For a small place, Hong Kong has a huge coastline – well over 400km, in fact! And almost a quarter of the territory is forested. So it makes perfect sense for a school to extend its educational offerings to embrace nature. That’s just what Malvern College Hong Kong (MCHK) does with its Forest-Beach School. We ask four members of the Malvern Pre-School team about providing an outdoor education and the benefits of pre-school activities to connect with nature.
An outdoor education
The Forest-Beach School programme is based on a philosophy of child-led learning, with a focus on all five senses. Nature, the outdoors and open spaces become the children’s temporary classroom. The basic aim of these pre-school activities and an outdoor education is to give young ones the freedom to learn in an exciting environment. This is something some may have had little previous exposure to if their family home is in Hong Kong’s urban heartland.
NATALIE GLEESON is Principal of Malvern Pre-School, Coronation Circle in Kowloon. She explains that MCHK has run its Forest-Beach School since its opening back in 2017 – and with great success.
“We’re very proud to offer Forest-Beach School, which is so unique and special in the Hong Kong environment. We find this is a wonderful opportunity for all our Malvern College pupils in Hong Kong to connect to the great outdoors. And learn about nature, sustainability, life cycles, the water cycle and understand scientific concepts to an even deeper level.”
Natalie adds that Forest-Beach School helps children in other ways, too. For example, by developing their language skills and also their personal, social and emotional development, which are the foundations of any strong curriculum.
EMMA-JANE RITCHIE is Principal of Malvern Pre-School, Island West in Sai Ying Pun.
“Our Forest-Beach School takes place in Sai Kung,” she says. “The location offers unlimited possibilities for learning outside. Children get the chance to run, dig, climb and to make mud pies. And to follow some very safe but risk-taking activities which we know are so important in building children’s self-confidence.”
One element of the programme at this MCHK school that brings added benefits to all is the opportunity for families to get involved in their child’s outdoor education.
“We love including all the family,” says Emma-Jane. “So, we invite mums, dads, grandparents and helpers to come along and join in the learning and the fun. This way, parents themselves get to learn about our nature-based education.”
Incorporating language into Malvern Pre-School activities
The bilingual approach at Malvern Pre-School extends to Forest-Beach School too. And children are given equal exposure to the English and Chinese language. VIRGINIA LIAO is the Chinese Principal of Malvern Pre-Schools both at Coronation Circle and Island West.
“Using this bilingual approach,” she says, “we connect all the areas of our Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum through to the Forest-Beach School programme.”
Virginia adds that the Forest-Beach School Leader is Level 3 trained. All other staff are Level 1 trained, ensuring that all adults know how to connect and extend the children’s learning. This is as they discover not only language, but the sciences, mathematics, arts, physical development, and social and emotional development in this natural setting.
“We aim to follow the children’s interests and stretch and extend all children in the great outdoors.”
Igniting imaginations at MCHK
EMMA DEAN is the Forest-Beach School Leader at Malvern Pre-School. For her, the beauty of the programme is the way it allows children to ignite their imaginations. Kids also learn and experience new things in a safe environment outside the confines of the classroom.
“We’re fortunate to have both the beach and forest environments very close to each other, which gives us so many options for exploring and learning. We set up different activities for the children, show them something new, and then let them decide where they want to take their learning – so, they follow their own line of inquiry, problem solving and learning to collaborate.
During the session of Forest-Beach School that’s going on at the time of Expat Living’s visit, the focus for the day’s pre-school activities is on the food chain in the sea.
“The children are creating a pyramid using sand buckets to represent the different animals – a shark at the top, smaller fish in the middle, down to seaweed at the bottom,” says Emma. “We’ll discuss how important all the different rows of the pyramid are to the ecosystem.”
Story time follows – with a reading of a book called A Hole in the Bottom of the Sea, a colourful and playful introduction to sea creatures and the roles they play. After that, the pre-school activities encourage the children to explore the shore and find some creatures for themselves.
“It’s great to expose the children to the outdoors so they can foster a love of nature that will last them a lifetime, and also learn to protect our planet,” says Emma.
Island West: G/F & 1/F, Viking Court, 165-166 Connaught Road West, Sai Ying Pun
Coronation Circle: G09-12 Coronation Circle, 1 Yau Cheung Road, West Kowloon
3898 4668 | malvernpreschool.hk
This article about MCHK, an outdoor education and Malvern Pre-School activities first appeared in the Autumn 2024 issue of Expat Living magazine. Subscribe now so you never miss an issue.
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