Today I played in the forest. Jane picked me up and we drove to Høndruphus Nature Kindergarten, Lindum. Again we went through beautiful scenery and I was pretty excited as we pulled off the beaten track and started heading quite deep into a forested area. The forest is private, but the public are given access and the kindergarten leases the land. They have been given the use of an old cottage and some sheds that are quite ancient, and these have been converted into a kindergarten space with the usual cloak room, fully equipped kitchen, dining tables and a small space for play areas indoors. The shed has been converted into a workshop which has tools, timber and work benches for serious making and construction.
As soon as I arrived I was warmly welcomed by the pedagogues. Being keen to plonk myself amongst the children, one of the staff followed me to the sand pit and began translating for me to the children. I was grateful for this opportunity and it really helped me to feel more like I was a part of the place and not just a stander by. Soon the children were gathered to start their treck into the forest. They sat together and I was introduced and the children learned that I came from Australia which is on the other side of the world and right at the bottom. They sang galoop went the little green frog in my honor, asking if I recognised the tune and I eagerly shared the English version and was applauded for my troubles. I really felt included.
We followed a path into the forest and it was decided that we would visit a huge tree that had recently been brought down by a mini hurricane. This tree would have stood twenty or thirty meters before it's demise, and when it fell the root ball was still attached, forming a huge mountain for the children to climb and a trench and ridges and many interesting nooks and crannies to play in and discover. The children crawled all over the tree. It was slippery and there were one or two spills and a few scratches but the staff were nearby to comfort and attend to them and I was able to reflect on the need to give children exposure to risk. One child fell a bit of a distance onto his back and his boot was caught and twisted in a root that he'd been riding like a horse. He was immediately attended to and helped up and comforted. The fall hurt, but it was a valuable lesson. Bitten the head, was keen to elaborate. He learnt about the need to be more careful when it's been raining and when it's slippery. He learned that a fall can hurt but that there are people nearby who care and that the hurt will go away and he will be ok. He learnt about the value in taking risks because it's going to be fun, and the need to take special care in certain conditions. All this builds for children who are not risk averse and this knowledge helps to keep them safe as they become more and more skilled, try ever more challenging activities and learn how to negotiate risks. Studies have shown that children who are overprotected are actually at more risk of more dangerous accidents. The little bumps and bruises that children attain in early childhood are good for them because they can prevent the major breaks and even death that comes from inexperience, bravado or peer pressured risk taking as teenagers. Interesting stuff.
Look at that chappy way up high.
The little boy I'm talking to in this picture was quite interested in the spiders we have in Australia. He asked if there were spiders that can kill you and with my iPhone I showed him an image of a funnel web and told him that sometimes I get them in my house and that I take them outside. Then I showed him an image of a huntsman that is not dangerous and I told him about Berty: the name I give to huntsmans that find their way into my home and become loved pets. Through a pedagogue translating we had quite a long conversation and he asked many questions.
When we returned the children changed and ate a packed lunch. There was a group time where Bitten read them a story about a koala who was getting too big to sleep in his mothers pouch so found a sleeping kangaroo and crawled into her pouch. The story had a variety of Australian native animals in it and as she read, soft toys of Australian animals were taken out of a bag and shown to the children. It was touching to have my homeland honored through story and again I felt a wonderful sense of belonging.
Bitten explained some of her philosophy to me and all this can be found on their website, which you might like to access. It has an English page. http://www.hoendruphus.dk/Forguests.html
I was greatly inspired by what I saw today. As we went outside before leaving I was shown around the extensive outdoor space that the children have access to. It includes three large goats and the biggest rabbits I've ever seen. Also also chooks. These are cared for by the children and the staff. There are play areas that contain challenge, promote socialization and imagination. There are garden plots, hides, swings and trees to climb. Everywhere I looked children were highly engaged and pedagogues were amongst them in their learning.
There are plans to extend the play areas and develop more play spaces. This is something Bitten has encouraged all to have a say in so that all voices can be heard and acknowledged. It is also an opportunity for the pedagogues to embrace what they are passionate about, because it is through this that children's learning is optimized.
