Click this link to see a video of our Forest Kindergarten
Cedarsong Nature School was the first school in the United States to open a Forest Kindergarten based on the German model of Waldkindergartens. Cedarsong Nature School's philosophy is that children need to spend a large portion of their day outdoors to get the stimulation and natural learning experiences they are born to crave. We believe that hands-on experiential learning is the best educational approach for children. Being outdoors provides them with not only fresh air, it encourages imaginative play, creativity, hand-eye coordination, balance, physical strength and mental clarity. When children's natural curiousity is stimulated, learning flows organically from stimuli encountered in the outdoors.
Friedrich Fröbel, a German educator, opened the world's first outdoor kindergartens (children's gardens), more than 150 years ago with the belief that young children should play in nature, away from an emphasis on too many numbers and letters. There are several hundred of these waldkindergartens in Germany today in which children spend their entire class time outdoors year-round. Similar schools exist in other European countries, however there are very few of these programs yet in the United States.
True to the German model, our Forest Kindergarten's teaching style encourages flow learning and the curriculum is interest-led, place-based, experiential and seasonal.
 Remember: This is an entirely outdoor program - make sure both you and your child are okay with that!
The Cedarsong Nature School Forest Kindergarten's curriculum is designed by Internationally recognized Childhood and Nature Educator Erin Kenny, who has spent two decades developing nature programs for children. Classes are small, with a 4:1 student:teacher ratio. Organic snacks are served, supplemented with wild seasonal foraged foods.
Classes are held Monday through Friday, 9am-noon, and Tuesday and Wednesday, from 12:15-3:15 for children 3-6 years of age (younger or older on a case-by-case basis). Cost is $120 a month for one day a week; $240 a month for two days a week; and $360 a month for three days a week, payable in advance each month. A last month's tution deposit equal to your monthly tuition is required to hold space for your child in the 2011-2012 Four Seasons Program, which runs from September 2011 through June 2012. A 10% discount is offered for pre-payment in full for the 10 month program.
A two month summer session of the Forest Kindergarten is available to current year students which makes this a year-round program.
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