For most Canadian students, attending school means spending a lot of time at a desk -- but a lucky few have a park for a classroom.
With two teaching staff and 14 pupils, Beaver Creek Academy in Manitoba provides learning with a difference.
After teaching in the traditional education system for a decade, Principal Bethany Beaudry says she saw a need for something different.
The small, two month ‘forest school’ in Winnipeg’s Charleswood community sees youngsters learn through play. This school is the first of its kind in the province.
“The idea is to get kids back to play, and back to nature,” she told CTV Winnipeg.
"Really using play to elicit all the learning and the outcomes that are in the curriculum, but in a playful manner.”
The kids can be seen in the playground, climbing trees, singing songs and taking lessons in a circle sat on tree stumps during September and October.
Beaudry says the students learn by exploring and sharing their experience in notebooks.
Beaudry, along with another full-time teacher and volunteers, offers classes from kindergarten to Grade 3. And within the next five years, she hopes to have students up to Grade 8 getting an education in the wild.
The independent school curriculum offers ‘structured and unstructured’ play-based learning, with the aim of nurturing the physical, social, emotional, spiritual and intellectual development of its learners.
It uses the provincially mandated curriculum as a reference with learning goals for each semester co-created by educators, parents, administration and the student.
Beaver Creek student Jean Luca Mancini says he looks forward to going to school.
"It's like so good to be in school. I love it! It's very fun,” Jean said.
Beaver Creek’s philosophy of play-based learning costs $8,500 in tuition. But parents who've enrolled their kids are confident in the education saying games like tag and tree climbing can help build critical thinking and problem solving skills.
Jean’s mother Helene Le Moullec Mancini said it’s important to be reminded that there can be joy and playfulness in everything people do, including work.
With reports from CTV’s Manitoba Bureau Chief Jill Macyshon and CTV Winnipeg's Jon Hendricks
