Why Forest Preschool?
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Children at forest preschool learn boundaries – physical, social and emotional. In this environment, children learn that there are different ways of solving problems and how to manage risks, become self-starters and develop critical thinking skills. Children learn pre-reading skills, math concepts, about the natural and physical world, engineering concepts and create art. To the trained eye, children can learn just about everything in an outdoor classroom that they learn in a traditional classroom. Spending more time in nature and playing outside creates smarter, happier, more attentive, and less anxious kids than those who spend more time indoors.
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Forest Friends Children's Programs are Play Based and Child led. They are outdoor programs designed to support children’s innate need to explore and connect with the natural world. Our curriculum emerges based on children's interests and observations and is tailored to their individual abilities and developmental needs. For example; upon discovering a beaver's lodge we may collect sticks and other materials to build model clay lodges, read books about Beavers, and play math and cooperative games around this interest. During fall while salmon are spawning we may sort and seriate leaves based on colour and size and then create land art with them in the form of a collaborative giant salmon. Children are supported while negotiating and agreeing on size, shape and use of colour. Such activities build on their development of interpersonal communication skills whilst discussing physical attributes of the fish. Balancing on logs can lead to designing and building an entire obstacle course of rocks, logs and such. There is a strong emphasis on native flora and local fauna.
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*Please note - Programs do not operate on Statutory Holidays, over Winter Break or Spring Break December 19th, 2022 - January 2nd, 2023 & March 13th, 2023 - March 24th, 2023. Programs DO run on School District Professional Development days.
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Click here to add you child to a program wait list!
Please have a read through the FAQs section for more detailed information
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