For two years, a kindergarten has been installed in the Goldau Natural and Animal Park (SZ). This somewhat special teaching explores new educational approaches. According to an intermediate assessment, the feedback from children, parents and teaching staff are generally positive.
In the middle of the trees, near the wolf and bears enclosure, a group of children sit in the shade. In front of them: leaves, branches and pebbles. They launch dice with enthusiasm. “The one who collects the most objects has won,” explains a little boy.
Children become small researchers and develop a deep link with nature
What looks like a simple children’s game at first glance is actually a math course in the outdoor kindergarten in the Goldau animal park. Launched two years ago as a pilot project with a class from the Lauerz school (SZ), this innovative program today draws up a first positive assessment.
“Children become small researchers and develop a deep link with nature,” said Daniel Schraven, director of the Lauerz school. Except in the event of a storm, the children are outside every day. It is the first public child garden in Switzerland located in a zoo.
The study plan with animals
To read, less than half of the parents have chosen to enroll their child in this pilot project. In parallel, a traditional class is offered in the school building. “There is a misunderstanding that children would only play in the forest,” notes Jürgen Kühnis, professor at the Haute École Pédagogique de Schwyz, who follows the project from a scientific point of view. The teaching provided in the zoo respects Lehrplan 21, the German-based study plan, he specifies.
Nature offers us learning material
![The children of the Goldau Natural and Animalian Park explore the zoo and its surroundings almost every day. [SRF - PRIMUS ETTLIN]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== "The children of the Goldau Natural and Animalian Park explore the zoo and its surroundings almost every day. [SRF - PRIMUS ETTLIN]")
Fabienne Baumann, teacher in the kindergarten of the animal park, underlines the advantages of teaching in the great outdoors: “Nature offers us learning equipment. We do not need to create artificially.” For example, to calculate, stones, branches and leaves are available to children and they can use them freely.
Unsurprisingly, animals are very popular with children: “I especially like the cows and sheep of the zoo farm”, confides a boy. Animals are not the center of each school day, specifies Fabienne Baumann, but they are very often at the heart of activities in spring and summer. “Right now, there are a lot of young animals in the park, so we integrate them into the lessons.”
Towards a sustainability of the school at the zoo
Among the parents who opted for this type of teaching, almost all would do this choice. This is shown by the intermediate evaluation carried out by the Haute École Pédagogique de Schwyz. Overall, the feedback from teachers as well as those of children are also positive.
“Children are developing a very close link with their place of learning,” notes Jürgen Kühnis. They are proud and enthusiastic when they talk about their school. The project is initially planned for three years. The objective is to establish the offer in a sustainable manner. The lessons learned from this experience should then inspire other children’s gardens and school levels.
Primus Ettlin, SRF
Adaptation for Rtsinfo: Didier Kottelat
