A few of your favorite questions – don’t see yours on the list? Drop us a line at: atoddlerinthetrees@gmail.com – we welcome your questions, thoughts and suggestions!
What’s a forest school?
Good question, since it’s kind of the heart of the blog. The short answer is that a forest school is exactly what it sounds like – education that takes places in the forest (rather than say, in a traditional classroom). The long answer is that we’re discovering ourselves what this all really means as an educational system and this blog is dedicated to shedding a little light on that, and we can learn together as we go along.
Why do you live in Denmark? Are you Danish?
We’re not Danish, but we live here as we’re posted here as a family as a result of my husband’s job as a diplomat. That means that we change where we live about every two-three years, starting from scratch at each destination. The upside of that is that we get to discover lots of new and different approaches to just about everything in life – for example, like forest school for toddlers.
Wait – don’t you have another blog?
Yes. I also blog at The New Diplomat’s Wife, which is dedicated more to the above answer of our life lived in increments around the world, and what that means for me as a modern spouse. There are a lot of stereotypes of what diplomat’s wives do, and I find I don’t fit many of them. So if you are interested in learning more about that lifestyle, pop on over to the other blog to learn more.
So are you a diplomat?
No – although I went to school thinking I would be one. I work full time as an HR consultant.
Will your daughter always be in a forest school?
No. And that’s for two main reasons. The first is that by our lifestyle, we won’t be in Denmark for more than two or three years. But the second reason is that even if we were, the forest school system pretty much wraps up for kids about age 6 or so, and Danish children start formal schooling at 7, so for my daughter and all of her classmates, there will be some more “traditional” life after forest school. We don’t know what that looks like but we can bet she’ll have a unique perspective on the transition.
I left a comment but where did it go?
We love comments and definitely encourage you to share your thoughts and questions about this particularly different way of approaching preschool. I know we can all be quite passioned about children’s education and their well-being, and I strongly believe that every parent thinks very long and hard about decisions they make for their children. I don’t moderate comments in the moment but do review each one and if comments are perceived to be mean-spirited towards children, parents or otherwise offensive, they will be removed. However, honest feedback, thoughtful questions, and constructive criticism are always welcome and we encourage as much dialogue as possible. Share your thoughts and ask your questions!
Do you take your own photos? What kind of camera do you have?
Yes, I try to make as many of my own photos as much as possible. Most photos are taken with my Canon 50D, and I most frequently use a 50mm 1.4 lens. For the day to day moments, many photos are also taken with my Iphone 5, edited mostly in VSCOCam and posted to Instagram. If photos are not taken by me, I credit otherwise in the post or by writing about the photographer specifically. If I have unintentionally left out a photo credit or otherwise made a mistake, please drop me a line and we’ll get it taken care of!
Can I use photos from the blog?
We’re all about sharing here (like preschool!), and we love if people want to share what they see. If you see a post or photo, feel free to use one or two photos with credit and link back to the blog when it comes to pictures of Denmark or the forest environment here. If the photos include myself, my daughter or family, please do not use without prior written permission. Thank you for understanding!