Sound faded away as my heart stopped.  I sucked in a breath so I could frantically yell, “Get down!  What are you doing?!”  My precious little boy was precariously balancing on a tree root, probably only millimeters thick.  This tiny root holding my 2-year-old was jutting out over angry water that was certainly miles deep and so cold hypothermia would set in instantaneously.  Is that gale force wind I feel?  Surely the next gust would cause my son to lose his already perilous…

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Three-year old Ivan is sitting beside a small campfire in Nordmarka, Oslo's public forest, looking pretty pleased. For one, he has convinced his mother, Katja, to prepare pinnebrød for him: a classic outdoors delight of dough wrapped around a stick and cooked over the flames. But also, more importantly, Ivan tried out skiing for the first time today! In Norway, a country that claims cross-country skiing as a national sport, this is a big…

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I need some suggestions and thought this was the place to start. The elementary school my kids attend has several awesome gardens. We have a native Texas regions garden that is exactly what it sounds like. It represents the plant life in all 4-5 major regions of Texas. We have a butterfly garden and 2nd graders tend to earth worms in the winter and let them into the garden in spring. There's an herb garden and vegetable gardens etc. I'm in charge of 1st grade and 4th grade gardening activities.… Continue

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You've probably heard a lot about the polar vortex in recent weeks.  Here is a great, short article that will answer all of your questions.What is a polar vortex?

Forest Kindergarten newsletter – Jan. 2014 ©Erin Kenny 2014

 

January in the northwest was quite warm and we actually had some barefoot days. The temperatures have fooled the plant world into thinking it is spring: the pussywillows are in bloom, the nettles are ½ inch tall, new grass is sprouting, the elderberry buds are opening, hazelnut catkins are dangling and there are buds on many twigs. Evidence of spring is obvious in the animal world too as we have suddenly heard…

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This is my son on the tip top of Everest.  Or, that’s how I presented this little dirt hill outside of my daughter’s school.  One thing to remember is that exploring and appreciating nature doesn’t always have to be something big.  You don’t have to climb Everest to admire the view.  You don’t have to stand by a giant redwood to be…

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A sixth-grade girl waved me over to point out a small, puffy mushroom on the side of the trail. “It’s cool,” she breathed. “What is it?!”

I felt a sudden panic. Over the course of my environmental educator training, I had learned the names of countless mushrooms, trees and critters in this part of the western Connecticut forest, but I had never seen this type before. What was it? I had no…

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OUTDOOR SPACES & CLASSROOMS

When children and nature mix, something magical happens. I am fortunate to witness that magic every day in our outdoor classrooms.

With Spring time just around the corner, what better time to start thinking about creating an Outdoor Space or Classroom.…

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