Envisioning a Nature Kindergarten

Original date: January 20, 2016

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Presenter: Enid Elliot

Description: Get children outdoors all morning, every morning, no matter what the weather. Enid Elliot will share her experience in establishing a nature kindergarten in the Sooke School District in British Columbia. Her goal: to enable you to start one in your community or to enhance an existing one. Inspired by the forest schools in Europe and wanting to provide young children with an opportunity to learn outdoors within a natural context, this nature kindergarten has grown as a result of considerable community interest, support and commitment.  While the educators adhered to the provincial curriculum, they added experiential components including natural history and traditional narratives of local First Nations. The resulting learning and skills gained by the children has exceeded what is mandated by the provincial curriculum. Nature kindergartens are now spreading across North America.  Each one is unique, and adds to our understanding of the possibilities. There is still much to learn about venturing outside the four classroom walls, but for young people in these programs, the process has begun.

Enid Elliot, PhD, is an early childhood educator who has been continually surprised, intrigued and delighted by the children, families and early childhood educators with whom she has worked, played and loved. Having experienced the influence of natural settings on young children over the years she was involved in creating the Nature Kindergarten in the Sooke School District, which opened in September 2012. Since then she spends as much time as possible heading outside with the children and educators. She is currently on faculty at Camosun College and is an adjunct professor at University of Victoria.