Nature is a powerful force when it comes to the well-being of children and adults alike. Being a school settled in a suburban area, it is our mission to find and bring nature to children in any way we can. Luckily for us, we found the perfect space located behind our Nature Lab, Art Studio, and Tinker Hollow. We created a space enmeshed in the trees to form our version of the woods, which we named The Enchanted Forest.
With help from Amy Hite, founder of Therapeutic Gardens, Inc., our dream of creating a magical space for children came to light. She had this to say about it:
“The idea behind the new ‘Enchanted Forest’ at CMP stems from the Japanese concept of ‘forest bathing’ and the importance of nature immersion. This is an area of the school where the built environment fades away into the background and nature is center stage. Children are encouraged to slow down and awaken the senses, watch the butterflies flutter, smell the pine trees, and taste the wild strawberries.”
The area we chose to build on was already home to mature pine trees. We used those as our jumping-off point and added other native plants and trees for the children to wander through and explore. Child-sized paths were created through the area, and interesting rocks and bark were strategically placed to encourage wonder. We implemented ancestral building elements such as a log teepee and a rock spiral to inspire peace, meditation, and ceremony. Overlooking the space is a yoga deck where we plan to host our monthly family yoga classes and our children’s yoga and dance classes.
Immersing ourselves in nature has endless benefits, such as reducing anxiety, enhancing the immune system, and boosting self-esteem and mood. The Enchanted Forest gives children the opportunity to quiet down, relax, and connect with nature and themselves. Join us on October 15th from 4:30-6:00 for the grand opening, where we will enjoy a parent-child nature mindfulness class led by Emmy-nominated filmmaker and nature mindfulness leader, Sylvie Rokab.
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