The Kinder-forest at SOLA
What is a Kinder-forest?
A Sanctuary for early childhood....The Kinderforest at SOLA is a nature centered forest kindergarten for ages 3 - 7, hosted within a pristine Nature Sanctuary. This natural learning-and-exploring environment allows for an embodied experience of seasonal cycles. SOLA’s Kinderforest offers the gentle rhythms of early childhood education, presented by experienced child-guides in a beautiful setting of fields, farm, and forest. Click here to learn more about the Forest Kindergarten movement.
Reverence, Rhythm & Reflection are the guidestones of SOLA’s Kinder-forest
Reverence
Honoring The Sanctity of Early Childhood
Our SOLA child-guides honor the sanctity of early childhood by providing a nurturing, safe, outdoor and indoor environment for the children. We believe that play is the sacred work of early childhood. Our Kinderforest program does not include an introduction of formal academics, but instead prepares the young child- heart, hands and head- for a fully ensouled learning journey in the later years. Most importantly, we provide spaciousness, patience and freedom where the young child can engage in developmentally appropriate, multi-sensory learning and exploration in the natural world. Each day, children are welcomed into the harmonious ecology of Earthen fellowship -friends, animals, teachers, forests, creeks, orchards, and fields greet the young child and provide a landscape for imaginative play, meaningful work, and peaceful rest.
Rhythm
Comforting support for the developing child
Young children, and in fact all humans, are reassured by rhythm. Our daily, weekly and seasonal rhythms continually provide comfort and reassurance to the inner world of the child, developing the adaptive capacities that allow them to courageously, confidently encounter the world around them. Daily activities echo the rhythms of the natural world around us, moving through a healthy cycle of in-breathing and out-breathing, focus and expansion, activity and rest. A weekly cycle of painting, modeling, and nature crafts, punctuate the days of the week, as do the delicious, organic, freshly prepared daily snack. Verses, songs and movement celebrate the seasonal changes in the natural world, alongside ample time exploring the pristine forest, creeks, orchards, fields and farm that host SOLA's Kinderforest program.
Reflection
Beauty, Truth, & Goodness
Young children learn to relate to experiences of the world around them through imitation. They 'become' what they see, feel, hear and experience. This recognition brings forth a question:
What are we showing the children, sharing with them, and how do we model appropriate relationships for them?
We recognize the natural world as a perfect vessel within which we can observe and harmoniously participate in beauty, truth & goodness as part of an ecology of sacred relationships. SOLA Kinderforest endeavors to provide an environment and immersive experiences that nourish the young child’s experience of the world as a beautiful, authentic, & wholesome presence. In this way, they learn to reflect this- 'to become'- these qualities as they develop, learn and grow.
