About KidWings
We aim to educating their hearts through nature, free play and creativity.
KidWings born of a dream of life....
Of a mother
Of her love for her daughter
Of the need to protect the souls of children and defend their freedom
Of love for nature, green, water and the smell of wet earth
Of passion to heal the world of conformity and disconnection
Of wanting to hug a tree and breathe with him
Of the need to listen to silence and to learn from the wisdom of nature gather pure souls and contribute to the necessary change in education
Hi, my name is Sandra Brigman. I am a proud single mom of a beautiful wild 6 year old girl. I am the Founder, Director, and Creative Facilitator at KidWings Nature Holistic School. I believe in alternative education, where children are trusted and respected and where they are free to learn while playing in an environment that makes it possible.
In my experience as a mother, Emotional Coach, Energy Healer, and Child Development and Waldorf Educator I have been able to recognize the real needs of children and adults alike. I quickly identified that these deep longings begin in childhood, and saw the necessity to create a program in which these needs were met. As part of the Conscious Parenting Movement, I also enrolled in several courses which provided me with great experience, resources and tools to work and empower children.
I have had the great fortune of traveling to different countries around the world, which has granted me a broader vision of human nature. I have learned different perspectives and methods in education, and varied ways to approach situations.
Visiting the Forest Schools offered me the clarity of my vision, and since, I have not stopped researching and studying ways to incorporate their methodology into KidWings programming. Combining my experience in Waldorf Education, my extensive training in holistic healing, and my intense desire to bring nature back into children’s lives, I developed what today I call KidWings.
- Because nature supports movement and expression.
- Because nature stimulates imagination and creativity.
- Because nature is not invasive or over stimulating.
- Because nature reduces anxiety and stress.
- Because nature is healthy.
- Because nature favors concentration.
- Because nature increases self-esteem.
- Because nature increases the ability to adapt.
- Because nature promotes optimal development at all levels of the child.
In the woods, between pines and oaks, in the mud and baskets, under the pine cones and branches, there are secrets… Children want to discover those secrets, and grow emotionally through these experiences. Nature is the ideal learning environment -every day we discover and learn through free play, nature is an endless source of stimuli, experiences, and fluid activities such as Yoga, breathing, playing, dancing, music, storytelling … We look at children with everything they bring, without judgments or expectations, listening to their needs and teaching them self-regulation through emotional companionship, boundaries and bonding.
This natural environment is ideal for free play, because it is a wide and diverse space that offers a multitude of varied stimuli and neutral materials. The possibilities of interpreting this world creatively are endless.
The open spaces allow children and young people to move and develop play scenarios with great flexibility. Due to the extent of the play field, they can satisfy their need for movement freely. Landscape diversity encourages physical ability and stimulates the mind
In open spaces noise is not trapped as in enclosed spaces, so it created a calmer context where children and youth tune into this tranquility and therefore are much more receptive. The abundance of natural materials and space helps maintain harmony and collaboration, creating a healthy and enjoyable play culture.
The model of the schools in the forest generates significant benefits at the personal, social and emotional levels, including the increase of self-esteem and self-confidence.
Most studies on forest schools reach the same conclusions:
- Activities that are based mainly on the interest and curiosity of the children, deepen the experiential learning with positive benefits on long-term memory.
- The confidence that is developed in each kid, between the peer group and the educators, gives space to children to overcome their limitations and strengthen their self-esteem.
- Giving them time to investigate situations around them allows children to value the risks themselves and helps them decide when they are prepared to face them, encouraging children to trust themselves and be responsible for their environment.
- Exploring the environment, physical effort, walking, climbing, running, etc., increases stamina (physical resistance). Children never complain about bad weather, it does not stop them from engaging in outdoor activity.
- Creative thinking is the basis of creative writing. The feeling of freedom, fascination and desire to know about the forest encourages even the smallest of children to create and retell the most extraordinary stories.
- Children with the most complex and most demanding needs find in nature the most optimal environment to manage their personal challenges successfully.
- Daily activity in nature helps strengthen the immune system, decreasing the occurrence of allergies and asthma. Nature play lowers blood pressure and helps blood circulation. Daily activity in nature helps maintain an appropriate muscle strength and tone.
