Ripping down red tape, cotton wool for nature-based kindies
There is no such thing as bad weather for an outdoor kindergarten, just wrong clothes.
A Christchurch woman is petitioning the Government to allow full-time outdoor kindergartens, a phenomenon common in Scandinavian countries.
Celia Hogan has been an outdoor educator for 20 years and runs regular nature play sessions for young families in Christchurch. She also runs professional development courses for early childhood educators ‘‘to help build their confidence to be able to take their children outdoors’’.
‘‘Currently, early childhood centres must provide 2.5 square metres of indoor space per child. Nature-based centres wouldn’t need all that indoor space,’’ Hogan said.
She plans to present her petition, which as of Friday had 1300 signatures, to Education Minister Chris Hipkins in early August. Hogan is proposing a new type of licence for nature-based centres.
‘‘I’m asked on a weekly basis, when am I setting up a nature kindergarten, [so] the demand is there,’’ she said.
‘‘Now we need the legislation to change to allow it.’’
Hogan said children today are ‘‘less active and more sedentary’’ than previous generations, largely because of ‘‘urbanisation, busy lives [and] technology’’.
‘‘It is more important than ever to get children outdoors and into nature,’’ she said.
Addressing expected concerns of child safety, Hogan said appropriate clothing can solve most weather issues, as do back-up plans. ‘‘We use the weather as a learning opportunity. If it’s cold, we put the children in warm clothes and light a fire. Obviously if there is severe weather we would go inside, but there just isn’t the need for the amount of indoor space prescribed in current legislation.’’
Ministry of Education spokeswoman Katrina Casey said current legislation allows for ‘‘a range of experiences – both indoors and outdoors – to enhance and extend children’s learning and development’’.
While current regulations dictate a minimum indoor space, Casey said they do not specify how much time should be spent indoors or outdoors.