Alyssum students in Kindergarten through 6th grade have the unique opportunity to spend two days a month in the forest. Lessons are seasonal and based on the Montessori Great Lessons. Preliminary lessons are taught at school, and then brought into the forest to provide real-world experience.

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Kindergarten - 1st grade focus:

• Exploration of varied environments

• Play-based learning with minimal tools

• Structure building

• Interacting safely with the environment

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2nd - 6th Lesson topics may include:

• Fall: outside cooking, compasses, leaf identification, wood burning

• Winter: animal tracks, structure building, mapping, team building

• Spring: water, soil, nesting, native species, whittling

 

The benefits of this kind of learning include:

• Physical - gross and fine motor skills, balance, core strength

• Social - leadership, teamwork, and compassion

• Emotional - adaptability, independence, and wonder

• Cognitive - problem solving, critical thinking, ecological connections, and creativity.

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Most Forest School adventures occur at Deer Run Wilderness Area, Franke Park, or Metea County Park.

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