A Forest Program

Our Philosophy

Imaginative play is very important for the development of the young child. The Forest naturally supplies the environment and objects that can inspire a child's imaginative play; a fallen tree can become a dragon that the children fly away upon, a teepee of large sticks leaning against a tree can become a house, a boulder can become a castle, and acorn caps can become plates for the woodland fairies. The child can create out of their imagination whatever they desire, and it can transform into something else instantaneously! Imagination and creativity abound in the forest!

The child's senses are continuously enriched and nourished in the forest; touching mud, soil, and soft layers of fallen pine needles or moss, feeling the wind upon one's face, the warmth of the sun, and the falling rain, and hearing the rustling of leaves and the call of the birds. These are a small list of examples that all contribute to connecting neuropathways in the developing child.

Exploration of the land leads to running streams to play in, rocks to climb, places to jump, hills to slide down, and logs to balance upon. These are all playful and natural ways to develop gross motor skills. Exploration also leads to discovery of life which may have otherwise gone unnoticed. For example, insects, toads and signs of mammals and birds that live on the land (e.g. animal tracks, animal homes, scat, pellets, and feathers).

Through play, nature games can teach bird and animal behaviors while also building children’s awareness skills and connection to their surroundings.

Seasonal songs and circle time connect the child to the cycle of the year, enriching social play and adding music to their day, while simple puppet stories nourish the child's soul.

Nature crafts help develop fine motor skills and include natural resources that can be found in the surrounding environment.

Moments from a typical Winter morning at Forest Kids Have Fun…

This morning at Forest Class we found many beautiful ice crystals on the path to the vernal pool. Treasures of the Forest. We collected some and brought them to the vernal pool to see if they would float. They did! It was very exciting. We took the secret passage at the top of the hill and played our Fox and Squirrel game, enjoyed our snack together, had a visit from two hawks soaring in circles right above us, and played more games.

We started down the hill in search of Miss Julia’s mitten which was tossed down the hill by a leprechaun.

At the bottom of the hill, we found Miss Julia’s mitten and a gentle stream at which to play. Leaf boats set sail downstream. A fishing rod was made to catch some fish. The children caught a Whale! The Chefs got right to work making soups, fish, chocolate pancakes, and chocolate lemonade.