Edited on 29 April 2023, with further Danish insights from our fellowship in Denmark (Berit Hansen)
Rows of pine trees peppered the large forest space, stretching across endlessly. As Zoe and I walked in the mystical spaces of the Silkeborg forest (Denmark), basking in the Kimoreibi of the morning sun, we spoke at length about the experiences that we had shared over the past few days from the Playful School Conference 2023 @ Lego, including our enriching conversation-tour with Jennifer and Berit.
It has been such a fruitful and overwhelming experience for me to venture into the land where the Vikings once reigned. This memoir tells our observations, feelings, resonance, and hope. May you find something dear to hold onto from it all.
The journey began when we first got the email from the coordinator of the Playful School Conference, Idah, in 2022. She was a Singaporean working in the International School of Billund in Denmark.
We were so excited about the opportunity, as we knew we would be representing a Singaporean and Asian perspective on play, outdoor education, and bringing Forest School to a wider global audience. We also knew that it would be a great opportunity to visit various Forest Kindergartens in Denmark, as they are known to be one of the founding Scandinavian countries to have started the Forest School movement (From BBC’s “Do children learn better in forest schools?”)
Fast forward to March 2023 where I was at the Playful Schools Conference, I had the luxury of experiencing 3 full days’ worth of insights and stories from many folks at the conference, including a Nobel Prize winner, renowned cartoonist, and educators from South Africa, China, Denmark, Netherlands, Colombia, Canada, and more. I was truly inspired and enriched by their work, but at the same time, I had this particular question in mind: does all our good work in education, nature, and humanitarian efforts need to be publicly funded all the time? (Well, that is a question for another day.)
An afternoon with Jen
On the last day of the conference, Jen, one of the kindergarten teachers at the International School of Billund (who is also passionate about the Forest School ways), volunteered to take me on a tour around the outdoor and forest spaces near the school. As we started walking, she drew our attention to the different states of pine cones on the ground. Just by looking at them, she could identify the animals that had eaten them. From the birds, to the squirrels and the mice. It was impressive to see her sensitivity to the space and her rhythm.
Jen later showed us a Nature Playground that reminded me of the ones we have in Singapore. She humorously joked, “Why have this when the woods are right beside us as well 🤣?” It was a sentiment we concurred with, as we shared similar experiences in Singapore. However, we all agreed on the understanding that it takes time to connect people to the woods and the ways of nature, especially in our modern world. It is one step at a time.
Jen’s passion and enthusiasm for her Forest School practices extend to her lifestyle. She grows her own vegetables in her backyard, showing once more her sensitivity to the outdoors and her elements. It is truly inspiring to see how she advocates for the play and growth of children and teachers in her own context. She embodies nature and Forest School.
During our conversation, she shared that many of the Forest Kindergartens in Denmark are actually closing down, and many teachers are not as receptive to the outdoors or bringing education to the outdoors (similar to educators in most modern city countries). This initially bewildered me because Denmark is one of the founding places of the Forest School movement. Why would this phenomenon occur here? My curiosity was later answered by Berit…
Our Visit to Børnehaven Tyttebaerhuset
While in Denmark, Zoe tried to get in contact with a few Forest Kindergartens. However, many schools were closed due to Easter. We were very lucky to meet Berit, the leader of Børnehaven Tyttebaerhuset. Though it was her holiday, she graciously invited us over to her school and took time out from her holiday to meet and chat with us.
Børnehaven Tyttebaerhuset is a long-standing Forest Kindergarten in the Silkeborg region of Denmark. Berit has been with the school since Day 1, when they started 28 years ago.
We drove to the school, which is surrounded by a forest and a few buildings. It was set a little away from the urban area. Berit warmly greeted us at the front of the compound and gave us a tour of the Tyttebaerhuset space, enthusiastically sharing the amenities and stories of the area. The school has a large backyard with ample space for outdoor play, creation and activities, with a central building in the middle of the compound. Berit mentioned that everything in the space, except for one particular table, had been donated, making it truly environmentally friendly and green.
Their educational pedagogy and ways of Forest School absolutely resonated with us. These are exactly how we conduct our sessions, except that because they are a full-fledged school and we are a weekly program, we have less bandwidth to expand the depth of activities that the children create through their own initiative and curiosity.
We love it that the support staff who work at the school (like cooking and cleaning) are also evidently exposed to the children. In Berit’s words, “It is important for children to see the workings of the school, as that is also part of their education. Plus, the children will often spark many curious questions and, therefore, learn moments and processes from these simple observational moments. It will also lead to the children taking responsibility for many of the housekeeping responsibilities (of course, in a scaffolded way).” That is how our children learn and grow up before industrialised/cinderblock learning, right?
Berit and her team of educators at the school also believe in individual expertise rather than standardised expertise for all teachers. Some educators are more passionate and knowledgeable about a certain topic (such as birds or plants), and that teacher will be the one to bring that element of knowledge not just to the children but also to all the other educators and parents in the community. The same concept applies to parents within the community as well. This is exactly the same concept of the “Village that Raises a Child” that we advocate for in Singapore.
In Tyttebaerhuset, they subscribe to so many child-led and nature-led practices that resonated with us. It felt like the universe conspired to bring us together, and we absolutely loved their school. To top it off, Berit also told us that a Singaporean family was part of their community years ago, but it took them a while to acclimate to their Forest Kindergarten ways.
After touring Tyttebaerhuset (the original Bornehaven), Berit brought us to their other indoor school campus space. She explained that the children attend the off-urban forest kindergarten campus for four weeks, and then spend two weeks in the more urban indoor campus in the town. This is their current rhythm, which allows the children to appreciate both spaces and creates a sense of balance for them. This sparked a curiosity that I have held with me ever since my conversation with Jen.
Berit confirmed that it is true that Forest Kindergartens are closing down around Denmark. ***Just like in Silkeborg, there was once many Nature and forest nurseries/kindergarten as small satellites with rotation arrangements. The closures are due to the fact that there is a tendency for day care services to become larger, which means that quite a few small independent units are merged into large units. This therefore changes the number of Nature kindergartens moving ahead.
***Tyttebærhuset’s forest nursery “Blåbærhuset” started as a satellite when there was a lack of nursery places. This is also the case in the rest of Denmark, due to the guaranteed place for all children. The major development in the 90s can be perceived as developed on the basis of many complex interacting conditions, which can be very briefly described as follows:
- ***A situation arises where many new institutional places have to be developed as a result of guaranteeing places for all children. During the period, institutions set up small satellite groups and rotation schemes based on access to scout houses, scavengers, etc.
Almost all schools in Denmark are publicly funded, and education is free. Therefore, there is also a layer of administrative and legislative work that Forest Kindergartens need to follow and adhere to in accordance with the central education ministry.
***Towards the end of our school tour, Berit brought us to a new school, Langdalshøjen. Silkeborg has appointed itself to be the Outdoor Capital and has strategies for developing this aspect, which is also the reason why they are building a “profile institution” – Langdalshøjen.
***Kindergartens in Denmark are generally very outdoorsy, but with the strategy in Silkeborg, this means that all kindergartens in Silkeborg should have a special focus on using nature in their educational work
***As they write in Leksikon i Danmark in general Quote: “Many institutions find it important to introduce children to nature, and according to studies (Broström 2004), it is very common for kindergartens to have target descriptions aimed at children’s knowledge of nature and children’s relationships to the surroundings (the environment) ”
But as Berit pointed out, while having the appropriate methodology, teaching techniques, environment, and natural surroundings is essential, the educators themselves must also embrace the approach in order for it to succeed.
As I write up to this point, there is a huge wave of emotions washing over me. It’s like a mixture of overwhelming feelings from the context I am facing in Singapore, the wisdom from nature in Jeju, and this trip. I want to feel hopeful about what’s ahead and have that strength to endure, but I really do not know clearly where I stand.
The next stretch of writing I put out here is not meant to discredit the magical work of Jen, Berit or any other Forest and Nature education practitioners and their work. It is a vulnerable expression of my deep thoughts and feelings about what I experienced, learned and reflected upon.
Firstly, after observing how the Danish conduct themselves in the practice of Forest School, I can see that they have a more established structure and continuity in their work. This may be due to the organisational construct and policy design of education in their country. Nevertheless, the core principles of the work remain the same. We all believe in and trust our children. We all believe in the concept of ‘it takes a village to raise a child.’ We all believe in the power and connection of nature within and around us.
Secondly, in Denmark, the accessibility of the forest is divided between private and public ownership. In public forests, people, including children, can venture off-trail and play as long as they take care of the space. However, in privately-owned forests, people are required to stay on the trail, and activities like tree climbing are not permitted.The Danish forests are apparently replanted and managed spaces. Some locals suggest that if one is looking for a true wild forest experience, Sweden might be a better option as Denmark has undergone significant urbanisation and industrialisation in the past. Therefore, it may take some time for Denmark to restore its forests to their previous state.
Education in Denmark is generally free and liberal, with an emphasis on play and child-initiated learning and growth. Play is a crucial element of the curriculum in many towns, and sleeping outdoors is also a common practice. However, in inner city areas, due to the influx of migrants from outside of Denmark, language, culture, and context have evolved differently. This is less of a Danish or European cultural difference and more of a city versus non-city context. Some of our AirBnB hosts in the city had no knowledge of Forest School. We also heard that some school teachers without prior knowledge of Forest School have made comments such as “kids from Forest Kindergarten are only good at eating mud”. However, since Denmark is a large country with plenty of space, children and people are given the freedom to move and explore more freely than in smaller, limited land spaces.
Lastly, the knowledge that impacted me the most…
Forest kindergartens in Denmark are converting or closing, moving away from outdoor and nature-based education. This strikes me deeply, perhaps because of my own experiences in Singapore and the constant struggle to convince others of the value of such programs. These kindergartens were originally started due to the lack of indoor space, but are now reverting back to traditional indoor classrooms because enough space is available. Is this the typical behaviour of humans?
When there is a lack of, we lean on Nature, but when our conditioned “comfort” returns without consequence, we revert? I always believe that we have to do things because we love it, not because we are afraid to lose something. Decisions due to fear never end up well in my view. And I carry that with me through my work and life. I do Forest School because of the love for my Children and Community first and foremost. And it developed over time to my love and connection for Nature.
Seeing the seemingly natural development of what is going on in Forest Kindergarten in Denmark makes me question so much about what Forest School would be like in Singapore in the years to come. Would we just become another one of those green or outdoor activities that people turn to out of necessity or desperation?
I’m still at the stage of figuring out what all of these knowledge, realisations, and reflections mean for me and the Forest School Singapore community. It’s like swimming in the murky waters of a river. I know I want to commit myself to the swim because I want to be involved, but the murkiness of the water has created an uncertainty that is tough for me to digest.
Despite all my reflections and emotions, I often struggle to find a glimmer of hope to comfort myself. On my last day in Denmark, I erupted with frustration and confusion. I screamed and yelled in anguish, feeling like I couldn’t make sense of everything and unable to let it go. Zoe was there for me, holding space and providing support.
After calming down, we took a walk by the coast amongst the sand, sea and wind. While chatting and exploring wild possibilities of many extremes and in betweens, I was revisited by the magical message of the wind once more.
“Conflict and Struggle is the process to Harmony…… Endure”
Denmark has been to me and us, a truly fruitful experience, that I, after 7 days of the trip, have not fully comprehended it all yet. With my parting words on this story, I look forward to letting go of trying too hard. I hope to flow with the pain, in the faith of the universe. Thank you for listening…
Written by: Darren
Editted by: Zoe & Shimin
Commentary Edit: Berit (***)
Additional Commentary by Berit has been included below. After reading through this article on its first publication, Berit voluntarily offered to include a much more detailed explanation and understanding of Nature Kindergarten in Denmark and her opinion on my conclusion (see below). We like to thank Berit for her generousity across the borders, we have learnt alot (and is still learning) from her gifts of knowledge and experience. We also like to thank her for giving space and time for us to understand the Danish Nature Kindergarten and culture better. I have made a few editorials based on her request but have retained my opinions at the conclusion. I understand that my insight is not the full picture due to my short time spent there. I choose to retain my short-sighted opinion in this article, to show the imperfection and vulnerability of this organic journey. I definitely do not know everything. To top it off, I absolutely agree with what Berit has shared below 😄, because it is a more comprehensive story and insight from a local about local. Continue on for the true Danish insight into Nature Kindergarten
BERIT’s commentary and insights on NATURE KINDERGARTEN IN DENMARK
Som I måske kan læse i det jeg skriver, så er jeg ikke helt enig med jeres konklusion. Man arbejder faktisk på i større grad at tænke naturen ind for alle vinkler. Især i Silkeborg.
Kopi from https://leksikon.org/art.php?n=5230 – Markeringer er mine!
Naturbørnehaver i Danmark
Der har ikke tidligere videnskabeligt været gjort forsøg på at definere, hvad en naturbørnehave er i Danmark. Begrebet dækker over forskellige institutionstyper som skov-, land-, strand-, natur-, friluftsbørnehaver mv. De forskellige præfixer fortæller alle om pædagogisk arbejde udenfor institutionsbygninger, enten på udearealet eller i mindre kulturprægede områder i nærheden af børnehaven.
Naturbørnehaver defineres som børnehaver, der dagligt lægger 3-5 timer af det pædagogiske arbejde udenfor institutionen på udearealet og i nærnaturen (Ejbye-Ernst 2012).
Begrebet «udeliv» har været den dominerende betegnelse knyttet til beskrivelser af aktiviteter i naturbørnehaver. Dette kan ses gennem læsning af Pædagogisk Tidsskrift for daginstitutioner og klubber, nul til fjorten, hvor der siden 1993 har været 6 tema udgivelser der omhandler naturinstitutioner og udeliv. Udeliv beskriver alle former for aktiviteter i naturen eller på legepladsen, og lægger overvejende op til, at børn er udenfor, uden at skelne til hvad der sker udenfor.
Naturbørnehaver i Danmark har på mange måder fulgt den udvikling der beskrives i opslaget børnehaver. Der har i mange år været en stærk tradition for at indføre børn i naturen i Danmark, hvilket f.eks. kan ses på børnehaver og vuggestuers udvikling af udearealer, diskussioner om uderum og f.eks. i tidskrifter rettet mod praksisfeltet. Mange institutioner finder det vigtigt at præsentere børn for forhold angående naturen, og ifølge undersøgelser (Broström 2004), er det meget almindeligt, at børnehaver har målbeskrivelser rettet mod børns viden om naturen og børns forhold til omgivelserne (miljøet). Forskere fra Tyskland (Bickel 2001), Norge (Borge et al 2003) og England (Waite 2011) skriver i bøger og artikler, at inspirationen til at arbejde med naturbørnehaver kommer fra besøg i Danmark, så de danske naturbørnehaver og ideerne der er forbundet med dem har præget pædagogisk arbejde i Europa.
Børnehaver og naturen
Natur og udeliv, som en del af den pædagogiske praksis, har en lang tradition i Danmark. Et studie af reformpædagogikkens tænkere viser, at naturen altid har været højt værdsat som lege-, være- og udviklingssted. Selve ordet børnehave stammer fra Fröbel, som i forbindelse med et fremstød for børnesagen i et opråb til det tyske folk, skrev «Kindergarten» første gang i 1840.Børnehaven er som begreb, en metafor for det udviklende sted for børn, hvor barnet vokser eller udvikler sig i harmoni med omgivelserne og begrebet signalerer i høj grad at børn, barndom og natur er tæt forbundne.
Det frie naturlige barn som udfordres gennem kropslig udfoldelse, leg, oplevelser samt intense og fordybende stunder er en del af den grundlæggende reformpædagogiske forståelse, som pædagogisk arbejde med børn fra 3-6 i det fri bygger på.
Viden om naturbørnehaver i dag
Forskning og undersøgelse af naturbørnehaver er et ret nyt fænomen. Der var sporadiske tiltag indenfor feltet omkring 1990 men først i 1997 fremkom de første forskningsarbejder rettet mod pædagogisk arbejde i naturen med børnehavebørn.
I slutningen af 90’erne bliver den første forskning om betydningen af at børns ophold i naturen publiceret af svenske og norske forskere (Grahn 1997 et al., Fjørtoft 2000). I perioden undersøges specielt de kropslige- og sundhedsmæssige effekter af naturbørnehaver. Det er ret velundersøgt, at børns udvikling kan styrkes positivt i naturbørnehaver på en række områder.
- Naturbørnehaver har positiv betydning for børns styrke, smidighed, koordination og udholdenhed (Brevik 1999, Grahn et al 1997, Grahn 2007, Fjørtoft, 2000, Vigsø & Nielsen 2006).
- Naturbørnehaver indvirker positivt på børns almene sundhedsstilstand vægt, allergi, sygedage) (Krøigård 1996, Søderström & Blennow 1996, Vigsøe & Nielsen 2006, Söderström 2011).
- Naturen er et stressreducerende rum, hvor børn leger lange og koncentrerede lege (Söderström 2011, Kylin 2004, Mårtensson 2004, 2009, 2011, Grahn 2007).
- Det er endvidere sporadisk påvist, at der er gode muligheder for at understøtte opmærksomhed, selvstændighed og fantasi i naturbørnehaver.
Mange af undersøgelserne er ret små, og indenfor en række felter er der behov for yderligere forskning.
Der findes ikke undersøgelser, der belyser, om oplevelser og leg i naturen betyder en øget naturforståelse/bevidsthed om natur- og miljøforhold. Nyeste forskning tyder på, at pædagogers formidling af natur og kommunikation om natur har stor betydning for børns viden og interesse for naturen (Ejbye-Ernst 2012). Endvidere viser forskning, at pædagoger ofte understøtter børns intuitive hverdagsforestillinger om natur og naturfænomener (Paludan 2000).
Børns leg, læring i naturen er i dag på dagsordenen i det meste af verdenen, og i lande som USA og UK er der oprettet omfattende netværk der debatterer moderne børns leg i naturen, livsstil og bevægemønstre (Children and nature network http://www.childrenandnature.org/ ).
Hvor de danske naturbørnehaver tidligere vægtede det pædagogiske arbejde i naturen og være i naturen med børnene, er der i dag opstået børnehaver som er optaget af at indføre børn i forståelser for naturfaglige forhold og naturvidenskab. Der findes i dag flere kommuner, som ønsker en udvikling af science børnehaver. Der er dog mange forskellige opfattelser af, hvad en science børnehave er og hvordan den kan uddybe det pædagogiske arbejde i den danske naturbørnehave.
Naturbørnehavernes historie i Danmark
Danmark har en lang historie med naturinstitutioner og pædagogiske arbejde udenfor bygninger og væk fra byerne. De første danske naturinstitutioner er næsten 70 år gamle, og de er opstået på tidspunkter, hvor det var meget ualmindeligt at inddrage naturen i det pædagogiske arbejde.
Naturbørnehaverne i Danmark har hentet inspiration fra etableringen af skrammellegepladser, hulebyer og byggelegepladser som startede tilbage i 1943 med etableringen af Emdrup skrammellegeplads (Henriksen 2006). Udviklingen og diskussionen om legepladser for børn i 30’erne og 40’erne har understøttet den idé at børn leger «bedst» i naturområder, og diskussionen har været inspireret af landskabsarkitekt C. Th. Sørensens bog om børnelegepladsen «Parkpolitik i Sogn og Købstad» fra 1931. Det ideelle legested er i hans bog beskrevet som stranden, engen og lunden, naturområder, hvor børn kunne lege upåvirket af legeredskaber og kulturel indflydelse.
Den ældste naturbørnehave i Danmark er Ella Flataus Vandrebørnehave (Ejbye-Ernst 2012). Den startede i 1952, hvor Ella Flatau begyndte at tage sine egne børn med på ture i skoven. Det blev efterhånden til den første skovbørnehave baseret på, at naboer og bekendte fandt interesse for det, der foregik i den private institution og sendte deres børn med i skoven. Institutionen var i mange år et privat foretagende og måske en inspirationskilde til de udflytterbørnehaver, som blev etableret cirka på samme tidspunkt. Ella Flatau blev, ifølge børnehavens historieskrivning, ved med at deltage i turene i skoven frem til sin død i 1991. Børnehaven var en halvdagsinstitution for velstillede børn, der boede i Nordsjælland. Formen inspirerede til etablering af flere vandrebørnehaver bl.a. i Hareskoven. Flere af de tidlige naturbørnehaver var inspireret af Rudolf Steiners pædagogik og antroposofi.
De første danske naturinstitutioner for den socioøkonomisk trængte del af befolkningen er udflytterbørnehaverne, som også har rødder tilbage til 1952 (DPHF 1994). Her blev arrangeret et Offentligt møde arrangeret af Dansk Børnehaveråd med titlen: «Hvem skal passe børnene» hvor denne institutionsform nævnes første gang. Udflytterbørnehaverne var som udgangspunkt et hovedstadsfænomen, rettet mod børn fra de indre «brokvarterer» i København. De flest udflytterbørnehaver opfattes i dag som naturbørnehaver.
Naturbørnehaver i Danmark kan beskrives gennem forskellige perioder:
- Den tidlige periode hvor det har været halvdags naturbørnehaver som Elle Flataus skov- og vandre børnehave, der har domineret billedet sammen med udflytterbørnehaverne. Denne periode uddybes ikke yderligere her.
- Perioden fra 1985 – 1995 hvor der sker en stor vækst i naturbørnehaverne, som i perioden hovedsageligt består af små børnehaver drevet af ildsjæle. Perioden er præget af forsøgs- og udviklingsarbejder der ofte kun refererer til sig selv og egne erfaringer.
- Perioden fra 1995 til i dag hvor der har været et ret højt stabilt antal af naturbørnehaver og dagtilbud med særlig interesse for naturen. Perioden er præget af begyndende forskning om naturbørnehaver i specielt de nordiske lande og forøget fokus på moderne børns livsstil og naturtilknytning.
I perioden 1985 – 1995 blev der etableret mange naturbørnehaver. I 1991 fremgår det af rapport fra Skov & Naturstyrelsen, at der fandtes 66 skovbørnehaver og skovgrupper i Danmark (Grytter 1991). I rapporten registreres alle børnehaverne med navn, adresse, telefon og for de flestes vedkommende antal pladser. Det fremgår med enkelte undtagelser, at naturbørnehaver i Danmark i 1991 var små institutioner på mellem 10 og 25 børn. I 1993 var antallet vurderet til at være 3-4 gange højere af forsker fra Københavns universitet (Jensen 1999). Alle tallene er, ifølge rapporten fra Skov & Naturstyrelsen, forbundet med skøn og derfor med usikkerhed, bl.a. fordi naturbørnehavebegrebet ikke er klart defineret, og fordi der i Danmark er tradition for, at institutionerne er selvstændige autonome enheder, der selv vurderer, hvad de skal kaldes.
Den store udvikling i 90’erne kan opfattes som udviklet på baggrund af mange komplekse samspillende forhold, der meget kort kan beskrives som følger:
- Der opstår en situation, hvor der skal udvikles mange nye institutionspladser som følge af pladsgaranti til alle børn. I perioden opretter institutioner små satellitgrupper og rotationsordninger baseret på adgang til spejderhuse, skurvogne mv.
- Miljø- og naturdebatten bliver et vigtigt samfundsmæssigt spørgsmål, som påvirker uddannelserne på alle niveauer. Der uddannes f.eks. naturvejledere til at påvirke befolkningens forhold til naturen og åbne øjne for muligheder i naturen, og adgangen til naturområder bliver lempeligere.
- Faget naturfag bliver et selvstændigt fag i pædagoguddannelsen, og der bliver skrevet de første bøger rettet mod pædagogers arbejde med børn i naturen til inspiration for professionen.
Perioden er præget af begejstring for naturen som udviklingsrum for børn og af mange farverige beskrivelser af de særlige muligheder i naturen. I perioden blev det fremhævet, at børn gennem frihed og plads, selvstændighed og uforstyrrethed udvikler sig optimalt i naturbørnehaverne, samt at formen vil få vidtrækkende betydning for børns viden om natur og fremtidige bevidsthed om miljøet. Der findes mange begejstrerede beretning om udviklingsarbejder fra perioden, erfaringerne bygger helt overvejende på enkeltinstitutioners egne erfaringer.
Naturbørnehaver i dag og i fremtiden
I perioden 1995 – 2012 skønnes antallet af naturbørnehaver af Skov og Naturstyrelsen til at være 500, og således er ca. 10 % af alle børnehaver i dag naturbørnehaver.
Der er en tendens til at dagtilbud bliver større, hvilket betyder et en del små selvstændige enheder lægges sammen til store enheder. Det kan måske betyde ændringer i antallet af naturbørnehaver i fremtiden. Mange af naturbørnehaverne var oprindelig små og ret selvstændige institutioner, som blev oprettetud ud fra pionerånd, og begrundet i lyst til at ændre institutionslivet. Det blev strukturelt understøttet af et behov for flere børnehavepladser, der kunne opfylde pladsgarantien i 90’erne. I dag er der pladser til alle børnehavebørn, og de små enheder nedlægges og sammenlægges over hele landet. Naturen som legeplads er suppleret med naturen som læringsarena for små børns naturfaglige dannelse.
Ændringen af strukturen fra selvstændige enheder til ret store dagtilbud er ikke undersøgt systematisk i dag, med henblik på at følge udviklingen af naturbørnehaver i Danmark.
Naturbørnehaver er internationalt set et af Danmarks store bidrag til børnehavetænkningen. Mange internationale artikler viser, at disse børnehaver har inspireret pædagoger fra mange lande til at afprøve naturbørnehave koncepter i deres egne lande.
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