What happens Outside?

Our Outdoor Program

Forest Schools and Forest Kindergartens have become popular around the world. At One Forest Montessori, the focus of our outdoor program is on community building, free play and nature connection. We encourage open curiosity, a sense of wonder, a slow pace, environmental advocacy, and a peaceful, grateful spirit.

In our back yard, children can freely explore different textures such as wood, grass, rocks, sand and leaves. There is a mud kitchen and many other outdoor exploritory toys. A short walk from our location is a small forest, a creek and a sandy beach. Our program also includes the following routines:

Wander - Consists of moving through a natural landscape without any specific agenda or purpose. Children’s inquiries direct learning, and teachers support and stretch the edges of knowledge.

Sit spot - Find a place where you can sit quietly most days and simply observe, using your full suite of senses.  This cultivates mindfulness and stillness. Children sometimes journal.

Story of the Day - Tell stories about outdoor adventures. The teacher or other children ask questions about what was seen/heard/smelled today. Feedback may be in oral, written or artistic forms.

Nature Table - An interactive place in the classroom where students bring natural items of interest for ongoing observation.

Free Play – child-directed, symbolic, exploratory, dramatic, social, creative, fantasy, locomotor, mastery, and rough and tumble play. Children learn safe and supported risk taking.

If you would like to learn more or see our program in action, please reach out and we can book a time for you to visit. Instagram and Facebook are also great ways to get a peek into the highlights of our day.