In the age of standardized testing, screen time and what some see as a generation of excessively coddled children, a new movement of preschools is pushing kids outdoors, come rain or shine, heat or cold, to connect with nature and learn to take measured risks, in addition to math and the ABCs. Watch this PBS Newshour special about Forest based education. And remember, we are the first in preschool and kindergarten in the Southeast US and Jacksonville, Florida with a Forest b

The Playgarden, a Jacksonville Beach pre-school and kindergarten, has a Forest Kindergarten program. All of our teachers attended Forest teacher training at Cedar Song Nature School, located on Vashon Island, Washington. Cedar song Nature School’s Forest Kindergarten has received national and international attention for its unique early childhood education model and has been featured in such diverse media as Sierra Club Magazine, People Magazine, ABC News Nightline, the Asso

I always thought it was so wonderful, the simplicity of Shel Silverstein's poetry. I have such fond memories of sitting on my bed reading the tales with the windows open, warm breeze making the white gauze curtains dance. My mom and I would flip through the pages of Where the Sidewalk Ends and when we landed on a page we would read it together. It is such a sweet simple memory where time slowed down and my mom and I just enjoyed the molasses of ample time on a summer day. Tod