Nøkken: A Garden for Childrenby Helle Heckmann
Throughout recorded history the garden has been a place for the human need for cultivation. Think of the baroque garden in the West and the Zen Buddhist garden in the East. The Garden of Eden in the Old Testament is probably one of the clearest pictures of how man has existentially and spiritually connected the garden with life, growth, doctrine, and wisdom. But what does the garden have to do with a book on kindergarten life? A great deal if you ask this book's author! ”The garden helps us to understand that the world is good and that life is best lived in the now for a child.” Based on 35 years of experience Waldorf kindergarten teacher Helle Heckmann perceives the garden as a microcosm that reflects the macrocosm, in all stages of life from birth to death and the resurrection expressing itself through the changing seasons. This outdoor space where the one to six year-old child with all their senses learn about life through daily contact with the organic and hard-working activities there, always in a process of transformation. A little sprout that gradually grows to be harvested and eaten by all, the caterpillar in the cocoon that becomes a butterfly in early summer. Since 1998, Helle Heckmann's description of a remarkable program for children from ages one to seven in Copenhagen, Denmark, has been an inspiration for early childhood educators looking for ways to provide a healthy, nourishing environment for the children in their care. WECAN is pleased to present this classic book in a newly corrected and expanded edition, including an updated list of resources, a new bibliography, and selections from A Garden for Kids, the 2003 celebration of Nøkken. More ... |
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