As an assigment we where sent to a kindergarden, Prestheia, to go with the kids into the forest and observe them. As the kids where so adorable, the observing soon turned into playing around with the kids. It was a really good test to see how my Norwegian worked out, since the kids didn’t speak English, but I could communicatie quite good with them.

The day took place on one of the hills in Jegersberg. The kids had their own hut to put their stuff in and to go for shelter when the weather got bad. The way from the kindergarden to Jegers was interesting. The kids had certain stop points, so they all ran as fast as possible to the stop point and waited there for the teachers and the other kids, until the teacher said they could go to the other stop point.  Once arrived at their hill, the kids knew exactly where the boundries where and didn’t cross them.

The teachers offer structure where needed without disturbing the kids to much. So the teachers makes shure the kids go to the hill, safely and stay there as well. After they arrive, the teachers take a step back and keep themselves busy with making a fire and grilling sausages for lunch while ofcourse keeping an eye on the kids. The kids just play and mind their own business. At one point the teacher gathers the kids, sings some songs with them and tells a story and afterwards she let them free again until lunch. Where all the kids ate a sausage, and so we did as well.

The kids seem like they are having fun. Their having both alot of physical acitivy as well as imaginary play. Some of the kids where really high up in the tree and the teachers didn’t care. Others where running around all the time and jumping from rocks and logs. Others seperated an it looked like they where having some kind of bakery and where selling their goods to eachother for pinecones and grass. At one point I got scared away by a “farlig pirat” (dangerous pirate) and at another point Im pretty shure I was part of the Ninja Skildpad gang. It’s nice to see such a dynamic group of moving and playing kids without any other motivation then their own and maybe the environment. Alot of the kids have above average motor skills as what I have seen on this age in the Netherlands. Since our kids play in the sandpit and maybe have a slide on the school playground.

If I could I would try to implement this system in the Netherlands, but since we don’t have so much nature around our kindergardens or schools, the logistic problems are very high. So instead of bringing the kids to nature, I am thinking of bringing nature to the kids, by changing playgrounds.