Discovery Garden and Adventure Forest
“If you want Smarter, Healthier, Happier Kids, Try a Little ‘Vitamin N’ (for Nature)”
This statement is from an article by Richard Louv, author of the book Last Child in the Woods. Louv’s concerns centre around the dramatic deterioration of knowledge children have about the local plants and animals in their neighbourhood. They may be able to describe dinosaurs or animals from the Amazon rain forest, but when it comes to the birds, insects and native species they have right outside their doors, their knowledge is less complete.
At The Village we are fortunate to have our Discovery Garden, which provides wonderful opportunities for children to learn about nature, and a team of teachers passionate about nature education. We believe the benefits of nature based classrooms go well beyond The Village boundaries and contribute to a development of an interest in science and care for the environment.
In our ‘risk-averse’ society where the words ‘be careful’ have become a mantra, many children now have limited opportunities to play, get physically active and take risks in natural or wild places. A key part of our Discovery Garden is an Adventure Forest, providing a play space to allow children to invent their own games, take risks, be creative and explore. It allows kids to be kids!