I live in Denmark. My grandson was a shy, clumsy boy who hated his kindergarten and just sat in the corner. My son put him into a forest kindergarten and they never looked back. My grandson is thriving, he´s active, happy and playing with other kids and his mototric skills have improved 500%
I'm in the UK and I have an online Danish friend who I talk with every day. Sometimes I will say, 'oh it's raining' or 'oh it's too cold to go out' and she will ask me if I have a coat, gloves, a hat. I admit I do and then she shouts at me for not going out. 'Dress for the weather!' she will say. 'You won't melt if you get wet!'
@@Ati-MarcusS The truth! I am danish, and germans LIVE that rule, it is not just something they say - germans on the danish beaches in rainy weather? Yellow rain boots and perhaps a rain coat - we do it too :D Cheers to my german friends!!!
(I am a german mom) My boy went to a forest kindergarden till he was ready for school. And I am planing to send my daughter too, when she is old enough (at least 2 years old). It gives them so much and I can see, that my son is different from the other kids (he is almost 7 years old) in playing. Often, other kids are bored because they don't know, what to play with al the plastic- brightly-colord- ready to play- toys you can buy in the shops. My boy for example sees a stick and a stone and immidiately his fantasy kicks in: He imagines a wild-west-setting, playing cowboy or native. He builds little huts from branches and declares them as his castly. Then he is a king in his own country. Of cause, he likes his TV-time. But which child doesn't? ;-) But most of the time he is out in the garden or the forest to conquer adventures, that only are set in his own mind. I love that
Boredom is also important for creativity. My favorite toy when we weren't outside was always LEGO. In town there was a nature reserve with reeds, dead trees where we built huts, and bows and arrows. One day I came home with 20 leeches on my legs. Mom almost fainted. 😂
Good for you. Well done. This is great way to teach little humans to use their natural instincts and learned behavior to form thought patterns for critical thinking. The kid in the tree..Yeh scary but maybe this is something he has worked up to, so teachers trust him more bc this is what he wants to naturally do, climb. My little american son while at a babysitters one Sunday morning bc had to work, climbed to the roof from her second story balcony. Everyone there looks for him when suddenly felt must look up and there he was sitting there watching us. Then the fireman came and got him down. He was always climbing things and I never stopped. Nature with nurture means discovering who you are with the confidence to go on. ..ps..my lesson.. never worked another Sunday and never had another babysitter ever.
As a danish pedagogue student with a profile in nature and sustainability we learn about the research in risky play and the importance of this. The kids learn so much about themselfs and their abilities when they overcome stuff and when they fail. When they learn exactly what is possible they get even more connected to themselfs and earn self esteem and much more. Other than that there is so much learning in the nature and they get skills for a life time during those years. Its also important to point out that the years in a forrest kindergarten getting an attention towards the nature will follow you the rest of your life.
You actually do learn some physics, biology and chemistry when you are outside all the time as a kid. And you learn it through experience. The structure and maths of it all can come later - and they just might come easier for kids who had such experiences when they were little. Also: of course, motor skills and so on are a good basis to become an adult who still likes to work out in some way as an adult - - and stay healthier. Makes for less health care costs individually and for society as a whole. Just some aspects that make this approach really worth while!
Wow, that was fast. I recommended this video yesterday, because my kids are attending a similar forest kindergarten in Germany. Thought it would be an intersting one for you. At first I was also a bit sceptical, but after 3 years I would never go back to a indoor one. My kids are loving it. A bit of information if you like. There are groups of twenty kids from age 3 to 6 together in the group. The older kids watch over the younger ones and teach them the do and dont's. To use the knifes you have to be five years old and absolve a little test. They are very proud when they pass and are very cautios and doing it consciously.
What the kids learn there was taught to my generation by our grandparents - oh my - almost 70 years ago. Today's grandparents and great-grandparents have other interests or live in nursing homes. That's why it's so nice to see that this knowledge is not dying out and the children are learning it again.
Fresh air gives energy to the brain. This certainly increases the processing of information. When the kids come home, nice dinner, talking about the day and tired enough to sleep well.
I love your mind transformation because you are ready to learn. You are an outstandning example of what Americans could learn if they were a little bit open to what happens outside their small universes (USA, State, Countys). Thanks for giving me a little confidence that Americans might change!
What's so unusual to you about kids climbing trees and playing outdoors !? It's just a natural way of growing up ! I did it as a kid in the UK, as did everyone I grew up with. We would leave the house in the morning and come home in time for our evening meal. Happy days !
We live in a small village in Germany and have wonderful nature right on our doorstep. A great adventure playground. But you don't see a single child. They all play indoors. From an early age they are told that bacteria in the mud, parasites in the meadows and the fruit picked from the tree make you sick and that all animals in general are dangerous. I often have to pull myself together not to kick these parents' a..
@Anemde Same as! Lol I swear we were almost Ferrell but in a good way. By the time we had got home, we looked like we had crawled through the hedge backwards after taking a mud bath lol.
I'm 61 years old . . . traveled to over 30 countries, and it NEVER ceases to AMAZE me how there is SO MUCH we can all learn from each other . . . this is BRILLIANT, if only more people kept an open mind. To quote one of my favorite lines from a movie; *"Life is a Banquet, and Most Poor Suckers Are Starving to Death"* [Auntie Mame, 1958]
I highly recommend the movie by the way, just be ready for it as it is a bit on the long side, back when peoples' attention span was a bit more than it is now LOL (2h23m with an intermission about half way through)
I'm 51 now. But I grew up in a VERY rural area in Norway. With a grandfather that was a local butcher and a lumberjack. My father was/is a carpenter and a hunter (and earlier Home Guard, as in military) and a knife smith. My other grandfather was a WW2 veteran. I grew up with meat, knifes and guns. Playing in the forest, climbing trees...using knifes. If you do it the rigth way, there is nothing to be scared of. And it teaches you a whole lot of things in the process. :)
That`s a great Kindergarten in the middle of the nature in Denmark. Here in Germany there`s a saying that there`s no such thing as bad weather only bad clothing. And it`s true it`s so important that the children can play outside in nature and let their energy out. Climb in the trees etc., we did that in our childhood and it didn`t do any harm.😊💙
JP, we have those kind of kindergardens here in Germany, too. And I do love this concept. I was born 1980 in the former GDR and in my kindergarden I was outside daily for 3-4 hours. Being outside if its raining, snowing or sunny improves the immune defense system so much and we learnt so much about the nature. We build things in groups, we had outside competitions and the funny thing is, I never had any of the childhood illnesses because my immune system got really strong. I only had colds. And believe me, you can't compare the time you spent inside to the time outside. For a kid, the creativity just flows and everyday you see new things.
We have a few 'Forest Schools' in England now - particularly for pre-school age children. A lot of primary (elementary) schools have a 'Forest School' element to thir curriculum, where they spend some time each week (throughout the year) in a natural environment. It's great for physical development obviously, as well as teaching teamwork, investigative skills, and risk assessment, in addition to learning about nature and the environment itself. There are a lot of concerns generally these days that we are bringing up kids who don't know how to assess risk appropriately, because we have taken away all responsibility from them and made their world too 'safe'. With older children it's a great way to teach the traditional subjects like reading writing and math(s) in a stimulating and real-world context.
We have always had nature walks and nature studies in our schools in the UK. Also when I was a kid we would play down by the brook, catch bully heads and crayfish, climb trees, polevault across the brook just to name a few things, go camping, and survival training, make and build things together, I was also very lucky in the fact that one of my grandfathers was a gamekeeper and pest controller as well, so we would go with him on his jobs, we also had little chicken chasers when I was 10yrs old, and we had to fix it ourselves if it broke down (bodge jobs as a temporary solution) we would run through the fields barefoot, shooting, skinning and gutting, almost like a Ferrell wild child but with manners and respect for the animals and nature and people. It taught us how to appreciate and respect everything you had, know exactly where everything you ate came from and the process from beginning to the end. Many times we would go home with cuts and grazes and bruises, and the random lost or injured animals and birds lol We sometimes looked like we had crawled through the hedge backwards, but great fun and a great feeling of freedom and free to use our imagination when playing.
I was born in 1964 and I was amazed by your amazement at the kid in the top of the tree at the start of the video. That was everyday play for kids of my era. Good times.
Same here ^^ (born 66) during our holidays and weekends there was not a single day we spend inside... Breakfast and than have fun outside: climbing the highest trees we could find, building huts out of wooden sticks and leafs, playing with mud, collecting insects, ..... Wish, i can have these times back! 😅
We have a few forest kindergartens in Slovakia too, but even in our regular kindergartens the kids go out everyday. If the weather is too bad, like heavily snowing or raining, they don't. My kindergarten was right next to a forest and we were going there almost every day. I remember playing there with sticks, leaves, acorns... I still remember that mushroomy smell of the forest. It was nice. Kids from kindergartens usually go play outside the building on a playground or they go for a walk in the streets.
I‘m so grateful my parents put me in a kindergarten where I was in the woods 24/7 made me learn a lot about nature and respect it more and not be disgusted by mud, bad weather or insects…they put a lot of trust in us kids and I think that made most of us very brave and independent
(I am a german dad) When I was a child (about 6 to 10 years) it was absolutly normal for me to climb on trees much higher than the one in the beginning of the video. We trained jumping from 2 to 3 meeters to figure out how far we can go till it's getting tough to land. I also had a knife which l took into the woods on my own, when I was 6 or 7, no big deal. My parents simply showed me how to use it safely before I was allowed to take it with me alone. Today, as a parent of three, it is actually very hard for me to give my children the same freedom. As a parent you often see only danger not the opportunity to grow. I always try to remember how I was raised to overcome the urge to overprotect my children.
Another great reaction. :) For somethingelse thoughtprovoking, I would recommend to watch videos about prisons in Germany/ Scandinavia/ Finnland. Of course I don't know how you think about the prison system in the US and prisoners/ criminals in general but from my experience US Americans are shocked most of the time when they hear about and see prison systems where the focus is on rehabilitation and not punishment, so it might also be interesting for you. :)
My son and daughter were both in forest kindergarten. The best thing there is for children. It stimulates the imagination, they learn respect for nature. Live every season. The children are more balanced. I can only recommend it to everyone
Although this idea originated in Denmark, there are currently forest kindergartens also in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, Sweden, the UK, Italy, and Germany. There are also over 250 "nature preschools" operating in the US, though their regimes are generally less rugged.
I think when kids learn how to handle knives etc they learn to be responsible and know their limits. Noone is putting a group of children in this environment unprepared. They get help initially and then they get guidance and encouragement but can develop freely. Beautiful concept! When I was young, these just became a thing, so very rare. I was so envious and would have loved to be in one but it was expensive and very hard to find an open spot. They've gotten more and more popular and I love to see it! I meet them often when walking my dog and they're always respectful and keep their distance. When other children often run or scream around it or go to pet it without asking..
Norway has these too. Kids growing up active, breathing fresh air, learning to trust themselves, and play in nature, respecting nature. 100% better than 12 kids locked up in a room all day.
I remember document of british children playing on ruins after WW2. Someone said that children have native risk meter and when surrounding is too safe, the children adjust it by becoming more careless and then they also stay careless.
Our kids (Germany) had a forest week every now and then. Spending whole days out in the forest. And by the way - there are many many good reasons to envy Denmark.
My son goes to a forestry nursery and is just covered head to toe in mud daily and he just loves it hahaha just dress them appropriately for the weather and its fine. We're in the UK in the Midlands. Also, my son has his own working tools like hand drill, saw, plyers, etc and his own child safe Montessori knife to help chop vegetables and fruit for snack or dinner and hes 3. He climbs trees, accidentally falls in huge puddles and gets freezing, hes always getting random minor injuries like hit on the leg or whatever but theyre very safe. They cant join before 2 as far as im aware due to insurance but he loves it. We spend the weekends using the public footpaths through local fields or the Derbyshire dales and we just spend hours walking or he goes in the backpack carrier when he gets tired and we stop for a picnic or at a pub for lunch and its wonderful. He has an hour or so tv time or reading time during the day instead of a nap, but he just fidgets until he can get outside. I hope he always has this love of outdoors. We camp over winter with our log burner in our bell tent, all over the UK and as soon as hes old enough we will take him kayaking so we can start taking him down the canals and rivers with us on holidays. We did it with my dad and we hope he wants to carry this on as he gets older:)
For my 7th birthday I received a .22 rifle, to replace my old “Slug Gun”. I used to disappear at daylight and get home before dark. I’d take my rifle, put a few cartridges in my pocket and go wandering. I never shot a person, a domestic animal, a road sign etc. I bought home a lot of food and pelts. By the time I was 10, in late Spring through to mid winter, I made quite a bit of money from pelts. Enough so that I bought a very good truck when I got my license, enough to fund 3 degrees.
we have these is some schools in Tasmania, Australia. Our old school had 'forest school' every week from Kinder to grade 6, in Autumn the students would make 'forts' with what the students had found during forest school, the students love it
i worked in one of thise kindergartens and there was alot of great things but one i thing was the responsebillity the kids showed for each other its amassing
we built Treehouses, when we where children, in the top thirds of Larches. 15 to 20 Meters High, jeah, best childhood ever, learned how to adjust timing on 50cc mopeds with 8 to 9, learning how to drive a traktor same age or much earlier, how to use tools and much more, only 30 years back ;-) it was a very nice childhood :-) if i had kids, which I dont have (I Regret this most) , they would get a nice childhood, Kids need to explore try and learn :-)
Even in "normal" kindergardens in Germany they often have forrest weeks which are quite similar to a forrest kindergarden. My kids also used to play in forrest kindergardens during the weekend, because no fences. You see huts and fire places and defence walls made out of sticks, colourful art in the trees and games build from wood.
To me, a person who grew up in Sweden. This seem completely normal! We don't have forest kindergartens but we spend ALOT of time outdoors. Learning how to cook, whittle sticks and learn about the forest and especially up here about the ice age and vikings. Which just spikes interest in learning and also being outdoors. In nature working with your hands and learning from failing and falling. Cuts, scuffs and bruises aren't something we worry about. It's just another day. Sure it's not for everyone and we still have that spoiled kid or scared kid who feels uncomfortable with the situation but that's how you adapt and learn and find what you like and don't like. More outdoors!
That's how we grou up in 60s without any superwisors and almost no ruls. We were out in the forest for all day. Coming home only to eat and clean 😂And today I'm a healthy grandma with 60+ years. We have some forest kindergarten in Slovenia too.
some german kindergardens have kind of "part time" forest kids, so that group would spend the morning hours in the woods, every day all year round, and come back for a healthy lunch in the main kindergarden nearby where they spend their afternoon.
I’m Demnmark you child is 6-7 years old before they start school until that they go to Kindergardens. The boy at the top of the tree didn’t start by climbing to the top he started maybe 1 meter up and the safer he feels the higher he can climb. We also leaves our children outside in the stroller to sleep even in winter until it hits about minus 20 degrees. And we often leaves our kids outside in strollers while we shop or go to a cafe.
My fondest memories as a kid where of climbing to tops of trees swinging them and moving from one tree to another in the tops. My mother never liked that, but my father was the one that tought me how to climb. To make sure and check if a branch is strong enough, to think about what you do if something goes wrong. I never broke anything at the most i had some cuts and bruises. Only time as a child I was hurt was by a teacher. We often forget our childhood and how our minds worked. We were oblivious to greater dangers, like human predators and things of the like. But I recall being fully aware of every risk I took and I feel lucky I had a father that tought me basic skills like tree climbing building fishing cooking with fire and how to make fire and make it so it would not be a danger to the surrounding woods and fields. I often am suprised of the fears and lack of know how of little things in those around me. And allthough we dont really need those skills in our lives I feel it gives me a inner calm that many are still looking for in their lives. Trust your kids, keep an eye on them tell them to be safe and explain what the risks are and if you leave them free to do what they want for the most part you dont get those nasty tantrum kids.
My grandson who lives in Zermatt, Switzerland goes to forest school there. He started at 4, he’s now 6. He goes to school for only 3 and a half days and has forest school for part of that. They have Weds off too, because they say they need a break in the middle of the week. They all go home for lunch too.
These kids are strong and hardly ever sick... From Denmark. Usually they have a little building or a bus they can go into if it gets really cold, but not always.
I have been told by several parents that have their kids in a forest kindergarden that their children sleep very very well at night. ;-) And they do not need tv to entertain themselves..
We used to grew up like this. Playing on the street until dark comes. Climbing trees and play in the mud. We played in the rain and in the snow until our fingers are cold are freezing. We didn't have parents following us around. We followed older kids and learnd from them. I learned to push myself physicaly when it gets hard, to overcome anything even when i was little. I climbed trees to the very top as well. 😊 and when we went to the country to visit grandparents on the farm this was literaly how we spend our time on the farm.
1:50 That's exactly the stuff I did with my friends all day long. Climbing trees to the top just before the trunk was too thin to hold me. It was sooo much fun!
Live by the beach in Sweden. The kids arrive at the carpark in the morning eat lunch in the bus but others wise outside all the time. Kids love it. There is no bad weather only bad clothing.
This is from my city and I have actually worked in this kindergarden 2 or 3 times.. I'm a pedagouge as well and I have been here as a pedagouge when someone was ill.. Johan is a really good pedagouge.. It was a little weird for me the first time I was there because I usually work mostly in regular kindergardens so the freedom here was a big but very nice surprise.. You just end up with some very balanced abd responsible kids 😉
Young people wouldn't know but this is basically how children grew up for millions of years. When I was a kid we climbed trees all days of the week. I got my first knife at the age of 6.
It actually surprises me a bit that Americans are so shocked with these playgrounds and Kindergartens. In some areas in the States kids are being taught from very young to use guns, their reasoning being that it teaches kids respect fir the weapon. By the same token our kids are being taught to respect nature and taking risks. In my opinion, teaching kids to deal with outdoor life is much healthier than teaching them how to use a gun.
I love the no fencing part! I had only one bad memory from my time in my german Kindergarten. It had a huuuge outdoor playground behind the building with a part of a local forst. But it was fenced. I hated that, there were fazans, we played with the birds but could never reach their field behind our forest due to the fence and we were not allowed to climb it. Soo frustrating, even as a 4 yo. But I guess one needs to respect bounderis. Still, a 'don't leave the forest' without the fence would have been enough...
That brings me back to the time when I was that young, that was the way I climbed. It was a bit higher, and the teachers expressed their concern to me. Not that it would bother me. I never fall down and I never saw this happen. Waldkindergarten is a thing in germany as well. I did not attend such a kindergarten, but a friend of mine worked there as kindergartener. Most stories were funny, the only sad story was the day the kids foud a bee hive. But I guess that was an experience as well.
Being a dane, this video makes me so proud to watch! Proud of where I come from and proud to be a dane❤ I don’t usually go around being proud of this or that, but watching this makes me so proud of my origins❤
Climbing on trees is considered as normal for children and they do that when they are outdoors on their own or with friends. When I was a child we builded small huts on the soil and in trees in the forest if suitable branches had been reachable and available. As well we explored an old bunker from second world war - without telling our parents. Most dangers for children are imposed by the traffic and a lack of knowledge about the railways. Parents must tell them to keep their distance from the rail tracks and not to climb on waggons because of the headlines with high voltages of power.
When I was growing up (like from the age of 5), we played outside in the woods in Germany! Today, many are only sissified! We have a saying! There is no bad weather, only bad clothes!
I live in Denmark and was born and raised here, when I was little I also went to forest kindergarten 5 days a week which was one of the best things in my childhood, I lived in Copenhagen and every morning all the children went on a bus to the forest kindergarten, I think it has taught us a lot about responsibility and respect for each other and is a lesson for the rest of your life, and you learn a lot about your own limits for what you can and dare to do, and yes we also crawled up the trees as you can see in this upload and we also learned how to use a knife to cut wooden sticks. All children should experience this at least once in their lives.
This is how children should grow up instead of being pampered and always in front of the television or on the mobile phone. I simply applaud the forest Kindergartens.
It's an international movement and there are Forest Kindergartens in the US. I live in New Mexico. Before the pandemic, I was hiking and saw these kids in the forest about half mile in. I knew instantly what is was and they used my dog's presence to teach the kids. It was very cool I didn't see using knives and climbing and it was a beautiful day (although in Ponderosa pines it's not really all that climbable). I understand there are a few of these in Colorado and an organization to promote this in the US. Not sure if standards on when you go out and so on. I did see a clothing list and it included rain gear etc. I doubt it will ever be as popular as in Europe, I think overprotection is much more of a thing here. (BTW, as to safety---kids will invent ways to use playground equipment like going up the slide the wrong way because they are really boring. So they get hurt a lot. Playground accidents in the US are commonplace. ) BTW, as you'd expect few of these schools in the US
My two daughters both learnt to pee standing in german Waldkindergarten. My oldest is a teenager now and when we take a stop at the Rastplatz on the Autbahn to take a piss we do it standing gathered around a tree lol
To anyone who is chocked and apalled... haha - this is how we played "back in the day". I had my childhood in Sweden in the 70's and we were always out playing in the woods on our own. My parents had no idea where I was, but as long as I came back for dinner at night, all was good... 😂
We have similar kindergardens here in Norway, but they also have a regular building to start at. Some of them even have busses rebuilt with child seats and food prep area and anything else they would need. I met one such group once, when hiking at about 500Meter altitude. The parking area was at 50M. I barely managed to keep ahead of them on the way down. Those little buggers move FAST!
I think that the concerns about them not being prepared for school are ridiculous itself. It´s a kindergarden - a place for young children to just be children. It´s not meant to be pre-school. There´s plenty of time to learn in a classroom after that. Just give them a place to have fun and be children and not a place to already put the pressure of growing up into an adult to them
I think it is wonderful way for kids to grow up. Just imagine nowadays when kids are in classrooms in kindergartens then go home where parents are tired from work and stay home with them. They maybe see outdoors during the weekends if they are lucky. That is no way for a kid to grow up. We were made by nature to climb, run, walk, crawl and do all the other things and be outside and breathe fresh air and experience all the dirt, mud, plants and animals around us. I think this way the children can really get in tune with nature, learn so many valuable lessons, appreciate the world around them and become skilled at all the basic motor skills and not grow up into clumsy adults.
In Germany there are forest kindergardens everywhere since 25 years. My children didnt visit one but they had forest days every week or whole forest weeks. Sometimes forest kindergardens even havent a stable house where the group meets, they just have a camper with a small heating for extra cold or rainy days.
Your "It's always in the back of my mind.." without even saying "Guns" reminded me really of this other channel "My very merry messy life (in Germany)" It's about a US Family (Mum, Dad, 3 Boys and 1 Girl (she's the youngest at Age 5 or 6) And someday, the Mum talks about Ella wantlng to wear those fancy shoes, those who can blink/flashing lights. She refused to let Ella wear these shoes in the US, as they were considered as dangerous. This made me feel so sad - to imagine, how to explain something seen as innocent and fun to have through the eyes of a small kid - that it makes you a easy target during an active school shooting..
The US actually ranks extremely low in terms of child rights with how restricted the lives of children are and how much far right indoctrination there is especially in recent years.
Kindergarden children in north Europe is outside in all kinds of weather all year. In Norway it is cold from oct-april so we just dress for the weather. Even in school. My daughters (she is 8) school is ourside all day one day a week all year. Going to the forrest to explore and play.
Dude at 14:45 it's a string and a trash bag and kids are so happy, I'd be too tbh, this is so amazing. Now think about it from a perspective of license kindergarten and how much would such "toy" cost ...
*kids with knives making sharp spears, one kid ten meters up in the tree* „Only once in 17 years did I have to drive a kid to the ER““What happened?“ „A parent drove over its foot“ that made me laugh out loud tbh😅
you should see norway... they put children sleeping...or the naps..outside with minus temperatures.. but its preety similar with the denmark..just had the -20 celsius
Haha, funny. Concept of scouting for Kindergarten Kids. Whats the matter? Let the Kids explore the world. On their way. The best way. With all senses. Love it.
Idk the big deal about climbing high in trees, it was common for kids to do when I was young. I played outside almost everyday but I never had a teacher with me to explain it all or watch over me so I think this is super awesome. I would have been a happy child if I went to this kind of school. I would stare out the window wishing I could play outside when I was at school.
another recommendation, not videos, is to read about Rudolfs-Steiner's philosophy about the mind of children and Grundtvig and Kold's danish "highschools"(in denmark we call them højskole), its a very interesting way of thinking about education and the conditioning to become a whole human being. its all quite unique but lays the foundation of scandinavian educational systems. in short its about the rational mind and the spiritual mind coexisting to be ready to meet the world with independence and confidence and the ability to be free alongside others. a funfact: Grundtvig were the first person in the world to open schools for slaves in the Caribbean.
Free-range kids learn their limitations. This is how kids used to play. When we weren’t at school we were roaming around doing stuff. I was a post-war kid and we didn’t have much money for ‘toys’, we used our imaginations. Kids aren’t stupid.
That is what we call freedom in Europe.
I live in Denmark. My grandson was a shy, clumsy boy who hated his kindergarten and just sat in the corner. My son put him into a forest kindergarten and they never looked back. My grandson is thriving, he´s active, happy and playing with other kids and his mototric skills have improved 500%
I'm in the UK and I have an online Danish friend who I talk with every day. Sometimes I will say, 'oh it's raining' or 'oh it's too cold to go out' and she will ask me if I have a coat, gloves, a hat. I admit I do and then she shouts at me for not going out. 'Dress for the weather!' she will say. 'You won't melt if you get wet!'
She is right @TukikoTroy there is no bad weather only bad clothing ... (i´m German...)
@@Ati-MarcusS The truth! I am danish, and germans LIVE that rule, it is not just something they say - germans on the danish beaches in rainy weather? Yellow rain boots and perhaps a rain coat - we do it too :D
Cheers to my german friends!!!
(I am a german mom) My boy went to a forest kindergarden till he was ready for school. And I am planing to send my daughter too, when she is old enough (at least 2 years old). It gives them so much and I can see, that my son is different from the other kids (he is almost 7 years old) in playing. Often, other kids are bored because they don't know, what to play with al the plastic- brightly-colord- ready to play- toys you can buy in the shops. My boy for example sees a stick and a stone and immidiately his fantasy kicks in: He imagines a wild-west-setting, playing cowboy or native. He builds little huts from branches and declares them as his castly. Then he is a king in his own country. Of cause, he likes his TV-time. But which child doesn't?
;-)
But most of the time he is out in the garden or the forest to conquer adventures, that only are set in his own mind. I love that
Ich finde das wirklich toll 👍🏻 zu meiner Zeit ( Jahrgang 1983 ) gab es das leider noch nicht in Deutschland wir waren aber auch so viel in der Natur
Boredom is also important for creativity. My favorite toy when we weren't outside was always LEGO. In town there was a nature reserve with reeds, dead trees where we built huts, and bows and arrows. One day I came home with 20 leeches on my legs. Mom almost fainted. 😂
Good for you. Well done. This is great way to teach little humans to use their natural instincts and learned behavior to form thought patterns for critical thinking.
The kid in the tree..Yeh scary but maybe this is something he has worked up to, so teachers trust him more bc this is what he wants to naturally do, climb.
My little american son while at a babysitters one Sunday morning bc had to work, climbed to the roof from her second story balcony.
Everyone there looks for him when suddenly felt must look up and there he was sitting there watching us. Then the fireman came and got him down.
He was always climbing things and I never stopped. Nature with nurture means discovering who you are with the confidence to go on. ..ps..my lesson.. never worked another Sunday and never had another babysitter ever.
Good for you, I hope both your children continue to enjoy the outdoors.
Gut gemacht Anne ❤
As a danish pedagogue student with a profile in nature and sustainability we learn about the research in risky play and the importance of this. The kids learn so much about themselfs and their abilities when they overcome stuff and when they fail. When they learn exactly what is possible they get even more connected to themselfs and earn self esteem and much more. Other than that there is so much learning in the nature and they get skills for a life time during those years. Its also important to point out that the years in a forrest kindergarten getting an attention towards the nature will follow you the rest of your life.
You actually do learn some physics, biology and chemistry when you are outside all the time as a kid. And you learn it through experience. The structure and maths of it all can come later - and they just might come easier for kids who had such experiences when they were little.
Also: of course, motor skills and so on are a good basis to become an adult who still likes to work out in some way as an adult - - and stay healthier. Makes for less health care costs individually and for society as a whole.
Just some aspects that make this approach really worth while!
And not to forget: the happy children who can report great experiences every day.
This is how they become mentally stable adults.
@J U immer positiv denken!
Die 80er bis 2000er waren schon ein Ausfall. Die heutige Generation ist immerhin ein Lichtblick. Hoffen wir das Beste! ;)
Wow, that was fast. I recommended this video yesterday, because my kids are attending a similar forest kindergarten in Germany. Thought it would be an intersting one for you. At first I was also a bit sceptical, but after 3 years I would never go back to a indoor one. My kids are loving it. A bit of information if you like. There are groups of twenty kids from age 3 to 6 together in the group. The older kids watch over the younger ones and teach them the do and dont's. To use the knifes you have to be five years old and absolve a little test. They are very proud when they pass and are very cautios and doing it consciously.
Thanks for recommending, it is a lovely and eye opening video...
"Schnitzen nur im Sitzen" whittle only when sitting down. Don´t run around with a knife in your hand. The Kids also learn to be careful with fire.
What the kids learn there was taught to my generation by our grandparents - oh my - almost 70 years ago.
Today's grandparents and great-grandparents have other interests or live in nursing homes. That's why it's so nice to see that this knowledge is not dying out and the children are learning it again.
Fantastic!
Fresh air gives energy to the brain. This certainly increases the processing of information. When the kids come home, nice dinner, talking about the day and tired enough to sleep well.
I love your mind transformation because you are ready to learn. You are an outstandning example of what Americans could learn if they were a little bit open to what happens outside their small universes (USA, State, Countys). Thanks for giving me a little confidence that Americans might change!
What's so unusual to you about kids climbing trees and playing outdoors !?
It's just a natural way of growing up ! I did it as a kid in the UK, as did everyone I grew up with. We would leave the house in the morning and come home in time for our evening meal. Happy days !
We live in a small village in Germany and have wonderful nature right on our doorstep. A great adventure playground. But you don't see a single child. They all play indoors. From an early age they are told that bacteria in the mud, parasites in the meadows and the fruit picked from the tree make you sick and that all animals in general are dangerous.
I often have to pull myself together not to kick these parents' a..
@@dawi8929 lol... You're right!
@Anemde
Same as!
Lol I swear we were almost Ferrell but in a good way. By the time we had got home, we looked like we had crawled through the hedge backwards after taking a mud bath lol.
I'm 61 years old . . . traveled to over 30 countries, and it NEVER ceases to AMAZE me how there is SO MUCH we can all learn from each other . . . this is BRILLIANT, if only more people kept an open mind.
To quote one of my favorite lines from a movie; *"Life is a Banquet, and Most Poor Suckers Are Starving to Death"* [Auntie Mame, 1958]
I highly recommend the movie by the way, just be ready for it as it is a bit on the long side, back when peoples' attention span was a bit more than it is now LOL (2h23m with an intermission about half way through)
I'm 51 now. But I grew up in a VERY rural area in Norway. With a grandfather that was a local butcher and a lumberjack. My father was/is a carpenter and a hunter (and earlier Home Guard, as in military) and a knife smith. My other grandfather was a WW2 veteran. I grew up with meat, knifes and guns. Playing in the forest, climbing trees...using knifes. If you do it the rigth way, there is nothing to be scared of. And it teaches you a whole lot of things in the process. :)
That`s a great Kindergarten in the middle of the nature in Denmark. Here in Germany there`s a saying that there`s no such thing as bad weather only bad clothing. And it`s true it`s so important that the children can play outside in nature and let their energy out. Climb in the trees etc., we did that in our childhood and it didn`t do any harm.😊💙
JP, we have those kind of kindergardens here in Germany, too. And I do love this concept. I was born 1980 in the former GDR and in my kindergarden I was outside daily for 3-4 hours. Being outside if its raining, snowing or sunny improves the immune defense system so much and we learnt so much about the nature. We build things in groups, we had outside competitions and the funny thing is, I never had any of the childhood illnesses because my immune system got really strong. I only had colds.
And believe me, you can't compare the time you spent inside to the time outside. For a kid, the creativity just flows and everyday you see new things.
We have a few 'Forest Schools' in England now - particularly for pre-school age children. A lot of primary (elementary) schools have a 'Forest School' element to thir curriculum, where they spend some time each week (throughout the year) in a natural environment. It's great for physical development obviously, as well as teaching teamwork, investigative skills, and risk assessment, in addition to learning about nature and the environment itself. There are a lot of concerns generally these days that we are bringing up kids who don't know how to assess risk appropriately, because we have taken away all responsibility from them and made their world too 'safe'. With older children it's a great way to teach the traditional subjects like reading writing and math(s) in a stimulating and real-world context.
We have always had nature walks and nature studies in our schools in the UK. Also when I was a kid we would play down by the brook, catch bully heads and crayfish, climb trees, polevault across the brook just to name a few things, go camping, and survival training,
make and build things together, I was also very lucky in the fact that one of my grandfathers was a gamekeeper and pest controller as well, so we would go with him on his jobs, we also had little chicken chasers when I was 10yrs old, and we had to fix it ourselves if it broke down (bodge jobs as a temporary solution) we would run through the fields barefoot, shooting, skinning and gutting, almost like a Ferrell wild child but with manners and respect for the animals and nature and people. It taught us how to appreciate and respect everything you had, know exactly where everything you ate came from and the process from beginning to the end. Many times we would go home with cuts and grazes and bruises, and the random lost or injured animals and birds lol
We sometimes looked like we had crawled through the hedge backwards, but great fun and a great feeling of freedom and free to use our imagination when playing.
Yeahh we're in the UK and my son's at forest nursery and he's 3. They can't go until 2 here because of insurance but it's amazing.
I was born in 1964 and I was amazed by your amazement at the kid in the top of the tree at the start of the video. That was everyday play for kids of my era. Good times.
Same here ^^ (born 66) during our holidays and weekends there was not a single day we spend inside... Breakfast and than have fun outside: climbing the highest trees we could find, building huts out of wooden sticks and leafs, playing with mud, collecting insects, ..... Wish, i can have these times back! 😅
That kid was really high in the trees tho...what happens if he falls
@@itiswhatitis141 We will never know, because hi did not. Neither will we know what happens if he eat the spider.
We have a few forest kindergartens in Slovakia too, but even in our regular kindergartens the kids go out everyday. If the weather is too bad, like heavily snowing or raining, they don't. My kindergarten was right next to a forest and we were going there almost every day. I remember playing there with sticks, leaves, acorns... I still remember that mushroomy smell of the forest. It was nice. Kids from kindergartens usually go play outside the building on a playground or they go for a walk in the streets.
I‘m so grateful my parents put me in a kindergarten where I was in the woods 24/7 made me learn a lot about nature and respect it more and not be disgusted by mud, bad weather or insects…they put a lot of trust in us kids and I think that made most of us very brave and independent
(I am a german dad) When I was a child (about 6 to 10 years) it was absolutly normal for me to climb on trees much higher than the one in the beginning of the video. We trained jumping from 2 to 3 meeters to figure out how far we can go till it's getting tough to land. I also had a knife which l took into the woods on my own, when I was 6 or 7, no big deal. My parents simply showed me how to use it safely before I was allowed to take it with me alone.
Today, as a parent of three, it is actually very hard for me to give my children the same freedom. As a parent you often see only danger not the opportunity to grow. I always try to remember how I was raised to overcome the urge to overprotect my children.
Another great reaction. :) For somethingelse thoughtprovoking, I would recommend to watch videos about prisons in Germany/ Scandinavia/ Finnland. Of course I don't know how you think about the prison system in the US and prisoners/ criminals in general but from my experience US Americans are shocked most of the time when they hear about and see prison systems where the focus is on rehabilitation and not punishment, so it might also be interesting for you. :)
My son and daughter were both in forest kindergarten. The best thing there is for children. It stimulates the imagination, they learn respect for nature. Live every season. The children are more balanced. I can only recommend it to everyone
And healthier? I think
@@arnodobler1096short term not always, but long term absolutely!
Although this idea originated in Denmark, there are currently forest kindergartens also in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, Sweden, the UK, Italy, and Germany. There are also over 250 "nature preschools" operating in the US, though their regimes are generally less rugged.
When I was in Kindergarten in Austria i used to basically sit the entire day in a cherry tree with my friends.
I think when kids learn how to handle knives etc they learn to be responsible and know their limits. Noone is putting a group of children in this environment unprepared. They get help initially and then they get guidance and encouragement but can develop freely. Beautiful concept!
When I was young, these just became a thing, so very rare. I was so envious and would have loved to be in one but it was expensive and very hard to find an open spot. They've gotten more and more popular and I love to see it! I meet them often when walking my dog and they're always respectful and keep their distance. When other children often run or scream around it or go to pet it without asking..
this is wonderful. reminds me of being a kid in the 50's we were into everything and went everywhere....home for supper!!!
Norway has these too. Kids growing up active, breathing fresh air, learning to trust themselves, and play in nature, respecting nature. 100% better than 12 kids locked up in a room all day.
I remember document of british children playing on ruins after WW2. Someone said that children have native risk meter and when surrounding is too safe, the children adjust it by becoming more careless and then they also stay careless.
Our kids (Germany) had a forest week every now and then. Spending whole days out in the forest.
And by the way - there are many many good reasons to envy Denmark.
My son goes to a forestry nursery and is just covered head to toe in mud daily and he just loves it hahaha just dress them appropriately for the weather and its fine. We're in the UK in the Midlands.
Also, my son has his own working tools like hand drill, saw, plyers, etc and his own child safe Montessori knife to help chop vegetables and fruit for snack or dinner and hes 3.
He climbs trees, accidentally falls in huge puddles and gets freezing, hes always getting random minor injuries like hit on the leg or whatever but theyre very safe. They cant join before 2 as far as im aware due to insurance but he loves it. We spend the weekends using the public footpaths through local fields or the Derbyshire dales and we just spend hours walking or he goes in the backpack carrier when he gets tired and we stop for a picnic or at a pub for lunch and its wonderful. He has an hour or so tv time or reading time during the day instead of a nap, but he just fidgets until he can get outside. I hope he always has this love of outdoors.
We camp over winter with our log burner in our bell tent, all over the UK and as soon as hes old enough we will take him kayaking so we can start taking him down the canals and rivers with us on holidays. We did it with my dad and we hope he wants to carry this on as he gets older:)
They are learning, just not in a formal way.
For my 7th birthday I received a .22 rifle, to replace my old “Slug Gun”. I used to disappear at daylight and get home before dark. I’d take my rifle, put a few cartridges in my pocket and go wandering. I never shot a person, a domestic animal, a road sign etc. I bought home a lot of food and pelts. By the time I was 10, in late Spring through to mid winter, I made quite a bit of money from pelts. Enough so that I bought a very good truck when I got my license, enough to fund 3 degrees.
I'd loved to be young again and run through the forests. That must be so much fun.
we have these is some schools in Tasmania, Australia. Our old school had 'forest school' every week from Kinder to grade 6, in Autumn the students would make 'forts' with what the students had found during forest school, the students love it
Active learning opening one's curiosity and potential versus passive learning
My boys where both in a waldkindergarten. Thanks for reacting.
i worked in one of thise kindergartens and there was alot of great things but one i thing was the responsebillity the kids showed for each other its amassing
I've never heard of this before - but I grew up a tomboy climbing trees etc in the 60s. This sounds like a great idea
we built Treehouses, when we where children, in the top thirds of Larches. 15 to 20 Meters High, jeah, best childhood ever, learned how to adjust timing on 50cc mopeds with 8 to 9, learning how to drive a traktor same age or much earlier, how to use tools and much more, only 30 years back ;-) it was a very nice childhood :-) if i had kids, which I dont have (I Regret this most) , they would get a nice childhood, Kids need to explore try and learn :-)
Even in "normal" kindergardens in Germany they often have forrest weeks which are quite similar to a forrest kindergarden. My kids also used to play in forrest kindergardens during the weekend, because no fences. You see huts and fire places and defence walls made out of sticks, colourful art in the trees and games build from wood.
To me, a person who grew up in Sweden. This seem completely normal! We don't have forest kindergartens but we spend ALOT of time outdoors. Learning how to cook, whittle sticks and learn about the forest and especially up here about the ice age and vikings. Which just spikes interest in learning and also being outdoors. In nature working with your hands and learning from failing and falling. Cuts, scuffs and bruises aren't something we worry about. It's just another day. Sure it's not for everyone and we still have that spoiled kid or scared kid who feels uncomfortable with the situation but that's how you adapt and learn and find what you like and don't like. More outdoors!
That's how we grou up in 60s without any superwisors and almost no ruls. We were out in the forest for all day. Coming home only to eat and clean 😂And today I'm a healthy grandma with 60+ years.
We have some forest kindergarten in Slovenia too.
some german kindergardens have kind of "part time" forest kids, so that group would spend the morning hours in the woods, every day all year round, and come back for a healthy lunch in the main kindergarden nearby where they spend their afternoon.
It’s exceedingly rare for temperatures to get lower than minus 5° Celcius in Denmark.
I’m Demnmark you child is 6-7 years old before they start school until that they go to Kindergardens.
The boy at the top of the tree didn’t start by climbing to the top he started maybe 1 meter up and the safer he feels the higher he can climb.
We also leaves our children outside in the stroller to sleep even in winter until it hits about minus 20 degrees. And we often leaves our kids outside in strollers while we shop or go to a cafe.
My fondest memories as a kid where of climbing to tops of trees swinging them and moving from one tree to another in the tops. My mother never liked that, but my father was the one that tought me how to climb. To make sure and check if a branch is strong enough, to think about what you do if something goes wrong. I never broke anything at the most i had some cuts and bruises. Only time as a child I was hurt was by a teacher.
We often forget our childhood and how our minds worked. We were oblivious to greater dangers, like human predators and things of the like. But I recall being fully aware of every risk I took and I feel lucky I had a father that tought me basic skills like tree climbing building fishing cooking with fire and how to make fire and make it so it would not be a danger to the surrounding woods and fields. I often am suprised of the fears and lack of know how of little things in those around me. And allthough we dont really need those skills in our lives I feel it gives me a inner calm that many are still looking for in their lives.
Trust your kids, keep an eye on them tell them to be safe and explain what the risks are and if you leave them free to do what they want for the most part you dont get those nasty tantrum kids.
My grandson who lives in Zermatt, Switzerland goes to forest school there. He started at 4, he’s now 6. He goes to school for only 3 and a half days and has forest school for part of that. They have Weds off too, because they say they need a break in the middle of the week. They all go home for lunch too.
I'm glad you accepted my suggestion
That's a Viking kindergarden. That's how Danes get so brave - by climbing trees.
These kids are strong and hardly ever sick... From Denmark. Usually they have a little building or a bus they can go into if it gets really cold, but not always.
I have been told by several parents that have their kids in a forest kindergarden that their children sleep very very well at night. ;-) And they do not need tv to entertain themselves..
The tree climbing reactions are so funny to me😂 Because I never really Think about it as it’s such a normal thing here😂
We used to grew up like this. Playing on the street until dark comes. Climbing trees and play in the mud. We played in the rain and in the snow until our fingers are cold are freezing. We didn't have parents following us around. We followed older kids and learnd from them. I learned to push myself physicaly when it gets hard, to overcome anything even when i was little. I climbed trees to the very top as well. 😊 and when we went to the country to visit grandparents on the farm this was literaly how we spend our time on the farm.
1:50 That's exactly the stuff I did with my friends all day long. Climbing trees to the top just before the trunk was too thin to hold me. It was sooo much fun!
Live by the beach in Sweden. The kids arrive at the carpark in the morning eat lunch in the bus but others wise outside all the time. Kids love it. There is no bad weather only bad clothing.
This is from my city and I have actually worked in this kindergarden 2 or 3 times.. I'm a pedagouge as well and I have been here as a pedagouge when someone was ill.. Johan is a really good pedagouge.. It was a little weird for me the first time I was there because I usually work mostly in regular kindergardens so the freedom here was a big but very nice surprise.. You just end up with some very balanced abd responsible kids 😉
Young people wouldn't know but this is basically how children grew up for millions of years. When I was a kid we climbed trees all days of the week. I got my first knife at the age of 6.
WOW! Thank you for showing this. We do not have this in Holland 👍
A regular week in a regular Norwegian kindergarten includes at least one day in the forest, if not more. Even in winter.
It actually surprises me a bit that Americans are so shocked with these playgrounds and Kindergartens. In some areas in the States kids are being taught from very young to use guns, their reasoning being that it teaches kids respect fir the weapon. By the same token our kids are being taught to respect nature and taking risks. In my opinion, teaching kids to deal with outdoor life is much healthier than teaching them how to use a gun.
I love the no fencing part!
I had only one bad memory from my time in my german Kindergarten. It had a huuuge outdoor playground behind the building with a part of a local forst. But it was fenced.
I hated that, there were fazans, we played with the birds but could never reach their field behind our forest due to the fence and we were not allowed to climb it.
Soo frustrating, even as a 4 yo. But I guess one needs to respect bounderis. Still, a 'don't leave the forest' without the fence would have been enough...
That brings me back to the time when I was that young, that was the way I climbed. It was a bit higher, and the teachers expressed their concern to me. Not that it would bother me. I never fall down and I never saw this happen. Waldkindergarten is a thing in germany as well. I did not attend such a kindergarten, but a friend of mine worked there as kindergartener. Most stories were funny, the only sad story was the day the kids foud a bee hive. But I guess that was an experience as well.
Being a dane, this video makes me so proud to watch! Proud of where I come from and proud to be a dane❤ I don’t usually go around being proud of this or that, but watching this makes me so proud of my origins❤
Climbing on trees is considered as normal for children and they do that when they are outdoors on their own or with friends. When I was a child we builded small huts on the soil and in trees in the forest if suitable branches had been reachable and available. As well we explored an old bunker from second world war - without telling our parents.
Most dangers for children are imposed by the traffic and a lack of knowledge about the railways. Parents must tell them to keep their distance from the rail tracks and not to climb on waggons because of the headlines with high voltages of power.
this type of Kindergarten you will find in germany too. many of them.
There are also forest kindergartens in Poland 🙂
There are some of these sorts of groups in the UK, there was one operating in the wood behind one of my previous scout groups.
When I was growing up (like from the age of 5), we played outside in the woods in Germany! Today, many are only sissified!
We have a saying! There is no bad weather, only bad clothes!
I live in Denmark and was born and raised here, when I was little I also went to forest kindergarten 5 days a week which was one of the best things in my childhood, I lived in Copenhagen and every morning all the children went on a bus to the forest kindergarten, I think it has taught us a lot about responsibility and respect for each other and is a lesson for the rest of your life, and you learn a lot about your own limits for what you can and dare to do, and yes we also crawled up the trees as you can see in this upload and we also learned how to use a knife to cut wooden sticks. All children should experience this at least once in their lives.
the kids sleep very well at night because they are so tired 😂
This is how children should grow up instead of being pampered and always in front of the television or on the mobile phone. I simply applaud the forest Kindergartens.
It's an international movement and there are Forest Kindergartens in the US. I live in New Mexico. Before the pandemic, I was hiking and saw these kids in the forest about half mile in. I knew instantly what is was and they used my dog's presence to teach the kids. It was very cool I didn't see using knives and climbing and it was a beautiful day (although in Ponderosa pines it's not really all that climbable). I understand there are a few of these in Colorado and an organization to promote this in the US. Not sure if standards on when you go out and so on. I did see a clothing list and it included rain gear etc. I doubt it will ever be as popular as in Europe, I think overprotection is much more of a thing here. (BTW, as to safety---kids will invent ways to use playground equipment like going up the slide the wrong way because they are really boring. So they get hurt a lot. Playground accidents in the US are commonplace. ) BTW, as you'd expect few of these schools in the US
My daughter was going to a forest kindergarten in Germany too… was exhausting for me sometimes but such a great time for her…😁
My two daughters both learnt to pee standing in german Waldkindergarten. My oldest is a teenager now and when we take a stop at the Rastplatz on the Autbahn to take a piss we do it standing gathered around a tree lol
Yes, thank you for watching what I recommended. Kids can do so.many things, if you teach and trust them right!
Lovely Reaction❤
To anyone who is chocked and apalled... haha - this is how we played "back in the day". I had my childhood in Sweden in the 70's and we were always out playing in the woods on our own. My parents had no idea where I was, but as long as I came back for dinner at night, all was good... 😂
We have similar kindergardens here in Norway, but they also have a regular building to start at. Some of them even have busses rebuilt with child seats and food prep area and anything else they would need. I met one such group once, when hiking at about 500Meter altitude. The parking area was at 50M. I barely managed to keep ahead of them on the way down. Those little buggers move FAST!
don't forget that danish and german kindergartens are what you in the US call preschool (age wise)
I think that the concerns about them not being prepared for school are ridiculous itself. It´s a kindergarden - a place for young children to just be children. It´s not meant to be pre-school. There´s plenty of time to learn in a classroom after that. Just give them a place to have fun and be children and not a place to already put the pressure of growing up into an adult to them
They are learning about physics, nature, the seasons, wildlife, how their body works, health and safety.
I live in a small town in Germany. Approximately 120.000 citizens. There's three forest kindergartens here
Now this is real good actually. Imagine combining these kindergardens at young age with antique Greek teachings.
I think it is wonderful way for kids to grow up. Just imagine nowadays when kids are in classrooms in kindergartens then go home where parents are tired from work and stay home with them. They maybe see outdoors during the weekends if they are lucky. That is no way for a kid to grow up. We were made by nature to climb, run, walk, crawl and do all the other things and be outside and breathe fresh air and experience all the dirt, mud, plants and animals around us. I think this way the children can really get in tune with nature, learn so many valuable lessons, appreciate the world around them and become skilled at all the basic motor skills and not grow up into clumsy adults.
Seen this a few times and still am amazed
I have followed your videos for quite a while. You are just about ready to tell your folks what´s going on. You start to become al leader!
In Germany there are forest kindergardens everywhere since 25 years. My children didnt visit one but they had forest days every week or whole forest weeks. Sometimes forest kindergardens even havent a stable house where the group meets, they just have a camper with a small heating for extra cold or rainy days.
Your "It's always in the back of my mind.." without even saying "Guns" reminded me really of this other channel "My very merry messy life (in Germany)" It's about a US Family (Mum, Dad, 3 Boys and 1 Girl (she's the youngest at Age 5 or 6) And someday, the Mum talks about Ella wantlng to wear those fancy shoes, those who can blink/flashing lights. She refused to let Ella wear these shoes in the US, as they were considered as dangerous.
This made me feel so sad - to imagine, how to explain something seen as innocent and fun to have through the eyes of a small kid - that it makes you a easy target during an active school shooting..
The US actually ranks extremely low in terms of child rights with how restricted the lives of children are and how much far right indoctrination there is especially in recent years.
Kindergarden children in north Europe is outside in all kinds of weather all year.
In Norway it is cold from oct-april so we just dress for the weather.
Even in school. My daughters (she is 8) school is ourside all day one day a week all year. Going to the forrest to explore and play.
Dude at 14:45 it's a string and a trash bag and kids are so happy, I'd be too tbh, this is so amazing. Now think about it from a perspective of license kindergarten and how much would such "toy" cost ...
Nice of you to react to a video from my area, and i can assure you, it's absolutely real.
*kids with knives making sharp spears, one kid ten meters up in the tree* „Only once in 17 years did I have to drive a kid to the ER““What happened?“
„A parent drove over its foot“
that made me laugh out loud tbh😅
This Kindergarten are the same in germany and I love it😊
you should see norway... they put children sleeping...or the naps..outside with minus temperatures.. but its preety similar with the denmark..just had the -20 celsius
Haha, funny. Concept of scouting for Kindergarten Kids. Whats the matter? Let the Kids explore the world. On their way. The best way. With all senses. Love it.
What you experience on yourself as a small child - wide, narrow, far away, nearby, high, low... - you can easily transfer in school.
Idk the big deal about climbing high in trees, it was common for kids to do when I was young. I played outside almost everyday but I never had a teacher with me to explain it all or watch over me so I think this is super awesome. I would have been a happy child if I went to this kind of school. I would stare out the window wishing I could play outside when I was at school.
another recommendation, not videos, is to read about Rudolfs-Steiner's philosophy about the mind of children and Grundtvig and Kold's danish "highschools"(in denmark we call them højskole), its a very interesting way of thinking about education and the conditioning to become a whole human being. its all quite unique but lays the foundation of scandinavian educational systems. in short its about the rational mind and the spiritual mind coexisting to be ready to meet the world with independence and confidence and the ability to be free alongside others.
a funfact: Grundtvig were the first person in the world to open schools for slaves in the Caribbean.
Did you hear or see a crying or sad child? did you notice children fighting? Did you see a child being separate or alone without playing?
In the Waldkindergarten (forest kindergarten), the kids also learn to appreciate and respect our unique nature and to protect it. 🫶
This is how we played back in the day before video games etc. Those kids must sleep like logs after such active days - great for their parents!
German here. My small town has like 3 Waldkindergärten 😆 (forest kindergartens)
Free-range kids learn their limitations. This is how kids used to play. When we weren’t at school we were roaming around doing stuff. I was a post-war kid and we didn’t have much money for ‘toys’, we used our imaginations. Kids aren’t stupid.
Im German and learned how to use a Kinfe from my Father and how to build a Bow or a Spear also how to build a Hut or a Iglu in Winter and More
Hi, many kindergardens in Germany have a „Forestday“ a week!