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'Come outside for health and fitness'

Scandinavian-style 'nature kindergartens', where children spend all day outside whatever the weather, could help improve the health and fitness of Scotland's children, a Norwegian early years expert said last week. Anders Farstad, who runs Hval Gaard nature kindergarten in Norway, addressed delegates at the Children in Scotland conference,' A sense of time, a sense of place', at Peebles on 11 March.

Anders Farstad, who runs Hval Gaard nature kindergarten in Norway, addressed delegates at the Children in Scotland conference,' A sense of time, a sense of place', at Peebles on 11 March.

Children at Hval Gaard are outside all day, even in below-freezing temperatures. The children climb trees, go fishing in a boat, chop wood with axes and light fires to cook food.

Mr Farstad said, 'In Norway we have a long tradition of nature as a place for recreation, and being close to the natural elements is highly valued.

'We have a generation of children who are less fit than previous generations. I see quite clearly that children who attend nature kindergartens are generally much fitter and get ill less often than children who attend indoor kindergartens. They also have very good coping skills - children must learn about risk to know how to avoid danger.'

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