Apple Star Learning outdoor class….

My photography informs my mentoring work with children. Inspired by the Reggio model of education, I use loose parts, arts supplies, and an engaged, observant, curious, experimental, inspired approach to my outdoor education classes. I believe fundamentally that attachment to place, creative learning, and compassionate child raising and educational practices go hand in hand. I use my photography as an observational tool, an art form, and a celebration of what my students and I engage with, leaner from and create.

Fall is well on it’s way with its wonderful shifts of temperature, air pressure, colour, and more! Isn’t it amazing how these seasonal changes engage us and invigorate our senses inviting us to touch, explore, connect deeply? When it comes to outdoor education, Summer and Spring are wonderful for their ease, light clothing, or none at all, making it easy to go on hikes, access the water, enjoy the outdoors, whether running, swimming, climbing, or lazing around studying shadows. However, there is nothing like Fall and Winter to keen our senses, and propel us like sticky burrs into a state of survival….seeds fall, their textures and secrets calling to us, telling a story, birds migrate south, scribing the air with their graphic presence, waters begin to flow, moulding the landscape, light and colour become precious, poignant, rain, cold and wind mean we need to take stock, take care, carry our load. Did you know, that children come alive in these settings? Their bodies tingle with belonging, with competence, with awe….

I am excited to be heading int my second Fall and Winter Sessions of Art~Play at Trout lake with a small group of students for our place and inquiry-based, free-range play classes that combine Forest School Tinkering and Reggio elements, all the while centring around compassion, heart-centred and non-violent com munition and problem-solving.

These classes are a wonderful small student-to-teacher ratio group for children aged 6-8 who love to move-to-think, use their hands, hearts, entire bodies and imaginations to engage with learning; and, who benefit from a gentle, attached, mentor-teacher style. Here they can safely explore connecting with self, other children and their natural surroundings without pressure t conform or produce. Here their unique ideas, suggestions and divergent learning styles are honoured.

Also, if your child is new t home learning, or is even still in school, but needs an outdoor, more embodied, activated break from the four-walled classroom, Art~Play could be perfect! It introduces the concept of child-lead learning to both student and parent, while allowing a lot of freedom of movement, association, thinking and creative styles. With my extensive experience working with children of many learning backgrounds, i can help both your child and you get a more integrated understanding of how she/he/they learn.

Don’t let the cold wether scare you! Even children who have less experience carrying their own weight, and toughing it through the hard weather, grow immensely in this setting, gaining incredible self-confidence and mutual care with the group.

We have space for one more student, maybe two depending on the individual. I am open to sliding scale fees, and parent=participation. Please con act me here on Apple Star Learning on Facebook or at applestarlearnimg@gmail.com to register for a trail class or for more information.

I look forward to hearing from you and to sharing some glorious days playing, creating and learning outdoors this Fall!

Kindly,
Belinda

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