SANC Preschool Pioneers Outdoor Learning Techniques

As the sun slipped behind the golden fields at the Tuesday, dozens of early educators foraged the woods for materials to build a village of fairy houses for the Audubon preschoolers to find the next morning.

They came from across the state, with a few from Illinois, to see Claire Warden, an educational consultant from Scotland, who started the evening by asking everyone to bulid miniature "dens" from the materials around them. The activity was one example of the type of learning she promotes – one becoming increasingly popular – that opens the classroom to the outdoors and uses nature as toys and teaching materials.

"The whole philosophy is about living connected to nature," Warden said. "Nobody's tidied it up, or put it in a bowl, or washed it."

At the Audubon Nature Preschool, students ages 3 to 5 start the day by spending at least 30 minutes in an outdoor play space, then hiking for another 30 minutes.

"Being outside and playing in nature is very important to development," Audubon Nature Preschool Director Patti Bailie said. "I think there's a big movement out there, trying to connect children to the natural world."

The parents seem to be on the same page, and many have trouble finding a school with a similar philosophy when their kids get older.

"Why not make the preschool years about adventure and exploring, while they can?" Audubon parent Pam Ruschman said. "They're counting the legs on an insect, instead of counting blocks."

Audubon's three play places rely on elements of the landscape. Where there is a hill, two slides lead the students down, and a ladder resting on the ground offers a way up. A hallowed log is a tunnel, and fallen branches are a climbing zone.

"The kids come out and say, 'where are the toys?' Carol Larsen, an assistant teacher at Mequon Montessori School, said. "And then they realize, these are the toys."

Warden said many schools and parents overuse plastic toys and electronics, which she said can dull or overdirect learning, and pollute the environment.

"We put them in front of children, and call it education," Warden said. "We need to stop it, and grow up."

Several early-childhood educators who attended Warden's workshop said the Audubon preschool was one of the most outdoor-oriented school they'd seen, and hoped to bring elements back to their own schools, including daycare centers at UW-Milwaukee and UW-Madison. 

"I think nature is so important for children, and a lot of kids in the city don't have the chance to experience it, so I'm looking for ways to incorporate it," Jenni Dykstra, a teacher at UWM Children's Center, said.

Larsen said she also came looking for ideas for her school, and recorded several notes on nature-based materials and activities.

"We have to realize, this is our environment, and we have to take care of it," Larsen said. "The earlier you start, the better off you are."

Gerry Slater, a natural-playground designer who has recently completed a design for the Schul Center in Bayside, said he thinks trends in preschool education could be early signs of greater cultural shifts.

"I think more and more people are realizing that the disconnect kids, and all of us, are having with nature, is central," Gerry Slater said. "And I think we're seeing that with early childhood educators because they lead the way; they work with young kids."