Kindergarten reflection and comparison

Presteheia Kindergarten, Kristiansand Norway.

We arrived at the Kindergarten at9 am and the teachers were getting the children in to their outdoor cloths ready for a day in the forest. By 915 all the children were ready with hat, gloves salves and lots of warm layers.  As we started the walk into the forest there were numerous check point where the children were to line up for a head count. As the children were aged between three and six years old I was surprised that each child knew exactly where to stop to be counted without guidance from the teachers. I was also surprised to watch the children explore and go off into the forest while on the walk. The teacher allowed the children to go in to the forest off the main track and climb on rocks during the walk this suprised me as this would never be allowed in the UK. The children would have to walk everywhere in pairs and stay on the tracks. The children could go anywhere and explore anywhere as long as they stayed in sight of the teacher.

When we arrived at the destination in Jagerberg forest there was a shelter area in case of rain and a fire are where the teachers would later prepare lunch for the children. Meanwhile the children were again allowed to go anywhere in the forest as long as they stayed with in eye sight. This again surprised me as a lot of the children were up climbing trees most of them made it past 5meters high. Again this would not happen in the UK as the risk factors would be far too dangerous. As I carried on observing the children some of the boys had sticks that they would use as pretend weapons and play fighting games where as some of the girls would find a quiet area to sit and chat or play tag. There was also a rope swing attached to a tree that some of the girls and boys would play on. It appeared to me, and when checked with the teachers, the only main rule was that that had to stay within eye sight of the teachers. Another girl who appeared to be more why was not forced to play with other children instead she was left to explore on her own and she eventually bonded with some other children and made some friends, it was nice to see the teachers standing back and let nature happen.

The teachers could see where the children were and they just left the children to explore and enjoy the nature. Personally this was a really lovely thing for me to watch as pre-schools in the UK have to stick to rules and strict teaching criteria. When I spoke with the teacher about this it was clear that they had the freedom to teach and guide the children in subjects which they thought suitable. For example one day they would have a nature hunt and find objects from the forest to learn about or they would have a day for learning about different weathers and days to just enjoy the nature and discover.

As lunch time approached the teachers made a fire with a grill on top. The fire was built in a stone pit and the children knew not to step past the stones ass there was a risk of being burnt. Some of the older children saw the fire was lit and collected small twigs so that they could shave the end of the sticks with sharp knives in order to heat up marsh mallows, this again surprised me as the small children aged 5/6 years were able to handle sharp knives. When I asked teacher about this he commented saying that one child cut his hand open on one of the knives and he came to school the next day and said that the accident had happened because he did not listen to the teacher properly on how to use the knife, from then on all the children take a lot of care and listen carefully when using the sharp knives. When the fire was hot enough the teachers cooked sausages on the fire and when they were ready the children came and lined up and received a sausage in bread, they could choose to have red sauce and onions on it too. Some of the older bigger children were given more than one sausage if they wanted. They also sat around the fire waiting for the marshmallows to melt. The teachers showed them how to heat them themselves and how to prevent them from burning on the fire. This again was festinating for me to watch as the children all held the sticks over the fire themselves, again something that would not happen in the UK because of the high risk factor.

The study by Sandseter (2009) discusses risky play and concludes children seek rick in their play whether it be sledging downhill at high speeds or swinging numerous children high on a rope swing. It goes on to conclude that as no children were injured or hurt during the observation the children asses the rick factor before they act. It would also suggest that the children seak risk in order to experience and overcome new challenges and to grow stronger in forms of strength itself and things learned and experienced.

A further study exploring children in nature discusses nature day care centres like the one I observed. It looks at the reasons behind such day care centres and the importance of learning and teaching traditional cultural ideas. The study illustrates the high value out on nature and outdoor life for children in day care centres and states:

‘The day care institution has to contribute to familiarizing children with plants and animals, landscape, seasons and weather. The ecological perspective is paramount. An objective is to develop children’s love of nature, an understanding of the interplay in nature and between man and nature.

Nature accommodates a multitude of experiences and activities in all seasons and in all weathers. Ample opportunities for play and learning are present in the outdoor areas adjacent countryside.’

Written by Ministry of Children and Family Affairs, 10996 (quoted in James and James, 2008).

The study further emphasises that outdoor life and contact with nature are important for pre-school children’s overall development and that nature and outdoor play area a part of everyday life in the institution (James and James, 2008)

In conclusion nature day care centres or pre-schools do not exist in the UK. I feel the nature schools are an excellent opportunity for children to learn about nature and be able to explore and build interests and ideas their own way. The children from my opinion were very well behaved; this could have been because they were being observed by colleagues and I however at this young age I’m sure that would not matter to them.  I genuinely feel honoured to have had the opportunity to visit this school and would love to visit again and observe for longer.

I have attached some pictures taken from my observation day in the forest below.

Reference List

James, A. and James, A.L. ed. (2008) Children in nature: Cultural ideas and social practices in Norway. Hampshire, Palgrave Mcmillan. pp 38-60.

Sandseter, E.B.H. (2009) Risky Plat and Risk Management in Norwegian Preschools: A Qualitative Observational Study. Safety science monitor, 2 (1), pp 87-98