The original idea of a forest kindergarten is not so new. The first LMŠ were already established in Scandinavia in the 1950s. From there, the idea of forest nurseries spread, especially in Western Europe. In the Czech Republic, forest nurseries have been established in the last three years and currently 150 nurseries are registered with the Forest Nurseries Association
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What is a forest nursery?
Forest. Forests are often the best playgrounds for children, and Mother Nature is like a wise teacher. Children between the ages of 3 and 6, the sole and primary visitors to forest nurseries, find their needs in nature. Let\’s define clearly what such a forest nursery actually is:
“A forest nursery is a place where children can learn to play and play in a natural environment, where they can learn to be themselves, and where they can learn to be themselves.
LMS-Forest Kindergarten is a type of preschool education: children between the ages of 3 and 6 attend Forest Kindergarten. Classes and most programs in forest kindergarten take place outdoors, often in the woods, in all weather conditions.
All forest kindergartens “with children outdoors in all weathers, without walls or fences!” is the motto of the school.
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The focus of the LMS is to develop children\’s abilities through direct contact with nature. They are also encouraged to play, explore, and learn in the forest. This is primarily made possible by small class sizes; the principle of LMS is that there are fewer children per teacher than in a traditional kindergarten. Each class has 15 children, usually with at least two adult teachers. Each child is usually accompanied by two teachers.
Teachers are the more professional educators and must prepare a comprehensive program for the children, but are affected by the seasons because children usually learn outdoors. Therefore, teachers mainly use natural materials as teaching aids, such as sticks as pencils for drawing in the sand, pebbles as musical instruments, or as abacuses. Children learn to explore with all their senses! What does a meadow smell like in summer, and what do the birds sound like? They also learn together what the flowers in the meadow and the fruits in the forest are really important for. Through the play that the forest and nature provide, they learn about their own boundaries and develop new friendships.
But if you think that this will make children backward and unaware of the “fruits of civilization,” you are mistaken! You will be very pleased to know that children will come to appreciate the warmth of a home in the winter; LMS preschoolers take public transportation year-round and even visit and participate in local cultural and social events. Some kindergartens sponsor festivals and fairs.