When I started teaching first grade four years ago, I knew that I wanted to help my students connect with nature. They were spending 95% of their day cooped up inside, sitting at a desk and looking at screens, unaware of the amazing natural wonders sitting right outside the door. It wasn’t right. I was inspired by the Forest School programs in Europe, which take the traditional classroom and turn
it on its head by educating young children outside in nature. The results? Increased attention spans. Greater collaboration, creativity and problem solving. Improved social skills, language development, motivation and concentration, and physical skills. Higher academic performance. I was sold. Alas, the programs and resources I could were mostly targeted at preschool age children, with just a few venturing into the Kindergarten age group. Furthermore, most of the programs were in the UK and Europe. There was virtually nothing for first graders or beyond. I had to wonder: Was I completely off-base here? Do children suddenly stop needing or benefitting from this connection to nature after their sixth birthday? Surely not. So, I set out to develop my own program, one that could be adapted to work in a traditional American elementary school setting. I dubbed my program Forest Fridays and embarked on a grand experiment in taking 20+ six- and seven-year olds into nature for several hours each week. I am happy to report that not only have my students not stopped learning how to read, write, and do math, but they have grown into happier, more confident, more resilient, and more caring, kind, and compassionate young people. Forest Fridays are the highlight of our weeks together, and not just because they happen right before the weekend.
