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Video: School's Out Lessons from a Forest Kindergarten (36 minutes)

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Video: School's Out Lessons from a Forest Kindergarten (36 minutes)

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School's Out: Lessons from a Forest Kindergarten

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A film by Lisa Molomot and Rona Richter

No classroom for these kindergarteners. In Switzerland's Langnau am Albis, a suburb of Zurich, children 4 to 7 years of age go to kindergarten in the woods every day, no matter what the weather. This eye-opening film follows the forest kindergarten through the seasons of one school year and looks into the important question of what it is that children need at that age. There is laughter, beauty and amazement in the process of finding out.

FOR PERSONAL SCREENING ONLY

REVIEWS:
"Every parent and teacher should see this film."
Dr. Marcy Guddemi, Executive Director of the Gesell Institute of Child Development, CT

"A powerful and beautifully crafted documentary that illuminates who children are, what's important to them, and what should be important to us as educators."
Salvatore Vascellaro, Graduate Faculty, Bank Street College of Education

"This film has touched me profoundly."
Barbara Stern, Early Childhood Education Consultant

"My children and I were riveted, amused, and entertained."
Jolisa Gracewood, author, editor and book reviewer, New Zealand

"School's Out  inspired me to found a forest kindergarten in my public elementary school."
Eliza Hutchinson, kindergarten teacher, VT

"One of the most powerful, paradigm shifting movies for me at this year's festival was School's Out. It dramatically changed what I thought about early childhood education. School's Out has certainly influenced how I will raise my children."
Lisa Tessarowicz, Board President, Rocky Mountain Women's Film Festival

" ... the movie is a provocative jumping-off point for discussion precisely because the schooling it documents seems inconceivable to American parents and educators."
Emily Bazelon, Slate Magazine

"... a really uplifting and inspiring film which challenges us as a society to look at out early education system and to find a way to facilitate this sort of experience for more of our children."
Richard Irvine, Outdoor Learning blog

WATCH MORE:
To watch SCHOOL'S OUT: 5 YEARS LATER, click here: https://vimeo.com/252737209
To watch Lisa Molomot's other films, visit: lisamolomot.com

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In early childhood, learning comes naturally

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Join us at our Spring 2024 Continuing Education Series

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Join us at our Spring 2024 Continuing Education Series

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Early Childhood Education Continuing Education Series

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Check out upcoming continuing education opportunities designed for those working in early childhood education.

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Learn more about Early Childhood Education at WCTC

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Learn more about Early Childhood Education at WCTC

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Gain an understanding of the principles of early childhood education and learn to facilitate young children’s learning and development through classwork and practical experience.

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Regular time outdoors helps children thrive.

But over the past few generations, childhood has moved indoors. On average, today's kids spend up to 44 hours per week in front of a screen, and less than 10 minutes a day playing outdoors. And for too many kids, regular and safe access to nature is determined by race, income, identity, ability and postal code.

We support a global movement of leaders working to turn the trend of an indoor childhood back out to the benefits of nature - and to make sure that all children have equitable access to outdoor spaces where they can learn, play and grow.

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Children and Nature Network is committed to the belief that nature makes kids healthier, happier and smarter. Join us!

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Click Scrapstore Playpods In Action to see our 10 minute film.

We provide a huge range of scrap materials such as cardboard tubes, tyres, lengths of material, netting, ropes, crates and bins which extends the choices and possibilities of play for all children on a regular basis. The unprescriptive nature of these loose parts in combination with children's inventiveness and creativity results in them using the items in endless different ways, enabling all ages, genders and abilities to find ways to play and socialise together. The Scrapstore PlayPods are then topped up with scrap materials on a regular basis.

Within our programme we work with everyone in the school community, offering a complete training process with ongoing support and mentoring, equipping adults to support a quality play environment. This creates long lasting improvements for brilliant play to happen.

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Click Scrapstore Playpods In Action to see our 10 minute film. We provide a huge range of scrap materials such as cardboard tubes, tyres, lengths of material, netting, ropes, crates and bins which extends the choices and possibilities of play for all children on a regular basis.

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Community Playthings: Outdoor Learning Website

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Community Playthings: Outdoor Learning Website

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Weekly postings on the importance of play, classroom design, outdoor learning and more.

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Minnesota Early Childhood Outdoors ECO Website

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Minnesota Early Childhood Outdoors ECO Website

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Jeffers Foundation - Environmental Stewardship Through Education

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MnECO Minnesota Early Childhood Outdoors - Jeffers Foundation

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MnECO Minnesota Early Childhood Outdoors "The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other. Without collaboration our growth is limited to our own perspectives."

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PROGRAMS integrate many multi-year PROJECTS with the aim of achieving higher levels of sustained quality. Projects are typically concentrated, short duration efforts that focus on specific design issues (e.g., design assistance, evaluation, professional development, or policy initiative).

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PROGRAMS integrate many multi-year PROJECTS with the aim of achieving higher levels of sustained quality. Projects are typically concentrated, short duration efforts that focus on specific design issues (e.g., design assistance, evaluation, professional development, or policy initiative).

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We're committed to improving physical activity and nutrition practices in NC child care centers, schools, and homes.

We're committed to providing the best physical activity and nutrition resources and professional development across North Carolina.

We're committed to developing and maintaining strong relationships around childrens health.

Be Active Kids is an award winning, innovative, interactive health program for children ages birth to five is available to adults working in child care centers, child care homes, and schools.

It's evidence-based and evidence-informed messages are carried out through five cuddly and adventurous characters. Using these characters as their guides, children can engage in playful experiences, interact with an story, explore their natural surroundings, and much more.

We are dedicated to improving the health of children ages birth to five.

On this website there are special areas for trainers, childcare providers, teachers, parents, and other community members interested in improving and maintaining the health of young children through appropriate physical activity and nutrition.

Testimonials

Preservice Teachers Learn to Use Be Active Kids in Limited Spaces
I really enjoyed our class meeting. It was interesting to discover that you can do just about anything with children in the classroom where there may not be much space to encourage them to be active. A change that I will make in my own life is to be more active, as well as my daughter. I will share this information with my friends that have children such as yoga animals, or Simon Says.
Cathy Sesta,

Early Childhood Physical Activity Institute
Thank you for inviting me to be part of this year's Institute. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the experience. You're doing amazing work and I hope I'll be able to continue contributing to it a bunch in the future.
Rae Pica,

Plenty of Resources That I Can Use and Share
This class was informative, and I look forward to being physically active with young children. On Friday, I volunteered at a Parents Night Out through my daughter's school. When I got there the kids were watching a movie. I got them up to play Simon Says and Red Light Green Light, however, after that I was stuck on what to do. I wish I had the knowledge I gained from this class, to have made it more exciting.

I enjoyed your Land and Lake Activity.
Venessa Wright,

Be Active Kids Trainers Rock!
I loved the training. I would have loved it more if I had the other teachers from my center there also. I am really looking forward to taking my kit to work and sharing it with my staff. I liked Brittney, she reminded me of myself as far as being very active and motivated. When I am at work with my little ones we stay busy all day. I feel like singing my instructions and dancing my actions helps them to focus better on what I need for them to do. Britney was great and I learned a lot from her. I am always trying to find new little ways to get the kids moving.
Tiffany Daniel,

ECPAI
The Early Childhood Physical Activity Institute was just wonderful! Thank you again for including me in such an important effort to create and sustain leaders in EC physical activity. I would love to return to NC anytime that you think I can help. I enjoyed meeting the folks who work with you and hearing about all of the great things that are planned.
Linda Carson,

Be Active Kids has Much to Offer
Congratulations to you and everyone who has been promoting PA for young
children in NC. You have much to be proud of here. Be Active Kids is an excellent source of ideas for promoting active play in unstructured settings. The Be Active Kids website also has resources on promoting unstructured active play. I encourage folks to review these resources.
Diane Craft,

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Be Active Kids is an award winning, signature program of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation. This innovative, interactive health program for children ages birth to five is available to adults working in child care centers, child care homes, and schools across North Carolina.

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Be Active Kids is an award winning, signature program of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation. This innovative, interactive health program for children ages birth to five is available to adults working in child care centers, child care homes, and schools across North Carolina.

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Pocket Playcards (Also on the BeActive Kids Website)

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Pocket Playcards (Also on the BeActive Kids Website)

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Resources are created, often in collaboration with the Natural Learning Initiative's interdisciplinary partners, to support technical assistance, professional development, and generally to promote the importance of the natural environment in the daily experience of all children. Please use and share.

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Resources are created, often in collaboration with the Natural Learning Initiative's interdisciplinary partners, to support technical assistance, professional development, and generally to promote the importance of the natural environment in the daily experience of all children. Please use and share.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Be Active Kids is an award winning, signature program of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation. This innovative, interactive health program for children ages birth to five is available to adults working in child care centers, child care homes, and schools across North Carolina.

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Benefits of Engaging Children with Nature

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Benefits of Engaging Children with Nature

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NATURALIZING OUTDOOR LEARNING AND PLAY ENVIRONMENTS

The majority of children are in childcare or school for extended periods of time, often eight to ten hours per day, which makes green environment vital to their physical and emotional well-being. Childcare centers and schools with naturalized outdoor environments allow children to have safe, ready-made access to green places and engagement with nature. A wide range of naturalized settings and elements stimulate a diversity of play and learning experiences for children, adding endless value to an outdoor environment.

NATURALIZED SETTINGS AND ELEMENTS

Multi-use lawns

support high-energy group games and the exuberant joy of running - activities that promote cooperation and gross motor development (Figure 5). Lawns provide an ideal space for play with balls and other types of mobile equipment that require a soft surface. Grassy areas can accommodate social gatherings such as story time, and offer a place for simply relaxing.

Gathering places

encourage children to meet and work together in small groups, stimulating social interaction and cooperative relationships. Such spaces can support art-making, storytelling, and science exploration (Figure 6).

Sun protection

is essential for the health and comfort of children outdoors. This can be achieved by installing medium-size trees, large shrubs, arbors, pergolas, tunnels, and trellises. When scattered throughout the play and learning area, they create frequent patches of shade and three-dimensional spaces scaled to children. Vine-covered teepees provide shade and an exciting play space.

Experience of edible landscape

offer an essential introduction to healthy eating. They include annual vegetable gardens and permanent edible landscape elements such as perennial vegetables, fruiting trees, shrubs, and vines. Gardens can be a small, single bed or a large managed garden of 200-300 square feet. Edible landscapes get children excited about eating fresh fruit and vegetables and connect them intimately with nature.

Pathways

promote active, play, and learning by providing children and teachers with easy access throughout the outdoor learning environment. Primary pathways stimulate vigorous activity, while secondary and tertiary pathways provide sensory interest and opportunities to explore (Figures 8 & 9).

Sand and mud play

allow children to move, mold, dig, sift, sculpt, and pour. Sand and mud are classic natural materials that provide a multitude of opportunities for creative play and social interaction (Figure 10).

Water play settings

create multi-sensory play opportunities. Water features allow children to interact with diverse objects, manipulate water flow with movable stones, pour with containers, splash, paint with water, and more. Primary methods of providing water play include elevated water tables (lower) or in-ground, hard-surfaced streams.

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01. Benefits of Engaging Children with Nature

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The majority of children are in childcare or school for extended periods of time, often eight to ten hours per day, which makes green environment vital to their physical and emotional well-being. Childcare centers and schools with naturalized outdoor environments allow children to have safe, ready-made access to green places and engagement with nature.

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Learn More About How to Host a Viewing of Nature Play

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Learn More About How to Host a Viewing of Nature Play

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Top 10 Activity Settings for Outdoor Learning

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Top 10 Activity Settings for Outdoor Learning

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5. MULTI-PURPOSE LAWNS

Multi-purpose lawns support high-energy group games, water play, and the exuberant joy of running - activities that promote cooperation and gross motor development. Lawns provide an ideal space for play with balls and other types of mobile equipment that require a soft surface (Figure 7). Lawns can accommodate social gatherings such as story time and offer a place for simply relaxing. Key considerations include:

6. SAND

Sand provides opportunities to move, mold, dig, sift, sculpt, and pour. It is a classic natural material, providing a multitude of opportunities for creative play and social interaction. Key considerations include:

7. WATER PLAY SETTINGS

Water creates endless, multi-sensory play opportunities. Water features allow children to interact with diverse objects; floating leaves, manipulating water flow with movable stones, pouring with containers, splashing, painting with water, and more (Figure 9). The primary methods of providing water play include elevated water tables or in-ground, hard-surfaced streams. Key considerations include:

8. EDIBLE LANDSCAPES

Edible landscapes include annual vegetable gardens and permanent edible landscape elements such as perennial vegetables, fruiting trees, shrubs, and vines. Gardens can be a small, single bed or a large managed garden of 200-300 square feet. Edible landscapes get children excited about eating fresh fruit and vegetables and connect them intimately with nature. Key considerations include:

9. OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS

All outdoor play and learning programs need a base of operations and storage for play equipment and materials, including wheeled toys, loose parts, and garden tools. Create an outdoor classroom by adding a greenhouse, multipurpose deck, or covered porch to serve as an activity space. Key considerations include:

Location.

Access from primary pathway, as close as possible to settings where play and educational programs are held.

Access.

If contents are accessible to children, they can learn to take initiative, carry out an activity, tidy up and return items when completed.

10. SHADY PLACES

Adequate protection from the sun is essential for the health and comfort of young children outdoors. Key considerations include:

Vegetation.

Use medium-size trees or large shrubs interspersed within existing settings or clustered around a deck to create a shady grove. Install 2½-inch caliper trees to produce sufficient shade in a few years.

Structures.

Arbors, pergolas, tunnels, and trellises scattered throughout the play and learning area create patches of shade and three-dimensional space scaled to young children. Experiment with standard construction elements such as light metal grids and netting to create armatures for vine growth (Figure 14).

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02. Top Ten Activity Settings For Outdoor Learning

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Multi-purpose lawns support high-energy group games, water play, and the exuberant joy of running - activities that promote cooperation and gross motor development. Lawns provide an ideal space for play with balls and other types of mobile equipment that require a soft surface (Figure 7).

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Nature Based Preschool Professional Practice Guidebook

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Nature Based Preschool Professional Practice Guidebook