Forest Days: BOPN Partners with Boston Public School to Bring Nature-Immersive Programming to K1
History & Mission of Forest Days
We know that the benefits of nature-based education for young children are astounding-- better immune systems, decreased behavioral issues, higher self-esteem and self-confidence, and fostering stewardships, to name a few. But did you know that only 3% of outdoor preschoolers are Black or African American and only 7% are Hispanic or Latino, according to Natural Start Alliance’s 2017 survey? Furthermore, the pedagogy of poverty points out that urban school districts often have far fewer opportunities to provide play-based, hands-on learning experiences. Boston Outdoor Preschool Network is committed to being part of the movement to change this.
In September 2022, we launched a pilot program collaborating with Charles Sumner Elementary School in Roslindale, MA, to provide consistent outdoor play and nature-connection for three K1 (4-year-old) classes. This work is part of a growing movement to get public school children into nature (see this documentary). Each K1 class spends a joyful morning each week exploring nature with guidance from BOPN educators, their classroom teachers, and family volunteers.
How We Do Nature Connection at BOPN
The natural science curriculum at BOPN's Forest Days is play-based and child-led, often focused on emergent learning moments that occur in nature. We use open ended prompts that encourage critical thinking to build a foundational understanding of scientific concepts. When children create and act out stories about animals, they are exploring ways that animals move, what their diet might include, how they create safe dens and nests, and how they interact during different seasons. When children are making leaf crayon rubbings, they are sorting leaves by the type of tree they come from, noticing the changing colors, and identifying the parts of the leaf such as the stem and veins. Some ways that BOPN ensures that nature connection is accessible for all children is by reading bilingual children's books, providing take-home resources in families' native languages, and using songs and fingerplays to learn about the earth, animals, and plants.
Authentic Learning & A Joyful Childhood
Time is one of the biggest gifts that we can give to children. We live in a world where everything is rushed-- both in the day to day of rushing from one activity to the next, and rushing children's overall development by introducing intensely academic work at an earlier age. BOPN's Forest Days provides all children with the opportunity to experience more joy and freedom in their childhood. Ample research has shown us that child-directed play in early childhood leads to better social-emotional development and, in many cases, success in academics later on in elementary school. Forest Days carves out time each week for children in public schools to have this vital time to play, while also exploring materials that build their STEM and literacy skills. We are working against the educational policy and societal pressure on schools and families that causes a push-down of academics, because we believe in the research-backed values of giving children the time and space to "just play".
Here are a few reasons why play-based, nature-based early childhood education should be offered in all public elementary schools...
It offers hands-on experiences that foster high-ordered thinking--> collecting various leaves and sorting them by quality while counting them hits so many math skills
It's child-centered, making the learning more autonomous and meaningful--> playing in the rain/ snow to learn about the water cycle
It assumes all children are competent and encourages self-confidence--> allowing risky play such as climbing on logs and building with sticks
Get Involved!
Are you an educator, administrator, or parent interested in bringing Forest Days to your school? Are you interested in supporting BOPN’s initiative to open the first nature-based program through Universal PreK in Boston? Email us to collaborate and check out our website to learn more about our partnerships.
