Our Pedagogical Principles

Morning circle

This is an important ritual for our children and our way to start the day in the forest together. In morning circle we sing songs, read stories and play games relevant to the subject of the day, the week or the month. Attendance is taken and the children help to figure out who is missing. We also talk about the calendar and the upcoming activities.

Snack

We look for a place in the forest where the children can sit comfortably and are protected from the elements to eat their healthy packed snacks together.

Free Play

Free play in the forest is of great importance in our pedagogy since especially here the children have the opportunity to discover and explore the environment around them and immerse themselves completely in nature. Furthermore, free play is very important to let the creativity and the imagination of the children run wild. The children communicate about it and thus increase their language acquisition. During free play children push their limits, they learn to have patience with each other, to assert themselves, to take responsibility but also learn to back down once in a while. Additionally, during this time they have the possibility to apply newly acquired knowledge and to process their impressions and experiences.
 

Guided Activities

These activities take place in small groups. This allows us to look a specific topic in more detail with the children. The pedagogical activities are embedded in nature and follow the Bavarian educational plan.

Preschool

Preschool takes place outdoors once a week. One main topic is the project work. The children bring their own ideas and interests and decide democratically on a topic to work on. The first introduction of letters and mathematical experiences, tailored to preschoolers and the forest, also take place in preschool. The last year before starting school is concluded with a sleepover in the shed.

Lunch

An organic caterer from Weßling provides us daily with a hot lunch. The meals are healthy, freshly prepared and nutritionally balanced and include biological, regional and seasonal ingredients.

Quiet Time / Literacy

After lunch, it is quite time for the children who stay into the afternoon. We lie down in the forest or in the meadow in front of the shed. Our children have the opportunity to rest and relax listening to meditative music. Afterwards we have a read aloud alternating between English and German story books.
After a rest our children once again have energy to finish the day in the forest.

Interested in learning more about forest Kindergartens. Read an interview with Cornelia Hackner, the head of our Kindergarten.