The Impact of the Nature in Early Education
Education of our children is very important to parents, often there is pressure from society for children to succeed and reflect well on their parents. Filling children’s schedules with multiple activities outside of school or childcare, and not giving children opportunities to experience and learn new things, is never a bad choice. Educators tend to have the same goal, prepare children for the future, but sometimes they forget that children are just that, they are children, and they need the freedom to learn and experience things without the rigidity and structure that often come with formal education. In no way am I saying we do away with Public Education as a whole, but we need to take a look at how we are educating children and what can we improve on, to help children succeed, experience less stress, and improve their mental health. “Children are not simply empty vessels into which adults pour knowledge.” (Piaget, 1952)
Access to safe, natural environments with the intention that children will have the concept of freedom and engage in risky play only benefits the child’s learning experience. Taking risks is one of the most important ways children can learn. When taking risks, they learn to push themselves without knowing the outcome. They learn resilience and confidence, and they learn to trust themselves and their bodies in order to succeed with tasks. Being outside is a natural way for children to engage in risky play. Whether they play by natural elements that have associated risks such as water, climbing logs or using tools to build and create. Unstructured outside time creates opportunities for children to learn. (The Guarantees of Risky Play, 2018)
This also contributes to the success of children as a whole, when a child is free to explore nature it can be beneficial to their whole life. In studies, nature and being outside have shown positive outcomes when it comes to a child’s attention and mental health. Children with ADHD have seen a reduction of their symptoms when being outside, They are able to maintain focus for longer and engage in more meaningful conversations, the longer they were in an outside environment the better they did in school. (Pali Institute, 2017) Mental health is another concern that nature has a positive effect on. Since the effects of COVID-19 changed the way we educate children, with the decreased outdoor time and more screen time, there has been a significant strain on their mental health. (SickKids Releases New Research on How COVID-19 Pandemic Has Impacted Child and Youth Mental, Physical Health, 2021) Being in Nature and outdoors is a natural stress reducer, not only benefiting the minds of children but also their physical health. “Children’s time outdoors is consistently tied to both higher levels of physical activity and physical fitness: the more time children spend outdoors, the greater their physical activity, the lesser their sedentary behaviour, and the better their cardiorespiratory fitness.” (Pickett, 2015)
The concept of Nature-Based Learning (NBL) is not a new one, it is implemented in many countries across the world. NBL is an educational approach that allows children to engage in nature and its elements as a pathway of learning. (Jordan, 2022) Where traditional Education takes a different approach, with a set of goals and outcomes, nature-based learning is more about the experiences and engagement of the child. Even an adult's experiences and engagement shape the way they learn, learning is a continuous experience throughout the lifetime of a person. With different approaches to learning, we can benefit the child’s growth in the way they need the best. Nature-based Learning is just one of many approaches that benefit the child, the impact and studies about this approach are just beginning, but there is no doubt that NBL does not benefit children as a whole.
Analyzing a Trend: Forest and Nature Schools
Executive Summary
This report aims to explore the growth, benefits and impact of Forest and Nature Schools within Canada. A look at the historical background and recent trends within the rising popularity of these programs as alternatives to mainstream education. Among the findings, key factors such as COVID-19, and the recognition of the benefits that a holistic child-led pedagogy provides, parents are seeking alternatives to traditional learning for their children. Other factors such as impacts of screentime and sedentary lifestyles contribute to new government initiatives to support more outdoor and active time among children and their families. The physical and mental health benefits that coincide with Forest and Nature School should also not be overlooked. Research about impacts on Canadian Culture, and Education in Canada should continue to fully understand the positive effects we are seeing in neurodivergent children, and incorporation of Forest School philosophies would benefit mainstream education.
Introduction
Within the ever-changing world of Early Childhood Education, there has been a significant rise in enrolment in Forest and Outdoor programs for children since the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the upward trend of enrollment within these types of programs does predate the pandemic. Forest and Nature School programs offer holistic, child-led emergent programming catering to parents who are looking beyond the “Traditional” way of Education. Forest Schools are not a new concept in education. The first documented Forest School opened in Denmark in the 1950s by Ella Flautau. Since its initial concept, many other Outdoor Educational Schools have been established across Europe and the United States. The first Forest School in Canada was Carp Ridge Forest Preschool, which was founded in 2008. Forest School Canada, a branch of the Child and Nature Alliance (CNAC), officially established the concept in Canada. (CNAC, 2024) The purpose of this report is to explore and identify the growth and impact of Forest or Nature Schools within the Early Childhood Education field in Canada. Despite the increasing popularity, longitudinal research on this topic is limited. Existing research on this topic within Canada is often sourced from international research and focuses on the concept of what Forest and Nature Schools are in comparison to mainstream education. This leaves a gap in knowledge and understanding of how the impact of Forest School relates to Canadian culture and its educational pedagogy. This report will source data from the Child and Nature Alliance of Canada (CNAC), Statistics Canada, SickKids, and published articles and Journals.
Findings and Analysis
Trend Description
In 2019, there were reportedly around 1000 Forest or Nature Schools across Canada, with enrolment reaching around 20,000 children during the previous three years. (CNAC, 2019) Since Forest or Nature Schools frequently run independently, it makes it a challenge to properly compile a list of what is offered in Ontario, or across Canada. The demand for Forest, Outdoor or Nature-based programming saw significant growth in September 2020. As the province opened during the pandemic, Andrew McMartin noted that the interest in their programs grew by around 40% during one month, and the demand was significant enough that The Pine Project opened additional part- time programming for students. (Appia, 2020) Forest Schooling gained popularity not only due to the pandemic but also due to the rise of holistic, child-led pedagogy that focuses on nurturing the whole child. The Ontario Early Years Framework “How Does Learning Happen?” (HDLH?) emphasizes play-based child-led learning during the early years with a focus on the Well-being, Expression, Belonging, and Engagement of the child. This pedagogy aligns similarly with the 6 main principles of Forest and Nature Schools in Canada.
Causes and Effects
On average children between the ages of 3-5 years old are sedentary for approximately 7 hours a day with an average of 2 hours of screen time per day. (Carson, V., Langlois, K., & Colley, R., 2020) There have been efforts to mitigate this by encouraging more physical and outdoor play, through policies, initiatives and programs. In January 2024, The Canadian Pediatric Society released a statement about the importance of unstructured outdoor “risky” play as it pertains to the health and well-being of children. Risky Play looks different for each child, based on their skills and abilities. Risky Play does not mean ignoring safety measures or hazards but allow children to explore in unstructured play and be able to recognize the potential risks on their own. (The Canadian Pediatric Society, 2024). “Parents chose to enroll their child in a Forest School program for a variety of reasons. The most common were (i) concerns with the traditional school system, (ii) increased opportunities in risky play, and (iii) the overall positive effect on their child.” (McMichael & Moore, 2020) Through programs such as Forest and Nature Schools, children in urban settings can able to more easily access unstructured outdoor time. Forest and Nature Schools promote and encourage risky play as an overall fundamental aspect of a child’s holistic learning. Recent research and studies have shown psychological, cognitive and physical health benefits for children, even brief interactions in an outdoor environment have shown benefits to children’s concentration and cognition. (Ayotte & Berrigan, 2022). For neurodiverse children, the effectiveness of forest and nature schools are being noticed by the ability to maintain focus longer and engage in more meaningful conversations, also noted was the longer they were in an outside environment the better they did in school. “Combining outdoor time with learning is a natural remedy that can do wonders for the human brain.” (Stein, 2017) Mental health is another concern that Nature-based Learning has a positive effect on. Since the effects of Covid-19 changed the way children were educated, with decreased outdoor time and more screen time, there has been a significant strain on their mental health. (The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), 2021) Being in Nature and outdoors is a natural stress reducer, not only benefiting the minds of children but also their physical health. “Children’s time outdoors is consistently tied to both higher levels of physical activity and physical fitness: the more time children spend outdoors, the greater their physical activity, the lesser their sedentary behaviour, and the better their cardiorespiratory fitness.” (Gray, C., et. el. 2015, 2015, 6455-6474) In addition to the positive effects surrounding children, Forest and Nature programs are effecting Early Childhood Educators. There have been more opportunities for Educators to participate in professional development surrounding the topic of being in Nature. In British Columbia, the Learn Outside Together (LOT) Program is offered in collaboration with Early Childhood Educators of BC (ECEBC) and BC Aboriginal Child Care Society (BCACCS). Through this free program, “Participants will develop the knowledge and skills needed to increase children’s time and meaningful experiences outdoors, including Indigenous ways of knowing, learning, and experiencing land as teacher”. (ECEBC, 2024) As well as gaining their own understanding and connection with nature, ECE’s can share their experiences with the Early Childhood Education Community and their students. Experiences in nature can lead to personal and professional growth, where they can overcome challenges, develop new skills and have opportunities to learn new ways to reach and guide children's learning opportunities. As previously stated, children’s mental health can benefit from experiences in nature, the same can be said for Early Childhood Educators.
Looking Ahead
As Canada and the world head towards a post-pandemic world, Forest and Nature Schools are available to support children and their families to nurture children’s health and wellbeing and their interest in nature. Forest and Nature Schools can be designated as private schools offering alternate choices for parents, while not all are recognized by the Ontario Ministry of Education. With the demand we are seeing in alternative education, Parents and Educators must advocate for more opportunities within the traditional school system to encourage more outdoor education. Many education and childcare facilitators are seeking amendments to the Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA) to accommodate the different needs of Forest and Nature Schools. Allowing them to apply for licensing would let parents access funding such as the Ontario subsidy program to increase the availability for families to attend. (Andrew Fleck Children’s Services, Outdoor Play Canada, & Child Nature Alliance of Canada, 2020) Dedication to the field of outdoor education exists among Ontario Certified Teachers and the community of Early Childhood Educators (ECE), with professionalism and recognition the goal within the Forest and Nature School Facilitators, there is a familiar (), that not too long ago ECEs were not seen as a profession. With collaboration, ECE’s lobbied the government for professional recognition and succeeded in the passing of the Early Childhood Education Act in 2007. (College Talk, 2018) “Forest and Nature School practitioners are now a sector in the educational world but there is a way to go to achieve professionalization. To become a practitioner who adheres to a standard of practice and is recognized by the public for the work being done, involves a process.” (Kashin, 2015)
Conclusions
Forest and Nature Schools drive the sense of holistic child-led education that may have been lost not too long ago. Since the pandemic, there has been a resurgence of people wanting to get back to their roots when it comes to lifestyles and educational goals for their children. Incorporation of these programs into traditional education avenues through policy changes, hope to achieve more accessibility and professionalism within the field. Where traditional Education takes a different approach, with a set of goals and outcomes, nature-based learning is more about the experiences and engagement of the child. Nature-based Learning is just one of many approaches that benefit the child, the impact and studies about this approach are just beginning, but without a doubt that the education received within Forest and Nature Schools benefits both children, their families and their educators.
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