Imagine yourself in preschool. You look up to find a canopy of trees overhead. You hear noises of a creek rushing through, wind blowing through the foliage of the trees. Imagine days spent learning about what you find, bugs, sticks, flowers, birds, and the changing seasons. This is what outdoor education looks like, but there’s a lot more to it!
The first time I learned about outdoor education I was studying elementary education, and it became a dream of mine to open an outdoor elementary school. I fell in love with the idea of teaching kids with the beautiful natural resources the PNW has to offer. At the time I had only heard about a few early learning programs spread across the country; now there are over 10 in Whatcom County alone. Which made me wonder why there was such an increase in outdoor programs?
I reached out to Wild Whatcom, Firs and Fiddleheads, Barefeet Farm School and Lichen Early Learning—all schools that focus on early learning for ages 3-6. I got to chat with employees and tour their facilities, learning the inside scoop about outdoor education and about the versatility of nature as a third teacher, first being the parents and second being the classroom teacher. I asked about the importance of these programs to Barefeet Farm School’s owner and teacher, Erin Majeske, and she said, “preschool changes the world.” She refers to the importance of early learning education and how these years are where kids grow and change the most.
Photo by Syd Sprouse
You may be asking, how do kids stay outside all day and all year? The answer is: with the right gear and the right activities! They have a packing list to follow and they quickly learn how to keep their bodies comfortable with layers and jackets and rain boots etc. In winter they often choose to do more physical activities to keep the kids moving and their bodies warm. But if the smoke is ever too bad or it reaches below a set temperature, school will be canceled for safety. Otherwise rain, shine, or snow, the kids are outside and in school! That’s the beauty of the PNW: we don’t experience a ton of weather extremes. Firs and Fiddleheads executive director Kelly Ellis (Snewt) and program coordinator Cameron Sandgren (Akeela) believes that“[Adapting to the weather] teaches kids resiliency.” She goes on to explain that the ever-changing weather of the great outdoors changes their mindsets, teaching them to adapt to
change. Instead of the classic ‘it’s raining, time to head inside’ attitude, they put on rain boots and think ‘let’s go play in puddles.’ Being able to problem-solve changes in the weather gives kids the confidence and regulation to move through different activities and appreciate all that Washington has to give.
Another thing I wondered was: what’s the difference between outdoor learning and traditional learning? Besides being outside all day, the kids don’t have the same restrictions that
a classroom does. Traditional classrooms include desks, supplies, technology, books, and games—enough for 20-30 kids at a time. Outside they have space to wiggle and move as much as they need. Outdoor programs still have books and games and desks, but they are often spread out through different spaces of the forest or are a part of the landscape: logs used as desks and bark for books. These outdoor programs are for both the kids that can’t sit still and the ones that need more space. A few of the schools talked to me about the beauty of the ability to find your own space outside. In an indoor classroom sound can bounce off walls, and there are a lot of little sounds like lights buzzing and electronics humming and other kids talking
nearby. That can be overwhelming when trying to regulate and learn.
The beauty of an outdoor school is the kids know the boundaries of the forest and they are able to put physical space between themselves and any noises that are too much. The teachers saw it was easier for them to regulate their big emotions when they get to choose where they go and have the freedom to move their bodies how they need to. Nature is so good for regulation because it is a “sensory-rich environment,” says Natalie Hathaway at Lichen Early Learning.
Another aspect of outdoor learning is there are real-life examples of nature-focused subjects like seasons changing, bird migration, and weather. Sammy Jolly from Wild Whatcom talked about how they often say “what is the story of the place that we are in?” Learning about the local natural environments of a place through pictures and articles is not the same as being immersed in it. Kids in these programs are experiencing and feeling the change in seasons, rather than identifying the weather through a window. Allowing them to learn through sensory experiences and immersion in the outdoors leads them to bigger curiosities.
Photo by Syd Sprouse
Aren’t they just playing around outside? What are they actually learning? These early learning years are when a child grows the most, which is why they are often measured in months because there is a dramatic difference between a 3 year old and a 4 year old.
Majeske says, “we don’t follow any prescribed method of teaching. And you could do that indoors or outdoors, but the outdoors lends itself to it more just because the environment is
the teacher.”
Outdoor learning treats the environment as a teacher and the teachers as guides on their learning journey. At all of the schools, the owners talked about how the kids have a natural curiosity about what’s around them, and how they will learn skills by naturally asking questions and wanting to know more. Teacher Akeela (Cameron) at First and Fiddleheads gave a great example of natural curiosity: she has an app on her phone that can identify bird sounds, and kids will often come up and ask her to open it. They have to be quiet to let the app work, and they are learning about these different birds because they want to, not because they got a worksheet—their natural curiosity inclines them to want to know more. Another benefit of outdoor learning is the real-life examples. Instead of a teacher bringing in a fern or a picture of one, kids will see one outside and be more inclined to learn about it since they found it on their own. Outdoor education leads to a lot of learning-on-the-go moments. Cameron (Akeela) told me “we are for just about everyone,” in response to the common assumption that outdoor school is just for kids who can’t sit still or are very active. Outdoor programs are also great for increasing fine motor skills and occupational therapy. Some kids just need extra work on tactile movements and coordination. The earth can teach them that, through climbing trees and making mud pies and flipping logs and building forts. A lot of the time natural instincts will help them improve those skills as well as emotional skills like confidence. Coming into an outdoor program, a lot of kids learn and leave with a more confident stance, as having so much independent-led learning and freedom for self-regulated play leads to them trusting their instincts more. Teacher Akeela (Cameron) also talked about how she had a student playing in a tree and asking about leaves and why there weren’t any. This was a perfect opportunity to learn about the season cycle and when leaves do appear: natural curiosity leading to a learning moment. Often kids want to learn more when it’s their own choice.
I got to ask some of the kids at Barefeet Farm School what their favorite part of outdoor school was and here’s a sampling of what they had to say: “climbing, nature, flowers, birdies,
the forest, the horses.” (The school has a horse that roams close by.) The kids’ favorite part of school is just being outside and constantly getting to enjoy what mother nature has to offer.
When the kids love their environment they can thrive and learn from it. Often they don’t even know they are learning by asking these questions.
Outdoor learning is becoming a vital part of the education system because it is so versatile and customizable to the kids’ needs. These programs truly are for every child, from the
energetic ones to the quiet and shy ones. Learning and growing are unavoidable outside, with their natural curiosity leading the way and the teachers there to guide them. Jolly talks about
how her program is working to “reduce barriers and get more people outside and learn[ing] outdoor safety.”
Striving to get kids and their parents outside, outdoor education is a great alternative to traditional teaching. Having nature as the third teacher can help your kid grow both
psychologically and physically—they’re constantly improving coordination, regulation, fine motor skills, confidence, and independence. So if you’re looking for an alternative to traditional
learning, whether traditional isn’t working for your family or you just want to get your kid outside more, check out your local outdoor programs!
