/ABOUT FOREST SCHOOL
Learning is best when it’s relevant for students—when they see its connection to the world around them. And few opportunities offer the level of concrete relevance that a nature-based program does, besides dovetailing beautifully with HC’s mission and faith-formative focus—that the Lord cares deeply about the world He made, and we, as His followers, love the things He loves, including His creation. Research on outdoor education has shown that effective outdoor learning can improve students’ focus, cognitive function, test scores, social skills, wonder and creativity. Forest School students spend their days learning in the multi-acre wooded area nestled in the heart of our school’s property on Ottawa Avenue, with indoor classrooms for extreme weather nearby. Our Forest School classes are offered in partnership with the Outdoor Discovery Center, whose naturalists visit regularly and oversee our certification standards.
/ In the Media
This video documentary, “The Forest Kids regaining wonder,” was created by an HC alum, Ben Lemmen ’10, for a Hope College video project, and we loved it so much, we just had to share! It traces a day in the life of an active Forest School kindergartner, from getting ready in the morning, to collapsing into bed at night.
WZZM Channel 13 News and award-winning reporter Brent Ashcroft followed our 2018 Forest School kindergarten students for their very first week of learning to create this locally broadcasted news coverage of our students’ learning experiences. Besides short interviews with their teacher Ron Harig and principal Miska Rynsburger ’92, the video depicts a week of our nature-based kindergarten, including ant bites and finding frogs in the rain, as well as learning the alphabet!
Despite growing research showing benefits of getting kids outdoors, even for full school days, there still are the practical questions–how does this work in snowy Michigan winters? How do they read and take kindergarten naps without freezing? How are these kids doing academically? WZZM Channel 13 News and reporter Brent Ashcroft again followed our 2018-19 Forest School kindergarteners, this time in January, as a follow-up story to see how Forest School kids thrive and learn in the cold.
HC Medium Talk Podcast Episodes
Check out these two episodes from the HC Medium Talk Podcast featuring Forest School kindergarten teacher Ron Harig & our Forest School kids!
/ Forest School Blog
Forest School August 2021 Newsletter
Hello Dear Forest Families! We interrupt your regularly scheduled summer programming for a few updates and dates for your calendar. Throughout Holland Christian we’ve been buzzing this summer in preparation for our new school year. We have been blessed with qualified and excited new staff ready to serve your children this year. We have invigorated… Read More: Forest School August 2021 Newsletter
Forest School July 2021 Newsletter
Hello Dear Forest Families! We have been in prayer over you this summer and miss your dear children! We trust you’ve been enjoying summertime adventures and creating beautiful memories together. We can’t wait to hear all about it from your child this fall. Our Forest Family is GROWING! We are welcoming 26 additional kindergarteners to… Read More: Forest School July 2021 Newsletter
Forest School June Newsletter
Dear Friends, Recently I participated in a devotional that provided an image which captured well the journey this year has been. Long ago, on the plains, wise farmers would tie a red rope from the door of their home to their barn. When the winter winds blew and blizzards kicked up snowy chaos, the well-prepared… Read More: Forest School June Newsletter
/Further Research
The research even apart from our current global COVID-19 pandemic shows great promise with nature-based education, but even more so in the middle of this pandemic. Learning primarily outdoors allows for natural social distancing to happen, and provides fresh air and ventilation, making outdoor education a huge draw for many parents especially now. There are a few links below specifically addressing outdoor education in the midst of COVID-10, as well as other links about the benefits of outdoor education in general:
- Resources for Outdoor Learning During COVID-19
- Natural Learning in Forest Schools: Mother Earth News
- Washington Post.com: Why schools are failing our boys
- Scholastic.com: Why kids need nature
- Great Schools.org: Children and nature: who let the kids out?
- White Hutchinson.com: Benefits for Children of Play in Nature
- White Hutchinson.com: Young children’s relationship with nature: Its importance to children’s development and the earth’s future
- Walking Stick Woods: The Evolution of a De-Evolution
“This program has been so influential in our son’s life and we couldn’t be happier and more excited for this program to continue to grow and evolve.”
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