Growing a nature kindergarten that can flourish

Guiding principles for developing a nature kindergarten focused on place-based learning, environmental stewardship, Indigenous ways of knowing, and an emergent curriculum

This case study describes the development of a nature kindergarten in a public school in British Columbia, Canada. The school is located on Vancouver Island, the traditional territory of the Coast Salish First Nations people. The nature kindergarten, while being inspired by forest school and nature preschool models in Europe, was designed to reflect local values and beliefs. Establishing an advisory committee was one of the first steps in developing the program. This advisory committee was formed early in the planning process and continued throughout the development and implementation phases. Members of the advisory committee came from different segments of the community and offered different perspectives about the program and what they hoped to achieve. Committee members included early childhood educators, naturalists, biologists, First Nations’ educators and environmentalists, and university faculty. Children’s ideas were also solicited and considered.

The advisory committee played a key role in developing a framework and a set of guiding principles for the program. Pedagogical principles guiding the initial pilot program focused on (a) connecting deeply with nature: environmental stewardship, (b) the environment as another teacher, (c) learning collaboratively as a part of a community, and (d) physical and mental health. The committee also decided that these principles were to be infused with an understanding of Aboriginal ways of knowing. This decision reflected the importance they placed on sharing local narratives and histories with the children. The hiring, professional development, and ongoing support of two educators — a kindergarten teacher and an early childhood educator —played a critical role in the success of the program. Professional development activities included a 3-day workshop for the newly-hired teachers and other local educators interested in the idea of teaching and learning in the outdoors. Once the program was launched, on-going support for the teachers included weekly “check-ins” with a support team and additional professional development opportunities provided by visiting consultants.

After five years of serving young children in the nature kindergarten program, plans are underway to start a second nature kindergarten in the public school system. Information about the program is also being shared with other educators and communities interested in providing more outdoor educational experiences for children.