Fun Benefits of Bush Kindergarten
The idea of bush kindergarten started with Scandinavia’s and Denmark’s forest schools. The inspiration from the “forest schools” of these two countries has resulted in the bush kindergarten concept in Australia and elsewhere in the world.
What makes the concept of bush kindergarten so fascinating? For one thing, the founders of bush kindergarten firmly believe that connecting with the natural environment by spending outdoors respect the environment as well as stay stronger, healthier, and happier.
Bush kindergarten is a new educational concept that is quickly gaining momentum with the different families across the globe. Here’s why:
Enhances creativity in children
The open and unstructured space of the great outdoors promotes creativity in children. Encouraging children to go outside and explore nature helps them to think outside the box.
Encourages physical activity
Playing indoors can only allow limited movement. The joy of running, running, and jumping to their heart’s delight is accomplished by children when they are encouraged to go outside. Obesity has become one of the gravest health concerns for children today. Maintaining optimum health in children is to encourage them to participate in physical movement.
Encourages children to connect and respect the environment
The multiple stimuli nature has to offer from shells and leaves, flowers and trees, to animals and birds to children encourages them to admire while exploring. The educational experience children have while communing with nature instils appreciation and love of nature during their formative years. Children learning to connect and respect nature help to create the same feeling for future generations.
Enhances immunity
Early childhood settings have their share of childhood illnesses. While this is normal for young children, boosting their immune system can be helped when their education begins by going outside. Heading outside encourages physical movement and the free vitamin D and fresh air is nature’s way of boosting their immunity.
Happier and healthier children
Nothing makes children happier and healthier than being continuously encouraged to play and explore outside. Numerous research studies found that as little as five minutes of playtime outdoors helps to improve the moods of children. The studies conclude that early learning done outside structured environments helps children to feel good. This finding is especially important with the rising mental health conditions seen in children ages 12 and above.
Fosters deeper bonding between teachers and children
Relationships between teachers and children have to be fostered to enable learning. Exploring the outside world through bush kindergarten educational programs has been seen to play an important role in deepening the bond between children and their teachers.
Fosters holistic development in children
Children exposed to bush kindergarten education programs show enhanced concentration and motivation, respect for the natural environment, enhanced language, social, and physical skills, and a deeper understanding of varied concepts.
Offer fun and exciting learning experience for children
Early childhood education is always adapting and evolving as a way to create the best learning experience for children. The success of the bush and beach kindergarten educational programs has made its incorporation in ECE schools highly popular.
Being outside is always an enjoyable and exciting experience for young children. The rising popularity of bush kindergarten makes it one of the fun and exciting educational programs for children. The multiple benefits gained from bush kindergarten programs have made it one of the best learning approaches. Contact us at alto.vic.edu.au to learn more about our bush kindergarten programs.
