uses other than just send it to the garbage.

Whereas, Tawingo, was more of a spacial exploration with endless possibilities and freedom.
They wanted to instil the inner peace that comes with being calm and at peace within the outdoor experience, and an example of this was when the teacher mentioned that she did not rush them to get ready nor did she restrain them from their spatial boundaries.

I have attached a picture obtained from the Facebook page of one daycare that I am not personally familiar with but have friends that had children attend that daycare was, at Kindertown in Stoney Creek ,Ontario.
The owner there has actually created a garden that the children grow their own vegetables, pick them and eat them too.
It’s pretty neat to see that daycares are adapting this and allowing children to start fostering a healthy lifestyle from a young age.

*Copy right: Kindertown Childcare Centre, Facebook, 2021)*

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Based on these two videos, the authors share the different schools and their teaching curriculum. Watching these two videos makes me want to join in their activities with the children and educators. With the tremendous interest in the two schools' learning resources, I find some similarities and differences between these two centers.
similar:
They are focus on the outdoor activities with the children and let the children explore the nature as a volunteer. The educators provide meaningful learning resources outdoors and keep in mind to make a safe learning environment for the children. The children could get close to nature, plants, fresh air, soil, sand, insect, wind, snow, and the sun during these learning environments. This learning process could make the children love the land and the planet. They will also learn to care for nature and share the learning resources and ideas with their classmates and educators.
difference:
-The Banksia park kindergarten focuses on letting the children explore the details of nature, such as plant small trees or touch to the grass and flowers. They also use natural resources to extend their learning interests, such as picking the lemon, making the lemon juice, and sharing.
-In the Tawingo college, they are focus on the outdoor learning environment, get close to nature as a team, and feel the seasons more closely.

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Both programs have the same philosophy when it comes to teaching children. They highlight the importance of teaching children to respect, care and appreciate their environment. They encourage children to take lead when it comes to play and explore based on their curiosity. While educators take a step back and allow them to explore different environments while engaging inquiry. I found that the Tawingo program is less structured when it comes to learning where as the Banlsia is more structured and focuses on learning about the environment.

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The similarities between the two programs are:
- Both are inquiry- based and child lead (based on children interests)
- Both programs are outdoors
- Both programs outcomes are almost the same like building children independence and confidence, their decision making and problem- solving skills.

The difference between them is that the Banksia park program focus more on sustainability and practical life skills, while the tawingo focus more on nature and exploring different outdoor environment.
The idea of the water jug filled with water and informing children how long it should last is the one that got my attention I felt this way they are building the children sense of responsibility and sharing.

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Challenge Task One:

Similarities:
When watching these two videos the main similarity was the involvement of connecting the children with nature. In both schools the idea of allowing children to use outdoors as a way of natural learning was very prevalent. One of the other major similarities was that both centres were child lead and were all about what the children were interested in. Both of these centres really focused on exploration and allowing children time to learn through play.
Differences:
These two centres even though were very similar had a few differences. The main one was that each centre had slightly different goals that they were working towards. For example in the first video they focused on things like maintaining resources, trial and error and taking care of our environment. In the second video they were about promoting confidence and independence within each child. These two things could have been in both centres but just not as much. The other difference was the structure of each centre. In the first video they had day to day things that they needed to accomplish such as collecting eggs or feeding the animals. Where as the other centre allowed children to take there time with things more.

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I really enjoyed watching both videos and it is very interesting to find out the differences and the similarities between these two amazing programs "Tawingo College and Banksia Park". Here are some points of what I noticed;
Similarities:
- Both programs are outdoor learning, children are going outside to explore the world in open spaces.
- Both programs, children are engaged to nature, learned how to care for the environment, connected to each other, helped and supported each other.
Differences:
- Tawingo College is basically focus on playing outdoor freely without fixed schedule. Children are free to explore the nature, ask questions and play in open space with no limit to engage with nature in their activities.
- Banksia Park is more scheduled and fixed on doing tasks everyday such as feeding animals, counting the eggs (numeracy & literacy), planting trees, making fresh juices, and also learning how to use water without wasting it.

I like the program in Banksia Park. It is more structured. Children can learn numeracy and literacy through nature. They can be more confident and independent and have solving problem skills.

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Both  Banksia Park Kindergarten and Kindergarten program at Tawingo College's daily curriculum is based on taking care and explore the environment. Banksia Park Kindergarten is more ECO-friendly. And the kindergarten in Tawingo college is more like a nature school.

I like the program at the kindergarten of Tawingo college. Some research shows us that periods of outdoor activity are beneficial to a child's balance, physical coordination, tactile sensitivity and depth perception. After the children who grew up in nature entered the school, their subject learning ability is also very strong, such as reading, writing, math, social interaction, etc. And these children will be more positive, sunny and confident.

Banksia Park Kindergarten has a unique curriculum about taking care of both environment and the creatures around us.
Teachers lead young children to do ECO activities. In this process, young children can observe the conditions needed for seed growth and development, perceive the relationship between plant growth and the environment, understand the benefits of planting to people, and cultivate a preliminary awareness of environmental protection. At the same time, organize young children to feed small animals. Young children feeding small animals will sprout a kind of love for small animals. Thus we can understand that all sorts of creatures are closely related and further enhance children's awareness of environmental protection.

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Differences and Similarities
I really enjoyed watching the videos of the two programs.  They both teach the children about sustainability, which give the children a greater respect for the world we live in.
What I really liked about Banksia Park Kindergarten was that the children take what they learn at school and bring it home with them.   What they are learning is going full circle and in turn can teach their loved ones at home.  I love that they are already recycling, because that is a huge thing for me.  My grandparents were recycling and composting over 40 years ago, before it was "cool"! :)  I really like how the educator filled up the water jug to "35" and that was all the water the children had for the week. They learn a little bit of math, while learning not to waste water.
I loved Tawingo College and would actually love to work there! I love how the children are immersed in nature right from the start. They are learning about the earth, by being aware of their surroundings and asking questions which in turn makes them want to protect it. I like hearing from the educators that the children get along and have a connection to each other which they believe relates to them feeling connected to the world. Children can be children and have fun playing outside in the dirt, building forts, collecting rocks, etc and can be as loud as they want because they are outside!

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Challenge Task One:

Similarities:
- Outdoors are the main focus and component of the programs
- Children are encouraged to engage in risk play
-Children are taught and encouraged to care for their environment and the people around them
- Lots of space from children to freely explore and express themselves through nature

Differences
- Banksia Park has more of schedule/routine everyday. They focus on having set tasks such as planting trees, feeding animals, collecting rainwater and so on. This approach overall makes Banksia a more structured program.

-Tawingo College has less of schedule and instead, supports spontaneous activities that have endless of possibilities of what the children might learn. Children are encouraged to ask questions, freely explore and are able to independently explore new things.

I really like the ideas of both programs and I can see how they both can benefit children in their own unique ways. I think for some children that really do need that structure and someone to there to help keep the child focused, Banksia would be the better option. Then for children that are more independent and may not need as many reminders Tawingo could really utilize those skills and further the child's learning even more. I personally really like Tawingo's approach a little more just because I can see so many possibilities and i feel like with this program you really are following the children's lead.

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After watching each video I was thinking about how each program is similar but also vastly different.
Some of the similarities of the two videos are:
Both programs are taking place mainly outdoors, the goal with this is to find ways in which the students can find ways to connect with their environment.

Finding ways to build a greater respect for our planet and all it has to offer us. The educators had used different activities to help the students find a deeper connection and understanding of the outdoors.

Each program provides the children with more natural materials to use and explore with. As well as giving children more opportunity to take part in more "risky play" climbing, running, walking, jumping etc.

A few differences between the two:

The Banksia kindergarten program had a greater focus towards teaching children how to be sustainable in the earth, as well as finding ways to teach them how to care for their environment/planet. Some activities were making their own lemonade, learning how to cook, collect eggs from a chicken coup, recycle, catch and use rain water for their gardens and plants.
The Tawingo program had more of a focus towards an outdoor kindergarten experience. The children are outside more frequently and for longer periods of time.

Banksia had a big focus on finding ways to have their sustainability activities link to curriculum such as numeracy and literacy.
Where as when looking at Tawingo I noticed they had more of a child led directive when it comes to literacy and numeracy. It is less structured and focuses more on the children becoming more independent.

Something I enjoyed seeing from the Banksia program was the ways the educators were teaching the children positive life skills and respect for their environment. For myself, when discussing my culture as an Indigenous person we are very land connected and believe that we should all have a great respect for the environment. We also learn different traditions and survival skills from elders as we learn to camp, hunt, fish etc. To continue, with the Tawingo program I rather enjoyed that the program is more child led when it comes to learning, as well as having the children outside majority of the time. I believe that some of the best learning happens outside. Finally, I had enjoyed that the educators provided the children with enough time to do things them self encouraging independence and confidence in the children.

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While watching the videos I found that both programs had the same end goal – teaching children the importance of sustainability. The environment created in both programs allows children to understand the world around them through experience so they may value and respect it.

The Banksia Park program teaches children sustainability through gathering and growing food, as well as caring for animals, reusing food waste, rainwater and composting.

The Tawingo College program teaches children respect by bonding with the earth through play and exploration. Children engage in outdoor time with others as they find a new source of adventure while being interconnected with the earth.

The concept that I liked about both of these programs is that they took on different approaches to teach children environmental sustainability. It’s nice to know that we can each do something different to contribute to the same goal.