WHAT IS A FOREST SCHOOL?

I first heard about Forest Schools several months ago. The topic has come up in several other conversations so I wanted to learn more about it. You might be interested as well because its popularity seems to be growing. I think it represents a swing to balance technology and the academic push with real and natural experiences. I embrace the idea of more hands-on outdoor learning, but I’m not sure it is in harmony with our data driven curriculum. I tend to be a middle of the road person, but let me share what I’ve found out and you can make your own decisions.
                                   
Forest schools originated in Scandinavia and became popular in Denmark in the 1980’s because of lack of space for preschool children. With increased urbanization and “nature deficit disorder” the popularity of these schools has grown from Sweden, to Denmark, to Germany, to the United Kingdom and now the United States.

http://www.forestschoolassociation.org

Most forest schools are for ages three to six and are held almost exclusively outdoors – regardless of the weather. Children are encouraged to dress appropriately (waterproof clothing, warm layers) and play and learn in a natural setting. Woodlands, meadows, and beaches can all provide the learning environment, but no commercial toys or materials are used.
    
Forest schools seem to have a positive impact on children’s physical and emotional development. See the chart below for how the outdoor activities benefit development.

Activity	Developmental benefit
Playing imaginative games using whatever resources and ideas come to mind	This helps children to explore their own thoughts without the guidance of a toy designer
Role play	Shared imagination, drama, teamwork, recollection of models of behaviour
Building shelters or other large structures from branches, with the help of other children and adults	This requires goal definition, planning, engineering, teamwork and perseverance
Counting objects or looking for mathematical patterns	Mathematics, visual recognition
Memory games using naturally available objects	Memory, naming objects
Listening to stories; singing songs and rhymes	Art, drama, concentration
Arranging items to make a picture, or building a toy	Art
Drawing scenes	Art, creativity, accurate inspection and copying
Climbing trees and exploring the forest	Improves strength, balance and physical awareness
Playing hide-and-seek with others	Develops children's theory of mind by rewarding accurate anticipation of the thoughts and actions of others
Walking to the woodland, from the building.	Improves strength and stamina; preparation (e.g., route selection) improves planning and communication skills
Exploring or reflecting alone	Aids self-awareness and character development
Resting	Aids consolidation of memories and facilitates activities later in the day

I think we would all agree that children need to spend more time outdoors. Forest schools sound “lovely,” but how can you judge children by a standardized test when they are building forts and making mud pies?

One compromise I read about was a school that spent one day a week in nature. Another school schedules one hour a day outdoor for each class. One other teacher reported doing hour-long nature hikes one day a week. Yes, but what if you don't have a woodland or meadow near your school?  I would love to hear from any of you who are doing more “outdoor learning.” 

I’ll be sharing some outdoor activities over the next few days, but it’s basically taking academics outdoors. I think at the heart of forest schools is the belief that children should have freedom to explore, create, and learn on their own.  Balance, balance, balance!!!

KUDOS AND 1000 GRAND THANKS

Everybody wants to be appreciated!  Here are some clever ideas for awards you can give volunteers or school helpers at the end of the year.  

Kudos Bar – “Kudos to you!”

Snickers – “Nuts about you!”
                         

100 Grand – “A million thanks for all you did!”
                                      

M & M’s – “You’re marvelous and magnificent.”
                                                  

Mint – “You ‘mint’ the world to us.”

Hershey’s Kisses – and Hugs, too!

Lifesavers – “You were a lifesaver this year!”
                                                  

There are also several free websites where you can customize candy bar wrappers.

Here are some certificates that Carolyn Kisloski created.
       
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljTi1jTnM0QXpLOFU/view?usp=sharing

If you want more you can download the whole set for less than one card costs.  Hmmm!  That's a good idea!  I think I'll get them for neighbors and friends!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Gift-Tags-Gift-Cards-and-Gift-Ideas-2542953
             

                            

PARTY ALL MONTH LONG!

Here are some theme days to help you celebrate the last days of the school year. You might want to make each Friday a party day, or plan a little celebration every day the last week of school. What many adults forget is that children are happy with “plain vanilla.” Wearing a silly hat or a shirt from a favorite sports team can be as much fun as a fancy ball!

Sports Day – Enjoy the warm weather with a “Sports Day.” Children can wear t-shirts and hats from their favorite teams. Let them bring sports equipment to share with friends on the playground.
           
Book Party – Encourage children to dress up like their favorite book character. Play “Guess Who I Am?” or have children describe why they like a particular character. Let them bring favorite reading material (books, magazines) from home and sit or lay wherever they want for independent reading.

Talent Show - One of my favorite memories is of a Talent Show we had at the end of the school year. I just invited all the children to think of a “talent” (song, dance, story, gymnastic stunt) they could do. We sat in a circle and they all got up and performed! We clapped and laughed and cheered!

Board Game Day – Let children bring board games from home. Set aside the last hour in the day to share games and play with friends. 
                                 
Pajama Party – Have children wear pajamas and bring pillows and stuffed animals to class. Read books, watch a movie, and eat popcorn.

 
Career Day – Children come dressed for the career they’d like when they grow up. After sharing with friends, have each child draw a picture (or take a photograph) and make a class book.

Unbirthday Party – How about a birthday party when it’s everyone’s “unbirthday”? Play party games, sing, and decorate cupcakes. (This is also a great way to celebrate all those summer birthdays.)

Beach Party – Bring beach towels and wear sunglasses, shorts, and bathing suits. Set up sprinklers or other water activities on the playground. Play beach ball games, beach music, and have a “cool” snack like popsicles.
                                                                        
Teddy Bear Parade – Children bring in a teddy bear or stuffed animal and parade around the classroom. Have them write stories and draw pictures of what they like to do with their bear. Have a “tea party” with your bears.
           
Hat Day – Ask children to wear their favorite hat to school, or challenge them to design a hat from a paper plate and art scraps.

Luau – Make grass skirts from draw string garbage bags. Cut straws in 1” pieces and alternate stringing with paper flowers on dental floss to create a lei. Hula, surf, and eat pineapple fruit kabobs for snack.

Toy Day – Children bring a favorite toy from home and share with their friends.

Wash Day – Wear old clothes and bring sponges, pails, and squirt bottles. Let children wash tables, desks, toys, etc. (You could tie this in with a water play day.)

Sock Hop – Children get to wear silly socks to school and have a dance at the end of the day.
*Teach the children the “Twist,” “Charleston,” “Jitterbug,” “Swim,” “Pony,” or other dances from your past.
                                               
Teacher of the Day – Assign one child each day the last month of school to be “Teacher of the Day.” That child gets to sit in your desk and be in charge of circle time. They can choose a book to read to the class, a song to sing, game to play, and so forth.

FAMILY FUN IN THE SUN

We all know how critical it is to engage parents in their child’s education. All parents want the best for their children, but many of them don’t have the resources or know what to do – other than to hand the child their phone!!! So here are some great old-fashion, hands-on, ideas to encourage parents to spend time with their children this summer.

Family Fun Calendar
Here’s a summer calendar that you can run off for your students. Glue it to a heavy piece of cardboard and attach a string so it can be hung up in their home. Read over the activities to motivate your students, and then let them decorate their calendars with markers or crayons.
                                 
http://www.drjean.org/html/monthly_act/act_2014/05_May_css/pg05.html

Bucket of “Fun”
You can buy sand buckets or just use a plastic cup like I did. Punch holes and add a pipe cleaner handle. Let children decorate their “buckets of fun” with markers, stickers, etc.
                 
Make a list of activities that children can do with their families over the summer to reinforce skills you’ve worked on during the school year. Cut into strips and place in the buckets. Send the bucket home with a note encouraging the parents to let their child select a strip each day and do the activity.

Some examples might include:
     Read a story with your parents. Tell what happened at the beginning, middle, and end of the story. What do you think will happen next?
     Play a rhyming game. How many words can you think of that rhyme with "can"? "Pot"?
"Book"? "Coat"? "Sheep"? "Like"?
     Trace around your hand and your foot. What can you make out of them?
     Count as high as you can. Can you count by 2's, 5's, and 1O's?
     Ask your parents to teach you a song they learned when they were your age.
     Look in your kitchen pantry. How many labels can you read?
     How many ways can you move? Can you hop, skip, jump, gallop, tiptoe, walk
backwards?
     Can you draw a circle, oval, square, rectangle, and triangle? What other shapes can
you draw?
     Write a special letter to someone in your house.
     Look at some of your baby pictures. How have you changed?
     Find something that begins with these letters: B, H, S, M, L,
     Draw a picture of your neighborhood.
     Make a list of 5 things that are non-living. Make a list of 5 things that are living.
     Do you have a library card? Visit your library and check out some books.
     Do a job around the house.
     Write your name on a piece of paper - first, middle, and last. What are your initials?

Here’s a link where you can download more:
                                                      
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljbnBIc0lXeWdxbUU/view?usp=sharing

End of Year Letter
Give parents with a positive lasting impression by sending a letter similar to the one below. It might be thoughtful to send a picture of their child along with the note.

Dear ______,

Lucky me to get to spend this special year with your child!  (Child’s name) has worked hard and has grown in many ways. One of my favorite memories is (something unique about the child).

I appreciate all the support and encouragement you have given (child’s name) at home. Behind every great student is a great family!

Saying good-bye is bittersweet. “Bitter” because I will miss (child’s name), but sweet because I am so proud to have been a part of his/her life! Please keep in touch because I know the future holds many wonderful things for your child and your family!

Remember to read and laugh every day this summer!

Fondly,

COME TO ME!

On this Mother’s Day, it doesn’t matter if you are a male or female or a biological parent or not. If you are an early childhood educator, you are a caregiver and in many situations as vital as the actual parent. We enter our profession not because of the money or dreams of high test scores. We become teachers of young children out of LOVE. You can take all your technology programs and assessments and performance standards – but, at the end of the day, it’s all about the relationship you create with each child.

Many years ago there was an older woman in one of my workshops. She had been working with children for over 50 years and I asked her if she had any advice for me. She gingerly got down on her knees, opened her arms, and said with a smile, “Come to me.” That was the inspiration for the thought I share with each of you on this special day.

COME TO ME
by Dr. Jean

Whether you are large or small, rich or poor –
Come to me.

Whether your skin is brown or beige, gold or tan –
Come to me.

I’ll embrace you and love you and cherish you –
Come to me.

I’ll play with you and make you laugh –
Come to me.

I’ll kiss your hurts and keep you safe –
Come to me.

I’ll give you happy memories and dreams for tomorrow -
Come to me.

I’ll share the wonder of learning and the joy of each day –
Come to me.

I’ll take time to listen to you and try to understand you –
Come to me.

I’ll cheer you, encourage you, and believe in you –
Come to me.

I’ll never give up. I’ll try and try. I’m an early childhood teacher.
Come to me!

                               

This is dedicated to my mother Frances McCracken Rosenberg.  She never went to college, but she was the BEST early childhood educator I've ever know.  Thanks, Mom!!  I hope you feel how much I love you and appreciate you and miss you!

KEEP ON READING AND WRITING

Here's a link to my Facebook Live I did Thursday with lots of 

"sweet" ideas to end your year:  http://bit.ly/2pFoAqU

You've worked so hard to get your children to where they are, but how do you keep them reading and writing over the summer?

Summer Journal
Carolyn Kisloski created this free download last year and it’s a wonderful way to encourage children to write over the summer.
                                 
*I gave it to my granddaughter and she thought it was pretty cool to have “homework” to do.
                    
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Summer-Writing-Prompts-Journal-2521920

Library Card
What better gift can you give your students at the end of the year than a library card? Take a field trip to your local library or ask the children’s librarian to visit your school and describe all their summer reading activities.

Summer Reading List
It’s easy to do an internet search and find a suggested reading list for your grade level. Parents would probably appreciate this when helping their child choose books to read over the summer.
                                 *I found this summer reading challenge and book list at scholastic.com.

Postcards
Cut cardstock the size of a postcard. Let children decorate one side with markers or crayons. On the reverse side draw a line down the middle. Have the children write the teacher’s name on one half. Explain that if they send you the postcard over the summer and write you a note that you will write back to them.
                    
*You could also give the children a pre-stamped envelope addressed to you. Explain that when they write you, you will write them back.

THE BEST THING ABOUT

Here's a link to the Facebook Live at Five I did last night:

http://bit.ly/2pFoAqU

"Selective nostalgia" is the ability to remember the good things and forget about the negative things.  Most children are more adept at this than grownups - thank goodness!

The Best Thing About… 

Invite children to recall some of their favorite memories from the school year. Give them a sheet of paper to illustrate it. Ask them to write (or dictate) a sentence about it. Put their pictures together in a cover that says, “The Best Thing About (Grade)” and bind. Save the book to read to your new class when school starts.
                                     
Welcome Brochure

Demonstrate how to fold a sheet of paper into thirds to make a brochure. Let each child create a brochure called “Welcome to Grade.” They could include things they’ll learn, special events, etc. Save these and give them (or send in the mail) to your upcoming students when school starts.
                                
Hint! Have children do a “rough draft.” Edit and then make a revised copy.

Back to School Bulletin Board

Invite your students to create a bulletin board to welcome the new class. Cover with newspaper to protect over the summer, and you’ll be ahead of the game when school starts. How about one of these themes?

     Lights, Camera, Action! (Photos of Special Events)

     A Great Batch (Gingerbread Cookies)

     (Teacher’s Name) Bunch (Bananas)

     Round Up for a Great Year (Horses)

     Lookin’ Good! (Giant Mirror)

     Kick off for (Grade)! (Football & Goal)

     Join (Teacher’s Name) Team! (Pennants and Pompoms)

     Welcome Super Stars (Stars)

     Swim into a New Year (Fish)

     Bloom in (Grade - Flower Garden)

Note!  I'm smiling to myself because we used many of these same themes years ago.  Some things just don't change!