Forest Bloom Outdoor School is a multi-age forest school program following the examples of the first Danish and Swedish outdoor schools from the 1950s. Our Reggio-Emilia approach, which originated in Italy, beautifully honors childhood views children as capable and competent, and believes that children are able to construct their own knowledge. Being both Reggio-Inspired and nature-based we are able to offer children the opportunity to learn and explore in nature and develop ideas that inspire their curiosity.

Rather than one-time projects, we engage the kids in multi-layered learning experiences that build upon each other over the course of several days, weeks, or months. Our open-air classroom also offers children opportunities to develop their social/emotional skills while forming relationships with each other, their community, and the natural world.

Why multi-age?
In a multi-age class, the group quickly develops into a community that is mostly free of the competitive nature that may occur in age-specific classes. In our class, the younger children are able to learn from their more experienced peers, while the older children can model and help guide the younger children through experiences.
We make sure that every child’s voice is heard and that they contribute to the plan of the day and the daily choices. This may look different for a 2-year-old vs. a 5-year-old and we help the children to be respectful and kind in our community. Our goal is for children to build a strong sense of self and be confident, independent people.

What Reggio Inspires?

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