Exploring Nature With Children

Exploring nature with children is a curriculum that is based on nature studies. It has a weekly themed nature walk that is charlotte mason style, a weekly poem, a weekly piece of artwork to study, and a craft and science project the follows the weekly theme.

Forest School Child-Led Learning

The basic idea of forest school is child-led learning with a focus on all senses. The aim is to foster rich learning experiences, ecological literacy, and healthy living by connecting children to nature. It gives them something that they don't have nowadays-connection to nature and to themselves.

It also supports exceptional children who suffer from a lack of confidence or have challenging behaviors by giving them a combination of freedom and responsibility. Children experience climbing trees, lighting fires, learn about the natural environment, ecosystem, and wildlife. They practice daily safety rules, learning perimeters, the buddy system, keeping the adult in view, and what to do if lost. They have the freedom to explore the area within the forest which helps the child learn to manage their own safety and move around comfortably. This allows the child to grow in confidence and independence.

Discover Nature School

Discover Nature Schoool follows the student-centered, collaborative, and experiential learning approach. One of the best ways for kids to learn about nature is to interact with the outdoors. That’s why the Missouri Department of Conservation created a statewide conservation science education program called Discover Nature Schools. It emphasizes hands-on learning, teaches problem-solving, and provides authentic and local contexts for learning. Kids will learn about Missouri’s native plants, animals, and habitats and connect them with nature.  Learning outdoors improves physical and mental health, and reduces attention-deficit problems.