It snowed very heavily today here in Bodo (pronounce Buddah). The kind of snow that would make everything grind to a halt in Scotland. But life went on here almost as normal. Car tyres have studs, so there's no slipping. And outdoors is NORMAL for the kindergartens we visited today. The Medas farm kindergarten 60 kms inland was an inspired case of diversification. Jostein Hunstad bought the sheep farm in 1983 but attacks from raptors like the lynx pictured here made the farm unviable.
So his wife Anita started a kindergarten based on visits to the farm animals, helping grow vegetables and playing outside. Ten years ago they had 6 children, now they have 64 and a waiting list. The kids play outdoors in little thermal, waterproof suits, hats and boots – they feed and play with the farm animals and even learn to sharpen knives on trees. They watch chickens being throttled and cow carcases being butchered – they learn how things live and how they die. My stalwart companion educational researcher Wenche Roening could hardly understand my questions about safety, hygiene and "taste."
That old Norwegian saying has never been more true "there is no bad weather – only inappropriate clothing." I've just been warming my feet up in the bath at the hotel.
Home tomorrow – great to see my husband Chris. But not so great to get back to a land where things are the way they are because, its ae been. Why are we cooping up kids – and what is it doing to their playfulness and sense of independence? I have film, audio, pictures and notes aplenty. sSo watch this space.
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