Posted March 2018
KU Ourimbah Preschool and Children's Centre has developed an area of specialisation within their already high quality educational program – their ‘Forest Preschool’.
As part of this specialisation area, the children at KU Ourimbah engage and connect with nature on a daily basis, with the children currently studying local birdlife.
“This month we have been observing, encountering and studying a variety of local birdlife during our regular field trips to the surrounding wetlands, lakes and forests,” said KU Ourimbah Director, Rosanne Pugh.
“The learning has continued back in the classroom where we have been exploring how birds fly. The children have been looking more deeply into birds’ wings and feathers and how these keep them in the air.”
“As the children continue to investigate, their questions and ideas have become more complex, with the overall process supporting and fostering their thinking skills,” said Rosanne.
For the children at KU Ourimbah, learning not only takes place inside the classroom – it also takes place in nature.
“An increasing research base advocates for participating in place-based play and learning in nature as a powerful environment that complements traditional classroom-based play and learning,” said Rosanne.
“Children benefit from learning outdoors because it provides an opportunity for them to connect with the natural world, to solve problems in a landscape that is not uniform and that offers challenges, inspiration, beauty, unpredictability and interest.”