Why Our Kids Need Forests For True Learning By Linda Akeson McGurk What if there were a better way to do early childhood education? Are kids better off running through the trees than being stuck inside a classroom all day? ZUMA PRESS It’s a common complaint among teachers as well as parents in the U.S. these days: kindergarten has become the new first grade and the unintended casualty of that is preschool, which has consequently become the new kindergarten. Many early childhood experts consider physical activity and unstructured play the two main pillars for learning and a healthy development for preschoolers. Many early childhood experts consider physical activity and unstructured play the two main pillars for learning and a healthy development for preschoolers. Many early childhood experts consider physical activity and unstructured play the two main pillars for learning and a healthy development for preschoolers. Both are often lacking at American preschools, where play is typically directed by the adults and the students are more likely to be found cooped up indoors, filling out worksheets and tracing letters. Full article