The New York Times offered an article on a kindergarten in New York state that is unique. The children in this program spend three hours a day outside, rain or shine, and their parents pay $7,000 a year for the privelege. Apparently kindergartens like this are already popular in Europe and Scandanavia but are only catching on now in North America. The New York state program takes place in a 325 acre park.
I think this is wonderful. In a time when virtual worlds and anxious over-protection shield children from experiences of the earth and forests there are some who have figured out how important this is for the development of motor skills, and a sense of wonder, as well as appreciation of other living things.
Our daughter who has been trained in Early Childhood Education pointed out to me earlier this year that daycares are required to provide outdoor opportunities for children in their care but many of them avoid the trouble of getting the kids into outside clothing. She ended up working in a setting with high standards including taking the children out whenever possible.
I wish this was a high priority for faith communities as well. Our Sunday School has planted bulbs and flowers in the Spring, but what if we chose to include an earthy faith component into the curriculum. Perhaps this generation would do a better job of "living with respect in Creation" than we have.
I absolutely LOVE this idea! With technology moving at the speed of light, giving kids more and more excuses to be plugged into IPODS, sit in front of computers being involved in chatrooms(these are completely evil...perhaps another topic on another day?), it is a real breath of fresh air(excuse the pun) to give kids this time outdoors. As you said, it will be a great way to show kids about God's creations and give these children a view of the world that they wouldn't have had otherwise.
ReplyDeleteI strongly support any earth day idea that the church would consider.
This article has been very uplifting.
A shame that $7000 a year is the price tag on something that is available "free" outside most every school,in some form. I notice that even the DPA (daily physical activity) that is supposed to happen each day in our Board wanes as the year wears on, and often seems to be in the form of jumping/dancing in front of an old VCR tape when I've often thought a few laps around the school yard in the fresh air would be the best offering to our kids. And to think now we are planning to start sending our 4 year olds to kidergarten full days....doesn't leave much outdoor time. Now when I was a kid.....
ReplyDeleteYour comments, Johnny, brought to mind the congregational saunters we had several times a year. They were fairly well attended for the most part, although I noticed that not many young families participated. This was unlike our Sudbury days where the majority were families, perhaps reflective of an outdoors culture.
ReplyDeleteLaura, you're so right. Why not get kids outside. Again, harking back to Northern Ontario, it was assumed that recess was outdoors unless it dropped below minus twenty.
I agree that paying seven grand for the privilege of going outside seems strange.
I get royally ticked off when we keep our students inside for recess on cold days!!(-15) The comments from those who make the decisions are that students are not dressed properly. Well, we live in Canada, dress properly and send them outside. We all need that fresh air!! I guess it is my northern up bringing, we were outside not matter what the temperature!
ReplyDeleteI know at our school DPA is alive and well, and our gym teachers do everything they can to get at least one class a week outside!
We had a two classes go to Duffin's Creek this week, they even ate outside beside a fire, imagine that! Many of the students thought this was cool. Again, being from the north, this is life in the colder weather!
Thanks for adding this as someone in the educational system Nancy. Nice to hear about Duffin's Creek.
ReplyDeleteI agree that we act as though cold weather is an imposition rather than a fact of life in Canada. It took us a year or two to come to the realization that if we were going to live in Northern Ontario we should dress accordingly, but we came to love winter activities.