Kids in the Forest

When I picked up my son from preschool （幼儿园） one recent summer afternoon，he looked dirty from head to foot.He told me how he and his classmates played in the nearby forest.It was a hot day，so they took off their shoes to put their feet in the river.He

（1）_____（describe ）excitedly to me the wonderful feeling of the cool river water.

This isn't a typical preschool in the United States.It's a forest school.A large part of my son's school day takes place across 1，000 square meters of forest and wetlands.

Today's kids are under great pressure.It is believed that the road to a "good" college begins as early as preschool，and even four﹣year﹣olds（2）_____（ require ）to read and memorize new words every day.So outdoor time for children（3）_____（ become ） less and less now.This has caused many problems，such as an increase іn оbеѕіtу （肥胖） аnd dерrеѕѕіоn （抑郁） among children.

More and more parents（4）_____（ realize ） the importance of outdoor play.In the past few years，we have seen an increasing interest in forest schools.The number of forest schools in the U.S.has jumped from 20 in 2008 to 250.Unlike children in traditional schools，forest school kids spend their day studying ant hills or even（5）_____（ climb ） tall trees.There are no direct instructions.

So are forest schools really better for today's children than traditional preschools？The answer（6）_____（ depend ） largely on whom you ask.Personally，I prefer forest schools.Since he started to attend forest school，my son has been more active and brighter with improved problem﹣solving skills.He has learned how to deal with small dangers and how

（7）_____（protect ）the environment.Most importantly，my son is excited to go to school every day.

Do you spend most of your time studying indoors？Remember to sometimes "hug" nature.It is good for you!