Dunlap Adventist Christian School
Forest Kindergarten
Forest Kindergarten is a child-centered kindergarten learning process that offers opportunities for growth emotionally, spiritually, physically, and intellectually through daily unstructured outdoor sessions in all types of weather. Our forest program supports play, imagination, and exploration and supported risky play. Since our forest is located on a sloped area, negotiating the terrain develops a range of physical skills through running, balancing, and rolling. It develops confidence, independence, and self-esteem through learner-inspired, hands-on experiences by using resources available in our natural woodland setting. While promoting students' interests to choose, initiate and drive their own learning and development, we aim to stimulate further imagination, creativity, and inquiry skills. We create a safe, non-judgmental nurturing environment for learners to try stuff out and take risks. Forest Kindergarten helps participants to become, healthy, resilient, creative, and independent learners. Here, the teacher can be said to be in the role of an assistant and a guide.
Each day we provide a relaxation time, often in hammocks in the woods, that encourages mindfulness, allowing children to regulate their emotions.
Spending time outdoors leads children to form questions about the world around them, sparks their curiosity, and leads to a lifetime of learning. Most importantly, studying creation grows our love and appreciation for our wonderful Creator and His design for our lives.
Dunlap Adventist Christian Forest Kindergarten is run by qualified Forest School practitioners, who continuously maintain and develop their professional practice.
At Dunlap Adventist Christian Forest Kindergarten, we encourage students to:
- meet the Creator as we examine God’s handiwork
- develop personal and social skills
- work through practical problems and challenges
- use tools to create, build or manage
- pursue knowledge that interests them
- learn how to manage failures
- build confidence in decision-making and evaluating risk
- develop practical skills
- understand the benefits of a balanced and healthy lifestyle
- explore connections between humans, wildlife, and the earth
- regularly experience achievement and success
- reflect on learning and experiences
- develop their language and communication skills
- improve physical motor skills
- become more motivated
- improve their concentration skills
- maintain a flower/vegetable garden throughout the year
- learn to appreciate others’ viewpoints through student-led problem-solving
- encouraged to respect the thoughts and opinions of others
- build teamwork on student-led projects
- open-ended tasks encourage children to engage their problem-solving skills
- develop fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination
- learn from and appreciate the skill sets of other children
- build shelters allows children to lift, carry and position building materials
- reduce anxiety
Each day we provide a relaxation time, often in hammocks in the woods, that encourages mindfulness, allowing children to regulate their emotions.
Spending time outdoors leads children to form questions about the world around them, sparks their curiosity, and leads to a lifetime of learning. Most importantly, studying creation grows our love and appreciation for our wonderful Creator and His design for our lives.