My Dream Preschool!

Nature Walks Improve Learning More than City Walks

What current research data is saying....

Nature Walks Improve Learning More than City Walks

The non-stop stimuli of city life may be inadvertently promoting short attention spans; there is simply too much going on vying for our ever-limited attention.

In fact, according to environmental psychologist Stephen Kaplan (also of the Univ. of Michigan), attention is the crucial mediator between green space and psychological benefit. Urban environs place continuous demands on what’s known as directed attention. Natural environments, on the other hand, allow our directed attention to rest. What’s more, they engage a different form of attention that he calls fascination. This involuntary form of attention improves mood, directed attention and cognition.

What 19th century educationalist, Charlotte Mason said,

But a stressed, overworked mother may see no way to give her children more than an hour on the neighborhood sidewalks. Well, long hours in fresh air is the ideal for children. It may not be practical for every family, but when mothers understand the good that a measure can do, they will often work miracles to provide it. A twenty minute trip with a picnic lunch can make a day in the country accessible to almost anyone, but why do it just one day? Why not do it lots of days? Or even every nice day?

But suppose we have those long days in the open air, what is to be done with them so that they are pleasant days? There must be a plan, or else it will be all work and no fun for the mother, and the children will be bored. There is a lot to get accomplished in this large block of time. The children must be kept in a good temper if they are to get the most out of the refreshing, strengthening atmosphere of the great outdoors. They must be left to themselves for a good part of the day to take in their own impressions of nature's beauty. There's nothing worse than children being deprived of every moment to wonder and dream within their own minds because teachers and adults are constantly talking at them, not leaving them a moment's peace. Yet, the mother must not miss this opportunity of being outdoors to train the children to have seeing eyes, hearing ears and seeds of truth deposited into their minds to grow and blossom on their own in the secret chambers of their imaginations. In addition to increasing their powers of observation, children should spend an hour or two in free, active playing, and a lesson or two should be done. (Vol. 1, p. 44.)

Nature study increases your child’s intellect and makes him a more interesting person. “Consider, too, what an unequalled mental training the child-naturalist is getting for any study or calling under the sun — the powers of attention, of discrimination, of patient pursuit, growing with his growth, what will they not fit him for?” (Vol. 1, p. 61.)

Charlotte Mason was right once again!

Just One of Those Days....

...when I wish I could just lay in an open meadow and watch the clouds go by....


I realize these are not the most interesting picutres, but in realtime they were big, fluffy and beautiful!

Makes me feel very small!

This is the Preschool That I Want to Go To!

The article below describes the kind of preschool I would love to go to.  We're a quarter of the way there! We spend a minimum of 1 hour outside each day!Always on the lookout for something new in nature that we never noticed before!

My hope is to pique the curiosity of my young friends so that long after they leave me, they'll continue exploring God's creation, have an enduring appreciation for the beauty of it and always remember with fondness the time they spent out in the woods!!

Local News Outdoor preschool takes root on Vashon Island Seattle Times Newspaper

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature's first green is gold

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf's a flower;

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.

~Robert Frost

Get Outside!

(Please turn off my Music Player below before watching this video.)


National Get Outside day is April 3, 2010.

Take this opportunity to unplug, silence the cell phone, and spend the day in Nature. 

Nature Rocks offers lots of inspiring ideas to help you find activities to do while outside.

I always find tons of inspiration at Barb's Handbook of Nature Study blog.

"Our part is to remove obstructions and to give stimulus and guidance to the child who is trying to get into touch with the universe of things and thoughts which belongs to him. Our deadly error is to suppose that we are his showman to the universe; and, not only so, but that there is no community at all between child and universe unless such as we choose to set up." ~Charlotte Mason, Vol. 3. pg. 188 

No need to know everything about Nature. Just get outside, pay attention with all your senses and see what you learn!

The Woods Were My Ritalin

"Now, my tree-climbing days long behind me, I often think about the lasting value of those early, deliciously idle days. I have come to appreciate the long view afforded by those treetops. The woods were my Ritalin. Nature calmed me, focused me, and yet excited my senses."

Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods

In His Element-Day 4

Lots of changes in preschool recently.  Last week I said farewell to three of my TUES/THURS regulars. One moved to Florida; two brothers moved back to Oregon.  Parting mid-year is always sad for me. 

Welcoming new students mid-year is always a challenge.  Making new friends and learning new routines is as challenging for the children as getting to know a new student, teaching a them a new routine and getting them up to speed on our class habits is for the teacher.

Two weeks ago, I added a new student and another teacher added 2 more new students. Due to absences today, we had to combine my class with hers.  

By mid-year, my class is well-aqauinted with our Nature hikes, often bypassing the playgound going straight to the woods. 

As a mini-experiment, I took the two new students from the other class on their first Nature hike. I wanted to test their reaction.  Reticence, we would just walk in the grass.  But, no reticence so, we ventured inside the woods a few feet. 

They seemed to be in their element.  Intially, they held my hand, then walked independently at a safe distance from me. 

Curiously, they felt the tree trunks, stopped to look at a wild fern, picked up sticks and found a rock that was cold to the touch.  

They laughed and clapped when we "found our way out" then, ran to tell the other children and invite them BACK into the woods. 

They happily and quickly followed. Soon, all were climbing upon fallen trees pretending to be squirrels and spiders and birds. 

Pure Joy!

Being Out There-Day 3

Today at preschool we again spent nearly the entire day OUTSIDE!

Three more Tie-dyed T-shirts.

Some of the children, dressed up as Kings, Queens and Super-Heroes, came outside. Imaginations were running in high gear as the royal subjects pretended to fly about.

MUCH fun was had by all romping, rolling and running free about the backyard.

Later on, we went on a Shamrock hunt. The children discovered a whole hillside covered in tiny clover!!

And now I have a great, big, beautiful bouquet of Shamrocks on my window sill!

Ordinary Day, Extraordinary

 Just an ordinary day. A trip to the doctor with my Grandmother-in Love. Procedure postponed, new procedures, different ones, scheduled. Waiting, waiting.

Then, too early for lunch, an extraordinary visit to  First Presbyterian's Memorial Gardens in Concord. to sneak a peak at the promise of Spring.

Hyacinths, Daffodils, Pansies, Johnny Jump-Ups, Grape Hyacinth sprouts, Star Magnolias, huge Pink Perfections, many buds waiting to burst at just the right moment!!   Tulips nor Azaeleas not blooming, but sprouts and buds EVERYWHERE!

"Just wait a little longer," they speak. This demands another visit.

All hearlding the end of a long, cold, wet winter and the coming of new life, new hopes, new plans....everything new!

Everything has a name; but I have much to learn.   So many I don't know.  Just like meeting new friends, remembering their names is a sign of respect. I will research! Lots of new friends to meet!

Against the gray backdrop of the day, the colors were stunning: Pinks, Yellows, Purples, Oranges:  Candy for the eyes, perfume for the nose!!  Refreshement for the spirit.

Ambling along the historic streets, we wandered into a coffee shop that boasts the self-proclaimed "Best Coffee in Town." I won't disagree. And great paninni's too!!

An ordinary day, became extraordinary. Precious TIME spent with a great story-teller/conversationalist, enjoying each others company and God's beautiful creation!

Be Out There - National Wildlife Federation

This is it!!! Be Out There Week. March 15-21. What a great way to welcome Spring!

Today in preschool, we spent 3 out of 4 hours outside.

First, we made Tied-Dyed T-shirts. We plan to wear our own artwork when we visit the Mint Museuem of Art in April.

Then, we took a nice long Nature Walk. Sniffing around, we realized the smell of the woods has changed. New life is growing!

We climbed trees, swung on a vine, dug in the sand by the stream and went fishing.

We read a story on the bridge about the Swaggering Crow, who made an appearance for us in our very own woods!!

While hiking back to school, we heard lots of birds, saw several Robins and spied one Downy Woodpecker right over our heads.

Today would've been a perfect picnic day, but we didn't have our lunches. No worries, we'll try it again next time!!

Be Out There - National Wildlife Federation

Parents: 10 Reasons Kids Need Fresh Air - National Wildlife Federation

Parents: 10 Reasons Kids Need Fresh Air - National Wildlife Federation

Be Out There - National Wildlife Federation

We've had a gratefully wonderful taste of Spring in our neck of the woods.

After weeks of rain, snow or ice, my yard is finally drying up, the daffodils are poking through and I'm feeling the beginnings of Spring Fever coming on!

Perfect time for this newsletter in my e-mailbox!

Be Out There - National Wildlife Federation

Never Be Within Doors When You Can Be Without!!!~~Charlotte Mason

I thought I'd share these websites I was introduced to this morning from one of my (many) yahoo groups.

They are all about the benefits of allowing kids to have unstructured play in nature. The Green Hearts Nature Preschools is exactly what we do at my preschool. We go outside for 60-90 minutes (longer if possible-but most of the kids aren’t used to that much time outside-we have to work up to it) and explore the woods and have a little time at the playground. Indoor activities are nature based as our yearlong theme is the Creation. Day One: light and dark, Day Two air, space and water, etc….

There is a lot of research on the Children and Nature Network website proving the benefits of outdoor play and the consequences of not getting enough time to roam freely in nature.

Check out the Parent Guide from Green Hearts. It has tons of ideas for creating a safe outdoor space kids in the safety of your own backyard. Oh the fun of a pile of dirt!

Even if your kids are too young to go out alone, you can still start now learning about these great benefits yourself and by taking the kids out now so that when they're older, it will be “second nature” to be outside!!

On the C&NN site they have a Nature Club toolkit. I may start my own with the nieghborhood kids. (Wonder how would weird that would be...a crazy old lady whose kids are all grown hosting a Nature Club for other people's kids?!?!)

I fully believe in the power of free, unstructured outdoor play and that is severely lacking in today’s childhood. I had one child last year afraid of the sunlight. He bravely tried so hard but never quite got over the shock of that first step into the great outdoors when a beam of sunlight first touched his skin. Sad, very sad!

OK, off my soapbox now, here’s the websites:

Children and Nature Network http://www.childrenandnature.org/

Green Hearts http://www.greenheartsinc.org/Parents__Guide_4MOL.html

I wonder if they've ever heard of Charlotte Mason. Her wisdom continues to hearken......

Never be with in doors when you can be with out!

Today we spent the entire day at the Park. It was a perfect day for an outing. Because the air was cool and crisp this morning, we had to dig out our jackets and sweaters for the first time of the season.

This was our first field trip of the year. For many of the sutdents and parents, it was their first nature walk aside from the ones we do around the school.

Everyone paired up with a buddy to hold hands with...

We viewed the lake first...

We found several leaves that had changed color and fallen already.There were many red and yellow silver maples, yellow elms, brown oaks (probably left over from last year). We compared the leaves we found to our nature book to learn the names!

Next, we spied a school of fish swimming back and forth along the shore.

We rubbed the bark of a pine tree which stretched way up high and touched the sky. We listened to the leaves clap their hands as the northerly wind blew through them.

Did we locate Peter Rabbit's hole?, or at least one of his relations.

We finished up the day with a picnic.....






and playing on the playground.

A good time was had by all. The children, parents and teachers enjoyed the sights and sounds of their first Nature Walk together.

First Day of Preschool was swell!

Our first day of preschool went so well. The children came in and played well. We had our morning devotions, sang a song (Jesus Loves Me, I signed along). Then we talked about the alphabet. We also sang the alphabet while jumping to release some energy.

Soon afterwards, we went outside for our first Nature Walk. Guess what! One of my new friends is scared of outside sounds & sights. He was leery of walking on the sidewalk hidden by maples and when a bumblebee buzzed by, he covered his face and ears! Oh no!, I thought. Has this little one never been introduced to the wonders of outdoor life? We did find a millipede, that look exactly like this one:


Initially, the child tried to stomp upon, then shied away from, but we did manage to observe it walking to and fro and decided he must be going home to find his children.

I was so happy to find the Handbook of Nature Study at Google Books which I'll be studying and sharing with my little friends and their parents. Hopefully by the end of the year, we'll all love to be outside more than inside!

At last, we played on the playground. It was hard to decide which activity to do first! Swings, slides, monkey bars, oh my!

We came in and ate a yummy lunch, tidied up the room and settled down for a read aloud. Attention span was pretty good, probably because it was at the end of the day and with full bellies, sleepiness was setting in.

All in all, everything went extremely well. This is the day that the Lord has made....

Looking forward to tomorrow!