As we head into a new school year unlike any other before, we know that some families are hesitant to send their children to school in an indoor setting. More than ever, outdoor learning needs to play a significant role in every child’s education.
That’s why we developed the Student Forest Immersion program.
Like our Family Forest Immersion program, it uses outdoor spaces to create natural learning opportunities, but now integrates the Manitoba school curriculum into each lesson to provide your child with a balanced learning experience. It is available to children from kindergarten to grade 6, and will invite them to spend a day outdoors once a week for six weeks.
With health and safety concerns in the classroom, now is the right time to begin introducing nature in your child’s education. According to the Lawson Foundation, promoting and facilitating more opportunities for kids to be outside will have significant and immediate positive impacts for both public health COVID-19 control measures and critical child development and learning.
In nature, children have more space to move and fewer shared surfaces to touch, making it a safer environment. Plus, nature provides a positive impact on children’s health in other ways:
- It promotes physical and mental health by helping children develop risk management skills and resiliency
- Children move more and sit less outdoors, leading to better overall physical health.
- Children develop social skills and self-regulation through outdoor experiences, play, and negotiating with others.
- When playing outdoors, children engage with risk and develop risk management skills that support self efficacy and resilience over time.
- Being outdoors in nature supports mental health and increases children’s happiness and sense of joy.
If you’re interested in making nature part of your child’s education, learn more about our Student Forest Immersion.