Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/scottish-kindergarten--part-1/5020265/
What’s the best way of connecting children with nature?Let them go outside, of course! But while you’re at it, let them dig in dirt and splash in puddles. If your children have access to an outdoor space and the proper clothing, there is no better place to discover the wonders and fun of nature than in your own backyard. Every herb garden, shade tree, and sand pit gives children an up-close and personal connection to the beauty and mystery of the natural world. And you get to enjoy the discoveries with them. Lucky you!
Last summer I travelled to Scotland to visit Claire Warden of Mindstretchers, Ltd., and to see the nature kindergartens she founded with her team. What an inspiration! And what a blast! I spent three days at the kindergartens and tagged along with the kids (children ages 3-5). They spend nearly all day outside. They run up hills, dig in the mud, swing in hammocks, climb trees, and play in living willow huts. They pick berries, play music, cook food, and eat snack, all outside. Everything happens inside a fenced-in area. They also have access to adjacent woods for play and exploration. (More on that in Part 2.)
These ...