Researcher finds no contradiction between environmental learning and taking children outdoors to play freely in natural environmentsUsing an ethnographic approach, a researcher followed two nature kindergarten groups regularly over a ten-month period as they explored the natural playspaces where they spent the majority of their time. There were thirty-four children in all -- fifteen girls and nineteen boys. They ranged in age from one to six years old, and all were ethnic Scandinavians.
The groups were located in different types of natural places. One group was on an island with access to the sea. The island is a natural landscape, with rock, stone, sandy shores, meadows, and a wooded area. The other group was located in a woodland, which included a campsite with a wooden shelter, the remains of a wooden hut, a rope structure, rocks, and a cave.
The focus of this study was on the children, their agency or self-efficacy, their activities and their experiences. The primary aim was to shed light on topics that are relevant to how we understand children’s experiences and their creation of meaning in natural landscapes and places within these landscapes.
Data was qualitative and based on the researcher’s observations, informal conversations with the children, and photographs. This raw data was collected during the researcher’s time with the children, which consisted of five to seven hours per day for 30 days.
From this raw data, the researcher constructed narratives of topics as a way to present the emerging research findings. The narratives connected to themes that appeared significant to what the children experienced. Themes identified by the researcher related to children’s multi-sensory experiences and the development of environmental consciousness. They also related to children’s ‘sense of wonder’ as a driving force for exploration, interpretation and creation of meaning. According to the researcher, the ‘sense of wonder’ relates to encounters in which experience can take unexpected directions, foster surprise and generate new motivation for the ongoing experiential process. Environmental consciousness was described as a matter of multi-sensory openness towards the landscape and the otherness of other living organisms, including the places these organisms live. One important conclusion articulated by the researcher is that there is no contradiction between environmental learning and taking children outdoors to play freely. This conclusion draws attention to a criticism of environmental education in early childhood made by some (more so in Scandinavia than some other countries) that there has been too much focus on local practices and being in nature and not enough on engaging children in global environmental challenges and sustainability. Encounters with nature are viewed by the researcher as stepping-stones for children’s attachment to and consciousness about the environment.
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