Three years ago I was perusing the Flushing Parents Facebook group when I came across a post about a new class starting up based on the Forest School model. The post said the class would be right here in Flushing, and that it was for children 3 to 5 years old; At the time my twin daughters were too young. But I was so excited over the idea of such a program that I immediately reached out and inquired about reserving a spot for them in a few months time. This led to a back and forth of emails with the creators of the program, and despite being 4 months shy of the age requirement, my daughters started in that initial class.
Now my almost 6 year old twins are among the older kids attending Forest Explorers at the Queens Botanical Garden. They are only there for summers now, as they attended pre-k last school year and will be in Kindergarten this coming September. But my youngest will continue with the program in the fall.
I have witnessed first hand the blossoming of this amazing class, and to say I am thrilled with all it has offered my kids would be an understatement. The program has grown from that first class of 8 kids, to more than quadruple that number for summer sessions. And the age range now spans two to six year olds. But the physical space in the “forest” of QBG, the staff, and the core principals have remained consistent. As Takako, one of the teachers of the program puts it “we give the children the space and time to cultivate their own relationship to the natural world. Instead of a set curriculum we let their curiosity take the lead.”
I love living in New York City, and in Flushing particularly. But if I had one complaint, it would be the lack of wild spaces to explore immediately available. Attending Forest Explorers gives my kids the freedom to explore, and get dirty, and learn from nature first hand – an experience too often lacking in city kids' lives. Brianna, one of the initial creators of the program, points out “Forest Explorers gives the children a chance to connect to nature; it allows them to be at one with nature and explore it at their own pace.”
This philosophy of letting the children take the lead in learning is a core principal of the program, as is the importance of the natural world. The program also teaches and reinforces self sufficiency in a nurturing way. "We observe, understand and respect children's capacity to do things on their own, from cleaning up after themselves in meal time to navigating a way out of conflict. It is very important that we don't take away these opportunities for them to grow in their own way ---- instead of the 'right' and 'established' way. Self-confidence and ability of life long learning sprout from these early experiences,” says Yinan, who has been with the program for a year.
The Forest Explorers program is held at the Queens Botanical Garden, and runs in 4 sessions throughout the year: autumn, winter, spring, and summer. It is a 3 hour drop-off program for toilet trained children ages two through six. There is an optional 2 hour afternoon extension available for older children.
