Practices in a forest kindergarten: a case study

Forest kindergartens are an alternative early childhood education model in which most educational processes occur outdoors. This study examines the practices of forest kindergarten over an academic year in terms of curriculum, educational processes, stakeholder relationships, and assessment dimensions. The research was conducted as an instrumental case study, a qualitative research design, at a forest kindergarten in Hamburg, Germany. Two teachers and six parents participated in the study. Data were collected through interviews, participant observation, documents such as the curriculum used in the forest kindergarten, daily and weekly lesson plans, project outputs, and photographs. The data were analyzed in two stages using the MAXQDA Analytics Pro 2022 software. The study yielded various findings related to the aforementioned dimensions. Firstly, it was found that the curriculum was implemented in forest and open-air settings and included regularly scheduled annual activities. An examination of the educational process revealed that routine activities and projects were emphasized in daily routines and weekly schedules. Secondly, family involvement and collaboration with stakeholders were found to be important components of the forest kindergarten program. Finally, it was concluded that portfolios, annual assessments, and school readiness assessments were used for evaluation in the forest kindergarten.