Outdoor Learning

Our outdoor classroom is alive with mysteries to discover. "Why do the crickets hop away when I come near? Where is that bird I hear singing? How high can I jump?" Nature offers endless possibilities to the curious child.

A strong body of research demonstrates the benefits of time spent outdoors for children. Outdoor play has been associated with greater self-discipline, self-worth, and self-confidence and with lower anxiety. Children who spend more time outside are more able to focus, engage in more symbolic and imaginitive play, and have better agility, balance, and general physical health. They also get sick much, much less often. The open space and constantly refreshing air leave very few places for germs to fester, making the facility extremely sanitary. Additionally, the children develop a close connection with the outdoors from the time they spend in it. This connection, combined with our curriculum of sustainability and of respect and care for living things lead children to become fervent custodians of our world. Outdoor time has even been suggested as a possible treatment for ADD and ADHD.

Simply speaking from our own experiences, we can say with absolute certainty that children who have enough time outside and children who do not are entirely different in the classroom. A classroom full of children who have been inside all day is chaotic. The children are restless and full of manic energy and stress, and tensions run high. Biting, destructiveness, and fighting are common. It is often unusual for there to be a day when no one is out sick. Children who have spent plenty of unstructured time outside are generally peaceful. They are active, sure, because their bodies are fit and strong from their consistent physical activity, but they are not manic or stir crazy. Their minds and bodies have gotten plenty of exercise and fresh air, so they are emotionally ready to be reasonable and kind with each other. When they have conflict, they often do not escalate it to blows or bites. Sources:

Samuel Dennis et al, "A Post-Occupancy Study of Nature-Based Outdoor Classrooms in Early Childhood Education"
Louise Chawla, "Life Paths into Effective Environmental Action"
F.E. Kuo et al, "A Potential Natural Treatment for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Evidence from a National Study"
Leyla McCurdy et al, "Using Nature and Outdoor Activity to Improve Children's Health"
Silvia Schaffer et al, "German Forest Kindergartens: Healthy Childcare under the Leafy Canopy"

Nutrition

Children thrive when they feel important, and a fundamental way to show them how important they are is their food. I serve home-cooked meals with real, nutritious ingredients, and I serve it family style. The children take charge of their meals, asking and passing bowls down the table, serving themselves, choosing their own portions and what to eat.

Whenever possible, we source our meals from our own school garden. We have over twenty types of fruit trees on the property, including six varieties of banana! Planting seeds, watering, weeding, and harvesting are all staples of our curriculum. In line with the recommendations set by the Child Nutrition Program of Southern California, I serve a balanced breakfast, lunch, and snack. Because every person's body rhythm is different, I offer an open breakfast. Children may eat as soon as they arrive, or wait until their body is ready. Everyone comes together to eat a family-style lunch, which includes milk, fruits and veggies, whole grains, and protein. Snack is served when the children wake up from their rest.

Child Nutrition Program of Southern California
Find out more about the nutrition recommendations that we follow!

Creative Expression

When children are provided with the tools and the time to express themselves, they will. Some children are drawn to the studio purely for the purpose of creating. Other children come to the studio to try to express an idea that they are having trouble expressing with words. Maybe they can't explain to their friend what the rocket will look like, but they can create a representation on paper.

When a child has someone deepely focused on and interested in their work, their own focus and interest is extended. It is vitally important to give full, undivided attention to children while they are in their process of creative expression. This can take the form of asking questions and really listening to the answer, no matter how long, or it can take the form of simply watching their hands and paper while they work.

The City of Reggio: The Boys' City
This video provides an example of the kind of work that is possible for children who have enough expertise with art materials.