Forest Nursery in Prague 7: Her name is Bobulka, she stands near Stromovka
The concept of forest nurseries is basically simple. They bet on outdoor education of children, instead of squatting in school classrooms. This is the basis for various activities, where children spend most of their time outdoors, going for walks or various cultural events. But of course they have background with a fixed roof – in case of sudden rains, torrential snow or freezing frosts. In Holešovice they have built for this purpose two insulated caravans, and an open sturdy pergola.
Place of homeless children
“We have been thinking about the idea of setting up a forest nursery for five years now,” said Hana Šišková, a councilor for Prague 7 for education, adding that this phenomenon generally began to be clubed abroad 10 years ago.
According to her, the most difficult thing was to select suitable premises that the kindergarten found in the immediate vicinity of the U Studánky kindergarten and primary school, and to handle the legislative requirements. “The forest nursery established by the municipality is a novelty in the legislation. Therefore the preparatory phase lasted those five years, with the implementation itself only taking a year and a half. “
This consisted mainly of cleaning and landscaping of the land on which the kindergarten is now located. It used to be an unused tip of an overgrown heathland with a dilapidated railway house by the railway linewhere homeless people gathered. Holešovice City Hall gave the place new life and meaning. And it didn’t even cost the city a fortune. The costs of adapting the space, setting up an ecological toilet and locating a caravan cost the town hall 2 million crowns.
Secular past
And why caravans? “Forest nurseries cannot operate in a permanent building, “Del Šišková. The town hall allegedly searched for them through advertisements, and the heavy machinery Lesů hl. m of Prague. “One of them has a truly secular past, ”He adds. “Building a new kindergarten is extremely expensive. The capacities of kindergartens are at the same time, all the more so as new residential buildings are constantly being built in Prague 7. The format of the forest nursery is relatively very a cheap way to increase the number of places. “
The area of the forest nursery includes two caravans in which children can sleep or spend time while it is raining outside.
Author: David Winter
In one of the caravans, the children have space for various leisure activities to play, they have their own there background included clothes and similar trifleswhereas this replacement is especially suitable on rainy autumn days.
The second is used to rest and sleep after lunch. Both caravans are heated, so even when delivered below 0 ° C, children will not cool down. Currently, 20 of them attend kindergarten between the ages of two and six, and according to the mayor of Prague 7, Jan Čižinský (Prague 7), for other places high demand.
What’s next? Will they be added by the Vltava?
“We have a lot of questions for next school year, therefore The interest in this form of children’s education is huge, “He said, adding that he conducts interviews with various mayors on this day. “From other parts of the city, they are also asking us if we would share our experience with them. It is a road that obviously interests more parts of the city than just Prague 7, “he says.
He added that the town hall is already “very decently” dealing with the possibilities of establishing other forest schools. According to him, the ideal place would be again near Stromovka, on Štvanice, or somewhere on the banks of the Vltava.
A normal day in kindergarten
We asked the head teacher Pavla Šandová, who has twenty-one years of experience in teaching in kindergartens, about how things work in the Bobulka forest nursery. “Children meet as standard at 8 am. In the end, we’ll talk about what we’re going to do that day, “he explains, noting that all the tasks and goals are done outside. After a morning workout and snack, he comes to leave the kindergarten in the wild, where we address the topic of the day, we return until lunch. The dining room is then taken care of by the canteen at the adjacent school, which supplies the children hot dishes in thermoboxes.
And what about other activities? “We are dedicated to discovering and exploring nature. Outside we normally paint, draw, sing and play musical instruments, we play theater, “Šandová calculates. “Basically, these are the goals that guide all public kindergartens. It is just here in the open air, which strengthens the relationship with nature in children and also helps their creativity and development, “I think. Children often work with tools, such as knives, of course under the close supervision of four adult lecturers. And they are also involved in the maintenance of the garden, which is one big playground for them. To a large extent, they learn independence at an early age.
And that they would be bored from the lack of toys typical of kindergartens? “When they are here, they don’t require any, ”Says the head teacher. “It’s enough for them to be in nature, They play with everything at their disposal, including each other. For example, the boys made a track for chestnuts in the autumn. And personally I also think so The children adapted much better during the days than in a closed kindergarten class. “
The forest nursery complex is only closely adjacent to the railway line that separates it from Stromovka. The kindergarten is located on the lands of Prague 7 and the Railway Administration.
Author: David Winter
Twelve for five trains
A great attraction for children is the leading railway, through which trains run between Bubny and Dejvice. “The first three days were completely ecstatic. And even today it is not a routine for them, even though they are used to it, “says Šandová. In kindergarten, they basically manage their time according to passing connections. “How many times do I tell them that there will be eight more trains before mom or dad comes for them. AND the children then actually count the trains”He concludes.
In these premises, the Bobulka Kindergarten Forest Nursery in Letná, Prague – directly opposite Stromovka.
Author: David Winter