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Child Care News for Parents & Carers
July 5, 2017 |
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Welcome, this week the rise of the bush school phenomena and new research on the likelihood of children outgrowing their
allergies.
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| The rise of the bush school |
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Forest schools have been gaining popularity in recent years in countries such as Canada, Denmark and the UK. Focusing on
providing education and care services in a wholly outdoor setting, these early childhood providers take the classroom
to the wild, with no tables, books, chairs or walls.
Children are immersed in the natural environment, free to climb trees, navigate streams, and use the outdoors
to develop confidence, self-esteem, and gross and fine motor skills. They have become so popular that today over
10 per cent of Danish schools are now in a natural setting, with the natural world at the centre of their primary
curriculum.
The Forest School Movement is now reaching Australian shores, with Bush Schools springing up across the country.
Allowing children to free-play in nature rather than within the structured confines of a classroom, children can
take small risks in a safe way, learning a plethora of life skills that can only be learnt through hands-on experience
and practice.
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| Outgrowing allergies …it does happen |
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With allergy cases seemingly on the rise in recent years, childhood allergies have become a major concern for parents and
educators. An allergy is a reaction of an immune system to a substance (allergen) in the environment which is normally
harmless. This results in the production of allergy antibodies, proteins in the immune system, which react with
this substance.
An allergic reaction occurs when someone develops symptoms following exposure to an allergen and can include
things such as hives, swelling of the lips, puffy eyes, vomiting or struggling for breath. Reactions can range
from very mild to life-threatening, with anaphylaxis the most severe form of allergic reaction.
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