Forest Kindergarten Research Articles

‘One Nearly Landed On My Finger’: A Forest Kindergarten In Rural New Zealand

‘One Nearly Landed On My Finger’: A Forest Kindergarten In Rural New Zealand

Forest Kindergartens: The Cedarsong Way by Erin K. Kenny

 2014 Children, Youth and Environments Children, Youth and Environments 24(2), 2014 Forest Kindergartens: The Cedarsong Way Erin K. Kenny (2013) Vashon, Washington: Cedarsong Nature School, 111 pages. $20.00 USD (paperback). ISBN 978-0-615-84920-1. Nature-based early childhood education has been a growing movement in the United States since the mid-1960s and has had the most significant growth in the last ten years with programs popping up at nature centers all over the country. While that was happening, nature-immersive types of programs, generally referred to as forest kindergartens, have been flourishing throughout Europe and in recent years, Asia. Despite a growing nature-based early childhood education movement, the forest kindergarten didn’t appear on the scene in the U.S. until 2007. The arrival of this program, its success, and the publicity it has received is undoubtedly due to the program’s founder, Erin Kenny. Kenny has a bachelor’s degree in environmental education from Evergreen State College and a Juris Doctorate in environmental law from the University of Washington. While her initial dream was to be a lawyer for an organization like Sierra Club, her professional path went a slightly different direction. In 1996 she established the non-profit American Forest Education Foundation. She then moved to Vashon Island in Puget Sound, where after a variety of nature-based teaching roles and publishing a book, A Naturalist’s Journal, she decided to establish an outdoor preschool. The Cedarsong Preschool opened in 2006 with the “commitment of no less than two-thirds outdoor time.” However, her real vision was to have an entirely outdoor preschool, which she made happen in 2007 by establishing the non-profit Cedarsong Nature School under the umbrella of the Ancient Forest Education Foundation. The result was the first forest kindergarten in the United States. Someone new to the nature-based early childhood profession might ask what the difference is between a forest kindergarten and a nature-based preschool. Kenny does a nice job early in the book defining forest kindergartens from her perspective and distinguishing them from nature-based preschools. As I read Kenny’s definition the biggest distinction for me is the idea of full nature immersion. As she says, “Nature immersion is defined as unstructured free time in nature resulting in an intimate, deep, and personal connection to the natural world” (4). The book title clearly focuses on forest kindergartens and Kenny explains in the preface that her goal in writing this book was to “inspire and empower others to create authentic nature immersion experiences for young children, whether as parents or educators.” Book Review: Forest Kindergartens: The Cedarsong Way 240 There is no question that this book is inspirational, primarily because it is full of Kenny’s passion for connecting children to the outdoors. The book is divided into three main parts and it is in the second part, where she addresses the forest kindergarten curriculum, where I think the most inspiration can be found. A big part of this section of the book is devoted to the four seasons and a beautifully written explanation of what the teachers and children had done each month of those seasons. This is the section where I found myself being able to really get a sense of what happens every day in the program. I felt like I could see the children splashing in puddles, smell the woods, and hear the laughter of the children and teachers. Whether brand new to the field or a seasoned professional, any reader is sure to find inspiration and joy in this section of the book. As one of those seasoned professionals I was so thrilled when I learned Kenny had written this book. There have been other forest kindergarten resources published in Europe, but this is the first U.S. publication on the subject. I was looking forward to learning more details on how this program operates in the United States. I was hopeful this book would, as Kenny proposed, empower nature-based early childhood professionals in the U.S. by providing a clear picture of a typical day; explain how this philosophy can be implemented elsewhere in the country; and acknowledge...

School's Out: Lessons from a Forest Kindergarten by Lisa Molomot, Director

 2014 Children, Youth and Environments School’s Out: Lessons from a Forest Kindergarten Lisa Molomot, Director (2013). Bullfrog Films 36 minutes. ISBN: 1-93777-298-5. http://www.bullfrogfilms.com Outdoor kindergartens are emerging all around the world from Asia to North America. Switzerland is one of the leaders in promoting this educational innovation. In many parts of Switzerland families can choose a publicly funded two-year forest kindergarten program. Students who attend these woodland schools focus on playing, creating, and singing before beginning formal work on reading, writing, and arithmetic at age seven. School’s Out follows a full year of a forest kindergarten with children from the town of Langnau am Albis, Switzerland. The movie progresses from autumn until summer with weather that ranges from heavy rains to snow storms. A simple tarp stretched between trees provides a gathering place for meals and storytelling . Despite this limited infrastructure, and Switzerland’s sometimes harsh weather, the film powerfully communicates that there are no bad days at the forest kindergarten; children note that rain offers puddles for stomping and winter brings snow for sledding. Both the visual and verbal storylines assert that this type of learning environment yields children who are more independent, creative, sociable, and resilient. The movie provides powerful commentary from students, alumni, parents, teachers, and a neuro-pediatrician. Some of the more striking images are of children confidently climbing trees, using Swiss army knives, and enjoying themselves in extreme weather. This is an enjoyable and though-provoking movie that illustrates both the merits of forest kindergartens and the myriad benefits of free outdoor play. Review by Michael Andrew Szuberla ...

Learning to Walk between the Raindrops: The Value of Nature Preschools and Forest Kindergartens

Nature preschool and forest kindergarten are two distinct species of nature-based early childhood education that emerged in the United States and Europe in the later half of the 20th century. They owe some of their genetic lineage to Froebel's creation of the kindergarten, with an emphasis on children in nature, in mid-18th century Germany. New nature preschools and forest kindergartens are cropping up across North America. This article explores both the cognitive readiness mindset and the initiative/resiliency mindset that undergird these two different approaches. Examples from programs in New England, Minnesota, Scandanavia and Switzerland provide illustrations of the differences of these programs from conventional, mostly indoors, early childhood programs.

ドイツにおける森林資源利用の一形態としての「森の幼稚園」

ドイツにおける森林資源利用の一形態としての「森の幼稚園」

Learning to Walk between the Raindrops: The Value of Nature Preschools and Forest Kindergartens

Learning to Walk between the Raindrops: The Value of Nature Preschools and Forest Kindergartens

Greening Early Childhood Education

 2014 Children, Youth and Environments Children, Youth and Environments 24(2), 2014 Introduction to the Special Issue: Greening Early Childhood Education Nancy Rosenow Dimensions Foundation/ Nature Explore Program Patti Bailie University of Maine at Farmington Citation: Rosenow, Nancy and Patti Bailie (2014). “Introduction to the Special Issue: Greening Early Childhood Education.” Children, Youth and Environments 24(2): 1-9. Retrieved [date] from: http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublication?journalCode=chilyoutenvi. It is quite possible for today’s child to grow up without ever having taken a solitary walk beside a stream, or spent the hours we used to foraging for pine cones, leaves, feathers and rocks—treasures more precious than storebought ones. Today it is difficult to tear children away from the virtual world of the mall to introduce them to the real one. —Gary Paul Nabhan and Stephen Trimble, The Geography of Childhood Many children today find it easier to stay indoors and watch television. I worry that children do not know what they are missing. Children cannot love what they do not know. They cannot miss what they have not experienced. —Mary Pipher, The Shelter of Each Other Introduction For most of human existence, children spent a great deal of their childhoods outdoors, connecting with nature on a regular basis as they explored fields, farms or wild areas close to their homes. It was simply a way of being, and this was true for all parts of the world. This way of being is no longer the norm in much of today’s increasingly urbanized, technology-heavy culture, and as a result, children’s unfettered access to the natural world has been shrinking, with alarming results. In the 1990s, we each started focusing on restoring children’s connections with nature, but from two different perspectives: one from environmental education through nature centers in the Midwest, and the other from early childhood and elementary education at the Dimensions Educational Research Foundation. As coeditors of this special issue, we realized we would each bring our different perspectives to this work. The result has been an exciting collaboration as we looked for common understandings and themes we believed would be useful to Introduction to the Special Issue: Greening Early Childhood Education 2 anyone in any part of the world interested in creating opportunities for children to make daily connections with nature. Rationale for This Special Issue For most of human history, discussing the “greening of early childhood education” would have made no sense. Nature was a part of every major philosophical approach to early childhood education. However, in recent years, children’s access to nature has waned due to many factors including children’s increasing use of technology, diminishing wild spaces for children to roam, helicopter parenting, and as an unintended consequence of human progress. It behooves us to find ways to bring back balance to children’s lives through intentional design, through the creation of nature-based programs, and through a recognition of every child’s right to have daily access to the wonders of nature. There is no “one-size-fits-all” way to bring more nature to early childhood programs; context is key. Our combined work extends from nature centers and forest kindergartens to urban settings throughout the United States. Design carries a very different meaning for an early childhood program located within a nature center than it does for a program in an urban setting in the midst of a “food desert.” Add to that the multiple contexts and cultures in various parts of the world, and it becomes even more difficult to talk meaningfully about “the best” ways to green early childhood education. This diversity of approaches is even more evident in the many research papers, field notes and reflections that were submitted for this edition. We began asking ourselves if, within the multiplicity of thinking reflected by various authors, there might be some over-arching themes that would hold true throughout all cultures and contextual settings. We looked first to a document called “Universal Principles for Connecting the World’s Children with Nature,” developed by the Nature Action Collaborative for Children (NACC) Leadership Team, a World Forum Foundation Working Group. The NACC Leadership Team is...

숲유치원에서의 유아의 경험 세계

본 연구는 숲유치원에서의 유아의 경험 세계를 살펴보고 그 안에 내재된 유아교육적 함의를 도출하고자 하였다. 더불어 이를 통해 앞으로 숲유치원이 나아가야 할 긍정적 방향성을 모색할 수 있는 기초자료로 삼고자 하였다. 자료 수집은 2012년 3월 넷째 주부터 2012년 11월 셋째 주까지 참여관찰, 면담, 문서 수집, 사진과 비디오 촬영을 통해 이루어졌다. 연구참여자는 부산시 H유치원 만5세반 24명의 유아와 유아들의 어머니 7인, 원장과 담당교사 2인, 숲해설가 2인이다. 연구자는 본 연구의 목적을 실현하기 위해 현상학적 질적 연구 방법을 통해 본 연구의 현장인 숲유치원의 상황적인 맥락을 고려하며 유아들을 관찰하였다. 연구결과 숲유치원에서의 유아들의 경험 세계를 본성의 장, 심미의 장, 참 놀이의 장으로 나타낼 수 있었다. 이를 통해 숲유치원이 유아들에게 타고난 본성을 드러내어 아름다움을 느끼고 참 놀이에 깊이 몰입할 수 있는 공간으로서 의미를 지니고 있음을 확인할 수 있었다. The purpose of this study was to have a more perfect understanding of forest kindergartens, to examine educational values important for the actualization of forest kindergarten education and to suggest some of the right directions for forest kindergartens. To serve the purpose, it was necessary to conduct qualitative research to closely observe the experiences of preschoolers in a forest kindergarten and grasp the meaning of their experiences. As a result, it has been found that the world of experiences among the preschoolers in the forest kindergarten consisted of the following three fields: The first was the field of real nature. The preschoolers found their own nature in the forest kindergarten. The second was the field of aesthetics. The preschoolers acquired aesthetic experiences in the forest kindergarten. And the last was the field of genuine play. The findings of the study had the following implications for education: First, it's important to provide enough time to preschoolers. Second, it's important to reconsider the meaning of preschooler's activity spaces. Third, it's important to see the meaning of genuine play and things to play with in a new light. The findings of the study show that a forest kindergarten could serve as a meaningful space to provide happiness for preschoolers.

An Analysis on Forest Kindergarten Program for Nature-Focused Green Education -Focused on Northern Regional Forest Service Forest Kindergarten-

An Analysis on Forest Kindergarten Program for Nature-Focused Green Education -Focused on Northern Regional Forest Service Forest Kindergarten-

An analysis on colors of forest kindergarten -Focused on Seoul National Forest Station for Cheongryang Mountain forest kindergarten-

An analysis on colors of forest kindergarten -Focused on Seoul National Forest Station for Cheongryang Mountain forest kindergarten-

Nature Kindergartens and Forest Schools, 2nd edition by Claire Warden

Children, Youth and Environments 23(2), 2013 Nature Kindergartens and Forest Schools, 2nd edition Claire Warden (2012). Perthshire, Scotland: Mindstretchers, Ltd., 144 pages. $32.50 as an e-book from www.childcareexchange.com; £29 from www.mindstretchers.co.uk. ISBN 978-1-906116-09-5. The current nature-based early childhood movement has at least two separate rootstalks. The Nature Preschool rootstalk emerged out of the environmental movement in the United States with programs developed at environmental centers as early as 1967. On a parallel course, Rain or Shine Schools emerged in the 1950s and 1960s in Scandinavia. As this impulse spread, the schools have become broadly identified as Forest Kindergartens. Like wind-dispersed milkweed seeds, the movement has drifted quietly from Scandinavia to Europe to the British Isles and has recently swept to Asia. There are now more than 1000 Waldkindergartens (forest kindergartens) in Germany and hundreds throughout the United Kingdom. One of the leaders of the movement in the UK is Claire Warden, who has developed two programs for young children in Scotland and helped spawn other preschool and elementary initiatives in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Warden also provides professional development for like-minded educators from around the world; many Americans are hopping across the pond to take advantage of her trainings. Her book Nature Kindergartens and Forest Schools compellingly captures both the core theoretical principles and the vivid daily practices of this approach to early childhood education. This book is sure to become a core text in the naturebased early childhood teacher education program we have initiated at Antioch University New England. First, this is a beautiful—dare I say, almost coffee table-worthy—book. A sprig of ivy graces the beginning of each chapter, the pages themselves have a handmade paper background, and there are hundreds of well-chosen illustrative photographs of children immersed in the natural world. The casual reader gets a clear understanding of the message of the book just from scanning the photographs of children wind-dancing on the beach, shucking peas, huddled up inside wooden stumps, peering intently at toads, and in the night-dark woods. The images alone make you long for your long-lost nature-bound childhood. (Or they convince you to provide this kind of nature saturation for your own students, children or grandchildren.) In the early chapters, Warden effectively identifies the unique features of this approach, enumerates the academic, psychological and health benefits quantified through research, and places the nature-based early childhood movement within© 2013 Children, Youth and Environments Book Review: Nature Kindergartens and Forest Schools 212 the context of other European progressive education impulses of the last two-anda -half centuries. The current movement owes much to Frederick Froebel, the German educator who created the first Kindergartens (German for “children’s gardens”) in the early 19th century. Froebel’s background as both a forester and an educator shaped his conviction that the forest should be an essential element of early education. The book also makes it clear that the current movement also draws inspiration from Pestalozzi, Montessori, and more recently from the pedagogistas of Reggio Emilia schools. It is this Reggio Emilia emphasis on artistic expressions of children’s thinking and the attention to careful documentation of emergent curriculum that brings a unique character to the book. Warden has devised an innovative methodology: creating Talking and Thinking Floorbooks. These are large-format books, made to be looked at on the floor or ground, which capture children’s thinking and problem-solving through drawings, children’s descriptions transcribed by teachers, photographs and teacher reflections. These Floorbooks are worked on daily, and reviewing them at the beginning of each day reminds children where they have been (literally and figuratively) and where they might want to go. This careful documentation (à la Reggio Emilia) becomes the basis for the hands-on, nitty-gritty case studies in each chapter. Because these ethnographically capture children’s play and wonderings, they provide portraits of one-of-a-kind moments. “Frozen Bandages” describes a group of 5-year-olds making frozen “plasters” out of sandy mud to fix their sore fingers. “Pheasant Death” describes the series of activities that followed the discovery...

Outdoor Learning — A Year at Auchlone (DVD and booklet) by Claire Warden

Children, Youth and Environments 23(2), 2013 Outdoor Learning – A Year at Auchlone (DVD and booklet) Claire Warden (2013). Perthshire, Scotland: Mindstretchers, Ltd., 19 pages (booklet); 30 minutes (DVD).£60. Available in the United States from www.ChildCareExchange.com. Claire Warden is an educational consultant based in Perthshire, Scotland and CEO of Mindstretchers, Ltd. Claire is an accomplished author of books and materials relating to early years’ methodology. She has developed an approach to experiential learning that is practiced at her two nature kindergartens, Auchlone and Whistlebrae. Claire lectures around the world and is part of the leadership group of consultants that make up the World Nature Collaborative. Warden’s body of work is extraordinary and extensive. As an educational consultant, she has developed a unique approach to early childhood nature education that finds its roots in the forest kindergarten movement in Europe. Her book, Nature Kindergartens and Forest Schools (now is its second edition; see review in this issue of Children, Youth and Environments), outlines her experiential educational methodology developed for young children, using case studies to illustrate the underlying elements inherent in this approach. The values that underpin the methodology are research-based and include such things as mixedage classes, creating a sense of community, respect for children, risk-full learning, and eco-friendly and sustainable living. This review focuses on one particular resource that she has developed; however, several other resources are mentioned, providing a context for its use. Outdoor Learning – A Year at Auchlone is the first of four DVDs that provide visual examples of practices mentioned in Nature Kindergartens and Forest Schools. This DVD, filmed at the Auchlone Nature Kindergarten, is perfect for practitioners working with children in natural settings and for parents to better understand the goals of a nature-based program. The DVDs were filmed over a year in 2011/12; the first, reviewed here, focuses on spring. Each new DVD is associated with the other seasons and focuses on specific practices. The DVD comes with a companion booklet that describes the practices shown and explains the organization and possible uses of the materials. Together, they serve as a training piece for teachers (and parents) to better understand the practices that are beautifully described in Warden’s Nature Kindergartens book. This particular DVD focuses on nine examples of practice: transitions, risk, adult role, trust, self-engagement, consulting children, sustainability, sense of place, and depth of learning. Each is described in the booklet, shown in the DVD, and ends with a question for reflection.© 2013 Children, Youth and Environments DVD Review: Outdoor Learning – A Year at Auchlone 221 Narrated by Warden herself, each concept or practice is described and depicted in the DVD, as the nature kindergarten class climbs trees in the forest, plants black currant bushes in the garden, or makes bread in the kinder kitchen. Each concept by itself is worthy of discussion so the questions for reflection presented at the end of each segment provide an opportunity to consider one’s own practice. For example, the first segment is focused on transitions. In the nature kindergarten, Warden suggests that “transitions happen daily, from inside to outside, from movement to still, from sound to silence.” In this segment, examples are provided of the daily transitions. The class is shown in a circle reviewing a “floorbook” that provides photographs that were taken at a previous time. The children are given time to reflect on their previous experiences (in this case, related to birds) and talk about what is coming next. The children are then shown hiking to the forest and then being very quiet as they approach a nesting bird. The question for reflection suggested at the end of the segment is “How do you support children through daily transitions?” Any program, whether or not it has the same kind of outdoor setting as the nature kindergarten, goes through daily transitions. Therefore the ideas are relatable and the reflection on one’s own practice becomes a valuable exercise. Throughout this DVD, Warden makes available ways for children to encounter the authentic experiences that nature provides. She suggests that adults need to facilitate rather than teach by modeling key behaviors and allowing children to...

The Goodness of Rain: Developing an Ecological Identity in Young Children by Ann Pelo

 2013 Children, Youth and Environments Children, Youth and Environments 23(3), 2013 The Goodness of Rain: Developing an Ecological Identity in Young Children Ann Pelo (2013). Redmond, Washington: Exchange Press Inc., 191 pages. $24.00 USD (paperback). ISBN 978-0-942702-55-2. As I observed a magnificent sunset full of deep reds, oranges, yellows, and twilight blue, a sense of wonderment filled my being. We are blessed to live on a planet that affords beauty at every turn, when we are attuned to nature’s glorious gifts. Sunsets like these remind us of our innate connection to the natural world, often overlooked in our fast-paced life. How do we provide opportunities that allow young children to experience these delights? In Ann Pelo’s new book, The Goodness of Rain, she urges us to consider the development of an ecological identity in young children. Just as important as the other domains of early childhood, but often ignored in our technologically based homes and academically focused schools. Ann Pelo is a teacher educator, program consultant, and author whose primary work focuses on Reggio-inspired, socially just, and ecological teaching and learning. Reminiscent of Rachel Carson, Pelo poetically describes her experience of sharing the natural world with a 1-year-old child, Dylan, over the period of one year. Her goal was to “spend each day outside, no matter the weather, experiencing the land and sky through the nuances of each unfolding season... I hoped that our days outside would cultivate in each of us an ecological identity” (31-32). Rachel Carson’s book, A Sense of Wonder, was originally written as an article in Women’s Home Companion in 1956 to help parents give children an opportunity to view the natural world with a sense of wonder: “A child’s world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement” (Carson 1956, 46). Pelo builds on this premise and provides a roadmap for teachers, as well as parents, to discover how to introduce young children to the natural world. She identifies the core dispositions that children need to develop an ecological identity: “The disposition to see, with an open heart and curious mind and humble spirit, both reflects and sustains a particular way of understanding one’s relationship to the natural world and one’s role in it” (46-47). Through a thoughtful lens, Pelo suggests several practices for helping a child develop an ecological identity: Walk the land, both silently and exclaiming. Learn the names of what we encounter there, even as we linger in sensuality and delight. Tell stories and make rituals about what we experience in the world beyond walls. Invite children to weave that green and growing world into their hearts... When Book Review: The Goodness of Rain: Developing an Ecological Identity… 198 taken together... in all their contradictory and complementary qualities, they can become a pedagogy for ecological literacy (48-49). While exploring that pedagogy, she constantly questions her methods of how to be with a young child in the natural world, when to talk and when to discover. How much to say or not to say: I wrestled with how much to talk to Dylan... so I hesitated to speak, weighing my words carefully, offering them sparingly... Out in the world, I aimed to speak with a light touch, offering explanations of what we encountered without much editorial commentary, leaving space in which the experiences could ring with their own resonance (159-160). What I appreciate most is how she works so hard to find the balance between talking and silence, teaching and sharing, feeling when each were appropriate, knowing that the experiences of the natural world were most important. Among the practices that Pelo describes, practicing silence is a new role for teachers and parents to incorporate. Claire Warden, a forest kindergarten consultant from Scotland, suggests that silence is an important ingredient for supporting children’s connection to nature. Nature offers opportunities for magical moments that are experienced through silence. Silence provides a sense of mindfulness and non-verbal communication that is powerful, in and of itself. Silence affords a deep connection to the natural world that may not be felt...

Pedagogy beyond the gate: The Ngahere Project

The significance of experiences in nature for childrens learning and development has been expounded by philosophers and educationalists for centuries. In many contemporary early childhood education (ECE) settings, such experiences are highly valued. Nowadays, Froebels notion of kindergartens as childrens gardens is likely to be complemented by ideas from Steiner, Montessori, Malaguzzi and, more recently, by Scandinavian notions of forest kindergartens. In Aotearoa New Zealand the natural environment of the bush or ngahere, as it is known in te reo Māori, is also seen as a significant learning environment. This article explores some of the pedagogical issues a group of ECE teachers encountered with children during an action research project looking at teaching and learning possibilities in nature-based settings beyond the gate.

An exploration of the meaning forest kindergarten experiences provide for children from low-income families

An exploration of the meaning forest kindergarten experiences provide for children from low-income families

German Forest Kindergartens: Healthy Childcare under the Leafy Canopy

A forest kindergarten is a special form of daycare, with walks, free play and environmental education in the forest on the daily schedule. Attending a forest kindergarten can contribute to children’s healthy development and is associated with physical activity, concentration, mental health, linguistic development and the prevention of infections. Drawing from systematic observations of 12 German forest kindergartens, this report presents an insight into their daily routines, their surrounding landscape and other essential characteristics.

German Forest Kindergartens: Healthy Childcare under the Leafy Canopy

A forest kindergarten is a special form of daycare, with walks, free play and environmental education in the forest on the daily schedule. Attending a forest kindergarten can contribute to children's healthy development and is associated with physical activity, concentration, mental health, linguistic development and the prevention of infections. Drawing from systematic observations of 12 German forest kindergartens, this report presents an insight into their daily routines, their surrounding landscape and other essential characteristics.

A Study Based on Participant Observation about Educational Activity of Integrated Forest Kindergarten

A Study Based on Participant Observation about Educational Activity of Integrated Forest Kindergarten

Forest Schools and Outdoor Learning in the Early Years

349 Forest Schools and Outdoor Learning in the Early Years Knight , Sara (2009). Los Angeles: Sage Publications; 131 pages. $35.95. ISBN 9781847872777. A growing body of research substantiates the benefits children receive from unstructured play with nature (Kellert 2005; Lester and Maudsley 2006; Taylor and Kuo 2006). Among the most significant obstacles for this play, however, are access to and availability of desirable and suitable play spaces (Fjørtoft 2001). Access is particularly limited for preschool children, who frequently do not have the autonomy to reach these places on their own. One solution has come in the form of forest kindergartens: mixed-age schools where children are outside in a forested setting for some or all of the day. Forest kindergartens, which generally serve ages 3 to 6, are well-established in Germany, where there were more than 300 such schools in 2003 (de Pommereau 2003). They have also been developed in Scandinavia (Fjørtoft 2001) and the U.K., and two schools have been started in the United States fairly recently (Leyden 2009; Valdes 2010). Despite this growing interest in forest kindergartens, there is little substantive research regarding their benefits for children. Many of the studies of German forest kindergartens are more descriptive of the program than evaluative in its effects (Kiener 2004). Within this context, then, Sara Knight’s book, Forest Schools and Outdoor Learning in the Early Years, is useful for educators, researchers, and those with interest in establishing a forest kindergarten. The book is focused primarily on forest schools in the U.K., giving a historical overview of their migration to the country, their current structure in U.K. settings, and the research claims for this approach in improving physical and emotional well-being, addressing childhood obesity, and cultivating positive social behaviors. Knight gives context to these schools in the broader educational philosophies of Pestalozzi, Froebel and Steiner, as well as Montessori, Reggio Emilia, Outdoor Adventure Education, and Te Whariki. The final two chapters of the book provide many practical suggestions for “getting the forest school ethos into settings” as well as case studies of forest kindergartens in the U.K. Knight is herself an early childhood educator and Senior Lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University and has run and provided training in Forest Schools. The most interesting section of the book provides original data from a study Knight conducted with the Nayland School in Suffolk, England. This research replicated earlier studies with forest schools in the U.K. (Murray 2004; Murray and O’Brien 2005), which were then replicated in Scotland (Borradaile 2006). These studies evaluate the effects of forest kindergartens on low-income children who do not have access to natural settings outside of school. They focus on eight outcomes, including confidence, social skills, language and communication, motivation and concentration, physical skills, knowledge and understanding, new perspectives, and ripple effects related to other outdoor experiences. Many of these outcomes were evaluated through storyboarding with school staff, as well as direct observation of children’s play and experiences in the forest kindergarten 350 setting. Knight also asked children and parents questions related to any long-term influences of forest kindergartens on their children. Overall, children and parents find the forest kindergarten to be a positive experience, with most children and parents reporting increases in confidence, social skills, physical skills, and environmental knowledge, as well as ripple effects of being outdoors with family. Knight herself acknowledges that the research could be improved through a larger sample and changes to the research design. The original research from which Knight drew (Murray 2004; Murray and O’Brien 2005) presents the research in more depth and will be of greater value to those interested in setting up similar evaluations. However, the ability to build on previous studies with other forest kindergartens in the U.K., and therefore begin to accumulate a relevant and comparable study pool is of great merit, especially given the few studies that exist from any country. Previous research has frequently been more of a descriptive approach (Kiener 2004, Änggård 2010). While such research is valuable, the attempts made by Knight and her predecessors to combine qualitative and quantitative methods will deepen our understanding of...

Zeckenstich- und Borrelioserisiko bei Kindern in Waldkindergärten: eine Herausforderung für die Prävention

The aim of this study was to analyse the influence of preventive measures on the risk of being bitten by a tick and of suffering from borreliosis in children attending so-called 'forest kindergartens' (nurseries located in forested areas where children spend all-season full-time outdoors), compared to children attending regular kindergartens. In addition, we aimed to analyse sources of information and the risk of being bitten more than once. 53 kindergartens (25 forest kindergartens, 28 regular kindergartens) in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany participated in this study and protective parental behaviour was recorded. In a prospective cohort study, the numbers of tick bites and cases of borreliosis were recorded monthly (March to October 2004) using a questionnaire. The influence of preventive measures was estimated using multivariate log-binomial regression. Altogether, 1707 children of 'forest kindergartens' (506 children) and regular kindergartens (1201 children) were included. Parental protective behaviour was significantly better in forest kindergartens compared to regular kindergartens. There were no substantial differences between effect estimates after stratification for parental protective behaviour. For children attending a 'forest kindergarten, the adjusted risk ratio of being tick bitten was 2.6 (3.3-3.0) which was only slightly different from the unadjusted risk, ratio. Although protective parental behaviour in 'forest kindergarten' children was significantly better compared to regular kindergarten, children in forest kindergartens are at a considerable risk of tick bites and borreliosis. Implementing effective preventive measures against borreliosis represents a public health challenge.