WELCOME TO OUR DAYHOME!
My name is Melissa and welcome to my nature dayhome.
I have always been a nature and outdoor lover and I spend most of my past time in the Rockies, hiking, climbing, camping and kayaking. Having an outdoor lover daughter myself I always envision the benefits of spending time outdoors and learning about what the world has to offer. I have been operating a dayhome successfully since 2011 and have found a passion in teaching what I am myself so passionate about. This is when I felt in love with the forest kindergarten programs.
Your children are the most important part of your life and you can be reassure that our home is a nice, friendly, fun and secured place for them. We have both an indoor and outdoor classroom and we also do daily hikes to the pound and nature areas around Blackfalds.
I have always been a nature and outdoor lover and I spend most of my past time in the Rockies, hiking, climbing, camping and kayaking. Having an outdoor lover daughter myself I always envision the benefits of spending time outdoors and learning about what the world has to offer. I have been operating a dayhome successfully since 2011 and have found a passion in teaching what I am myself so passionate about. This is when I felt in love with the forest kindergarten programs.
Your children are the most important part of your life and you can be reassure that our home is a nice, friendly, fun and secured place for them. We have both an indoor and outdoor classroom and we also do daily hikes to the pound and nature areas around Blackfalds.
What is a Forest Kindergarten?
"A forest kindergarten is a type of preschool education for children between the ages of three and six that is held almost exclusively outdoors. Whatever the weather, children are encouraged to play, explore and learn in a forest or natural environment. The adult supervision is meant to assist rather than lead. It is also known as Waldkindergarten (in German), outdoor nursery, nature kindergarten, or nature preschool.
A forest kindergarten can be described as a kindergarten "without a ceiling or walls". The daycare staff and children spend their time outdoors, typically in a forest. A distinctive feature of forest kindergartens is the emphasis on play with toys that are fashioned out of objects that can be found in nature, rather than commercial toys. Despite these differences, forest kindergartens are meant to fulfill the same basic purpose as other nurseries, namely, to care for, stimulate, and educate young children.
Each forest kindergarten is different, partly because the organisations are independently minded.
Forest kindergartens operate mainly in woodland, although some other sites can be equally inspiring, for example beaches and meadows. There should be a building where children can shelter from extreme weather. They may also spend a small part of each day indoors, although that is more likely to be for administrative and organisational reasons, such as to provide a known location where parents can deliver and collect their children. If the woodland is too far away to walk, a vehicle might reluctantly be used for transport.[citation needed]
Children are encouraged to dress for the weather, with waterproof clothes and warm layers, according to the climate.
Playing outside for prolonged periods has been shown to have a positive impact on children's development, particularly in the areas of balance and agility, but also manual dexterity, physical coordination, tactile sensitivity, and depth perception.[11][12] According to these studies, children who attend forest kindergartens experience fewer injuries due to accidents and are less likely to injure themselves in a fall. A child's ability to assess risks improves,[13] for example in handling fire and dangerous tools. Other studies have shown that spending time in nature improves attention and medical prognosis in women[14] (see Attention Restoration Theory). Playing outdoors is said to strengthen the immune systems of children and daycare professionals."
A forest kindergarten can be described as a kindergarten "without a ceiling or walls". The daycare staff and children spend their time outdoors, typically in a forest. A distinctive feature of forest kindergartens is the emphasis on play with toys that are fashioned out of objects that can be found in nature, rather than commercial toys. Despite these differences, forest kindergartens are meant to fulfill the same basic purpose as other nurseries, namely, to care for, stimulate, and educate young children.
Each forest kindergarten is different, partly because the organisations are independently minded.
Forest kindergartens operate mainly in woodland, although some other sites can be equally inspiring, for example beaches and meadows. There should be a building where children can shelter from extreme weather. They may also spend a small part of each day indoors, although that is more likely to be for administrative and organisational reasons, such as to provide a known location where parents can deliver and collect their children. If the woodland is too far away to walk, a vehicle might reluctantly be used for transport.[citation needed]
Children are encouraged to dress for the weather, with waterproof clothes and warm layers, according to the climate.
Playing outside for prolonged periods has been shown to have a positive impact on children's development, particularly in the areas of balance and agility, but also manual dexterity, physical coordination, tactile sensitivity, and depth perception.[11][12] According to these studies, children who attend forest kindergartens experience fewer injuries due to accidents and are less likely to injure themselves in a fall. A child's ability to assess risks improves,[13] for example in handling fire and dangerous tools. Other studies have shown that spending time in nature improves attention and medical prognosis in women[14] (see Attention Restoration Theory). Playing outdoors is said to strengthen the immune systems of children and daycare professionals."
