Skauen Barnehage :)

Aidan has spent the last two years at Skauen (slang for "The Woods") Kindergarten here in the Tonsenhagen section of Oslo. It´s been wonderful. The kindergarten overlooks a huge field and is near the woods, which they frequently visit and learn about nature.

They build bonfires, build tree swings and visit tadpole ponds while singing and playing amongst the rocks and trees. I love that he´s had this great opportunity to be so close to nature, and it´s wonderful when he comes and shows us various leaves and can identify them by name. We passed some wild plants recently, and he commented that they look like wild strawberry plants. How awesome is that?! They had no sign of the berries, so he was going by the look of the leaves alone.

Kids are expected to be fairly disciplined here, and there are rules for mealtimes and playing and many other things. They sit down and eat and are expected to sit quietly for 30 minutes or so, with only quiet conversation and calmness around. They all help clear the table, and a spirit of cooperation and mutual responsibility in cleaning up and keeping the peace is fostered in the kids.

Aidan is the oldest boy in a group of 18. The ages are mixed, and some of the kids are as young as 2. The kids in his age group are all girls, and it´s been interesting to watch him foster his own interests among three same-age girls who are very, well, girl-ish. I´m not at all hung up on sex/gender as an all-important differential, but when all three girls define themselves strongly in terms of traditional roles and interests, it does seem to impact in some way. Going to a more evenly mixed gender, much larger first grade classroom will probably be a big adjustment at first for Aidan. I´m sure he´ll manage just fine with time.

Skauen, especially after an awful kindergarten the year before, has been a wonderful gift in all of our lives. When Aidan first set eyes on Skauen prior to starting there, the first thing he said was, "What a beautiful place!" And it is a beautiful place. We´re eternally grateful to Elin, Vigdis and Monica (plus Lisbeth and Kine who have worked there as subsitutes) for their wonderful and hard work to make Skauen as fantastic as it is!

17th of May celebrations at Skauen

Henriette, an adorable little friend of Aidan´s

Elin, the awesome kindergarten director

Aidan bought lottery tickets to try and win some paintings the kids made. The money went to the childrens hospital unit at Ullevål Hospital. I hoped to win one of the four paintings to take with us as a memento to New York. 

Aidan won two of the four paintings, including the rainbow one I was hoping we would win, and he gave one to his buddy Amanda :)