A ‘forest preschool’ immerses children in nature. Can model be expanded in Tarrant County?
By Lina Ruiz
September 18, 2023
Originally published by Star-Telegram.com
William and Evelyn open a seed pod to spread the seeds at Cross Timbers Forest Preschool at the Bob Jones Nature Center and Preserve in Southlake on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. Children get standard classroom education along with learning on trails and in the forest. The class normally walks a mile a day to study nature. BOB BOOTH Special to the Star-Telegram
Liam and his 3- to 5-year-old classmates sat around a large picnic table in the Bob Jones Nature Center and Preserve, feet dangling from the bench, as they learned about the life cycle of frogs.
Meanwhile, nearby mammals were close enough to overhear how their amphibian counterparts lay eggs rather than give birth to live young. Liam was able to multitask, watching a pack of deer graze while absorbing the traits of a tadpole, which has gills before it transforms into a frog with lungs.
“You know what else has gills? A fish and shark,” Liam, 3, declared…
… The concept of getting children outdoors to play and learn isn’t new, but Cross Timbers’ publicly-run, multiweek program is notable among a patchwork of similar nature-based programs in the area offered by private organizations or that cater to homeschool families. The desire for these programs is growing in the Tarrant County area, experts say, but more staffing, public land and marketing of existing programs is needed.
… Children who regularly play and learn outside are healthier both physically and mentally, said Sarah Coles, executive director of the Texas Children in Nature Network. Physically, natural environments yield stronger bone and muscle development and benefit children’s sense of balance and depth perception when interacting with those spaces, she said. Emotionally, children’s social development evolves when connecting with their peers, and rates of depression and anxiety have been shown to be reduced with outdoor time.
One of the obstacles of getting children outside, though, is accessibility to parks and green spaces, as Texas has a small percentage of lands available to the public, she added. Ideally, children should live within a 10-minute walk or ½ mile of a park. Proposition 14 in the Nov. 7 Texas constitutional amendments election could be a step forward in addressing this gap if approved by voters. It would create the centennial parks conservation fund that would be dedicated to buying more land for the state parks system…
