Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852) Froebel was incredibly important to the outdoor movement as he was the founder of the first Kindergarten in 1818. Having been a forester, a student of philosophy, and a teacher, he combined his experiences to create his kindergarten, which can be translated to "garden of children" (Pound, 2005, p. 15) A child- centred approach was important to Froebel, and a passion for the "Interconnectedness of life, beauty and knowledge" (Pound, 2005, p. 15) Through the school, children could garden, partake in nature walks, and gained first hand experience of the arts, music and mathematics. (pound, 2005)
Laura
Comenius (1592-1670)
Within the historical paradigms of forest school the conception of this pedagogy can be traced back to the early theorist and theologian Comenius (1633) as cited in Veale (2013). He was one of the first to recognise that play in childhood was learning. Comenius thought practical learning developed children holistically. Similarly, Pestalozzi and Rousseau had the idea that learning should be outdoors, enjoyable and experimental acknowledging sensory learning was vital key to different stages of development.
“Children learn by doing” Comenius (1633) the quote evolved into “Children grow by doing” Froebel (1826) Lisa
Margaret McMillan (1860-1931)
Margaret McMillan was highly influential in the changing attitudes towards children and the development of the outside learning environment. As Bilton writes; "her writings and talks made her stand out as particularly important in the nursery field" (Bilton, 2002, p.25) Not only did only did Mcmillan set up a training college in 1914, she also set up outdoor camps in 1911 to help improve children's health who lived in unhealthy living conditions. These camps exposed the benefits of outdoor living to children's health and the realisation that education and health go together. (Bilton, 2002) Margaret and her sister Rachel created their open air Nursery School in 1914, which was dedicated to the children completely. Everything was carefully planned with "the learning of children at its heart" (Bilton, 2002, p.26) Laura
Recommended reading
'Developing a Forest School in Early Years Provision' by Doyle & Milchem has been awarded the Book of the Week for being an excellent resource for Early Years Practitioners starting out in Forest School. The book combines the history, theory, relevant case studies, and the importance of risk and play to children's development.
Who do you think was the most important pioneer of early outdoor education?