“Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher.” – William Wordsworth
Watch as a child sits patiently waiting for an earth worm to make its way across the sidewalk. Observe them run outside to embrace the first snowfall. Witness as a pile of sticks and rocks becomes a sword, a letter, a house or a playground when placed in the hands of a child? These moments did not take place inside the 4 walls of a typical classroom setting; yet, there is educational value in those moments.
The opportunities presented in outdoor learning are endless; yet, fewer and fewer students are accessing them as screen time and in-school/ after-school activities increase. Research shows that time spent in Nature is beneficial to mental and physical well-being (1.2.3.)
At St. Albert Nature School, we believe that learning is most engaging and memorable when it takes place outside. We offer programming for preschoolers (preschool program) , parented programs (Nature Nuts) and educational consulting taking place in our out outdoor classroom in St. Albert’s river valley.
If you see value in having children reconnect to nature; use these experiences to develop numeracy, science, social and literacy skills; while fostering a sense of community and connectedness to all living things, then our nature classroom is for you.
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Pretty, J., Angus, C., Bain, M., Barton, J., Gladwell, V., Hine, R., et al. (2009) .Nature, childhood, health and life pathways: University of Essex.
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Kuo, F. E. (2010). Parks and other green environments: essential components of a healthy human habitat: National Recreation and Park Association.
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Bowler, D. E., Buyung-Ali, L. M., Knight, T. M., & Pullin, A. S. (2010). A systematic review of evidence for the added benefits to health of exposure to natural environments. BMC Public Health, 10(1), 456
