Suggested use of Stage 2 books to flow with the seasons
How does Magic Forest Academy's Nature Based Education differ from other Nature Based Educational programs; such as, Waldorf, Charlotte Mason, Oak Meadow, etc.?
First of all, we would like to state that any Nature Based educational program is worth the investment, because too many children and adults are distracted from the natural world around us. We created the Magic Forest Academy nature based curriculum to fill a void found in other programs; which can be summarized as:
1) Magic Forest Academy is Secular; whereas, other nature based curriculum are not. This means anyone can adopt our curriculum into their existing educational program or use our program on its own. It is strictly learning about Nature! We compliment other educational programs including the above mentioned ones.
2) Magic Forest Academy is Affordable. The above mentioned programs are a fantastic fit for many, but are not necessarily affordable for all.
3) Magic Forest Academy is Flexible. Our educational books are designed as a compilation of child-led nature based activities and ideas that can easily be adjusted to suit anyone's schedule and pace.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I use Magic Forest Academy books?
There are several ways you can use our nature based educational books. Each book contains a a nature themed Reading, Math, Science, Arts/Craft, Fun/Games, Recipe and a list of Additional Activities aligned to the books nature theme. Our best suggestion if you use our program in its entirety is to focus on a specific nature theme per week, exploring each of the academic topics included in the book, then choosing one or two of the Additional Activities to engage in. Do not try to cram every academic topic and activity into one week, but instead, carry on to the next theme that flows with the season. Repeat the full year cycle each year by reviewing the parts of each book yet unexplored. With each ensuing year, children gain a deeper understanding of the academic, activities and nature theme. The Stage 2 books are a journey that can be repeated each year, ideally between the ages of 7 and 12, where children can advance their knowledge and engage in new activities from each book. Some educators use our nature based books as reference to enhance other curriculum since our books are brimming with unique and classic ideas and activities to make learning fun and engaging.
When will the Stage 1 (ages 3-6) and Stage 3 (ages 13-17) be available?
Soon! We wanted to publish our Stage 2 that we built around the ages of 7 to 12, because this middle age group is often overlooked with Nature Based Educational programs. This is an age where children still have lovely imaginations at the same time their cognitive thinking skills are advancing, and the world benefits when children of this age apply their imagination to problem solving, inventing, building and theorizing. Too many curriculum programs focus on having this age group memorize data when it's the perfect age to apply imagination with practical thinking. Magic Forest Academy is designed to foster advanced learning, where educator and student work together to explore and learn. There is still so much we need to explore of the nature world. Every day there are new discoveries of our oceans, forests, animals, plants and more, so a nature-based educational program must be designed to touch on what we already know while keeping an open mind to challenge classic theories and applications. That is the goal of our Stage 2 books. Stage 1 for ages 3-6 is all about learning through daily play and song aligned to the same nature themes highlighted in Stage 2. Our Stage 3 for ages 13-17 deep dive challenging nature topics with project based activities. All of our Stages focus on fostering a love of nature and conservation.
Do I need to purchase any special equipment or supplies to use Magic Forest Academy?
For the most part, students will use everyday household objects they get to re-purpose into projects, arts and crafts. Some activities may require the purchase of supplies, but they are common school supplies easily attainable and reasonably affordable. We highly recommend students start a Nature Journal and keep it updated throughout the course of using our books, which do contain Nature Journal prompts at times. Nature Journals do not need to be purchased; however, they can be made!
Are there any Worksheets and Tests in Magic Forest Academy?
No, all of our activities and guides are designed as hands on and interactive.
Is Magic Forest Academy designed for Schools or Homeschool?
Both! Many "Unschoolers" also use our guides since they cleverly cover Reading, Math, Science and more that are all aligned to Nature themes many children love to explore at their own pace and time. Our educational books and program are designed to appeal to all educators and students; whether a teacher wants to incorporate nature-based learning in the classroom (and get children outdoors in touch with nature!) or a homeschooling parent is looking for an organized nature based educational package to use in full or as reference guides. Our books are designed so that older children can use them independently while younger ages may desire guidance from an adult who explores nature and learning with them.
None of our recipes contain meat, nor do they use any food-coloring or prepackaged foods filled with preservatives. All recipes can be adapted to suit individual dietary needs. The best part is each books recipe aligns to its specific nature theme, designed for children to make and enjoy. Cooking can be fun for children and utilizes many academic skills from Math, Science, Reading and more.
Do you have additional questions about Magic Forest Academy? Please email us at admin@magicforestacademy.com
Visit our Facebook page as well where we share nature themed educational information and the occasional free giveaway!