Związek leśnych przedszkoli z metodą Marii Montessori

Abstract

The article presents the ideas behind forest kindergartens, as well as their interconnection with the Montessori Method. It also includes a brief history of forest kindergartens, both around the world and in Poland, and the characteristics of how they function. The presented data are based on the analysis of source materials, including information found on forest kindergartens’ websites, documents such as the project of “The Pedagogical Concept of Forest Kindergartens Operating in Partnership with the Polish Institute of Forest Kindergartens,” the available research results and the literature on the topic, the telephone verification of the validity of the data shown on the internet map of forest kindergartens in Poland, and participant observations carried out i.a. in “Puszczyk” forest kindergarten in Białystok. The objective of the conducted research was to analyse forest kindergartens and Montessori kindergartens, paying special attention to the similarities in their functioning. As a result of the scientific work, numerous links between the two forms of alternative education were found and these are set out in the article. Moreover, a selection of several Polish kindergartens which draw inspiration from the idea of forest kindergartens and the Montessori education system are presented herein. All of this shows that such a combination turns out to be an interesting proposition for pre-school education, both for the founders of kindergartens and the recipients of the offer – pre-school children and their parents.