Why Forest and Shore School?
Pre-K Forest School is part of a continuum of outdoor education programs at Brooklyn New School that begin with Pre-K and progress through Kindergarten Shore School, the First Grade Farm, and Second Grade Young Naturalists.
Through our weekly trips to the Natural Play Space in Prospect Park, children are given the opportunity to freely explore and engage with nature. They quickly notice changes in the environment with each trip. They note the colors of the leaves, the textures of tree bark, the sounds of the wind and rain, the presence of birds, squirrels, insects and worms, the consistency of mud and sand, the shimmer of ice and snow, the solidity of rock, the resilience of wood. The forest environment offers endless variety and ignites children’s imaginations. Children engage in both cooperative play and individual inquiry, exploring together, testing their abilities, following their curiosity.
Through our weekly trips to the Natural Play Space in Prospect Park, children are given the opportunity to freely explore and engage with nature. They quickly notice changes in the environment with each trip. They note the colors of the leaves, the textures of tree bark, the sounds of the wind and rain, the presence of birds, squirrels, insects and worms, the consistency of mud and sand, the shimmer of ice and snow, the solidity of rock, the resilience of wood. The forest environment offers endless variety and ignites children’s imaginations. Children engage in both cooperative play and individual inquiry, exploring together, testing their abilities, following their curiosity.
The lessons learned in the forest arrive through the body. They are learned through doing rather that listening. The experience of dragging a heavy object through mud in falling snow or holding a wriggling worm in your cupped hands becomes the concrete basis for understanding the physics of inertia or the cycles of life. These experiences are also the basis for understanding one's place within nature and for recognizing the interrelatedness of all things. Providing our youngest children with these experiences is the primary goal of the Pre-K Forest School program.
Kindergarten Shore School builds upon children's enthusiasm for being outdoors. Our weekly trips begin with visits to the many facets of the Brooklyn waterfront. We explore the expanse of Coney Island Beach, the oyster beds at Valentino Pier, and the views from Brooklyn Bridge Park. During the year we will also take a tour of the New York Aquarium, visit the Brooklyn Children's Museum, and the American Museum of Natural History to see exhibits about marine life and the environment.
Our special home is the Salt Marsh at Marine Park where we begin regular visits in the early spring. At Marine Park, children have the opportunity to extensively explore the shore and marsh where we observe the wildlife, experiment with water flow, test the wind and currents, watch the tides rise and fall, and chart the progress of the seasons. Curiosity leads to questions and questions lead to deeper study in the classroom as children bring their experience of the shore back to school.
Our special home is the Salt Marsh at Marine Park where we begin regular visits in the early spring. At Marine Park, children have the opportunity to extensively explore the shore and marsh where we observe the wildlife, experiment with water flow, test the wind and currents, watch the tides rise and fall, and chart the progress of the seasons. Curiosity leads to questions and questions lead to deeper study in the classroom as children bring their experience of the shore back to school.
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