About Keiki O Kahawai ~ Hamakua Forest School
“Every child needs nature. Not just the ones whose parents appreciate nature. Not only those of a certain economic class or culture or set of abilities. Every child.” - Richard Louv
The dream behind Keiki O Kahawai ~ Hamakua Forest School is twofold. First is the desire to create a licensed outdoor-based preschool for the east Hawai`i community, where keiki spend their entire day out in nature, rain or shine. Studies have shown that nature provides the ideal environment for a young child to learn through free play and exploration, as well as offer opportunities for social and emotional growth (see our “What is Forest School” page to learn more). The second part of our dream is that one day every keiki in Hawai’i will be given the opportunity to go to a school where they can play and learn outside in nature. We hope that our programs will inspire others to create similar programs in their communities and support established preschools to adopt more outdoor-based programming.
In the summer of 2021 we held a summer keiki day camp in Hakalau as a first step towards achieving our dream. Children ages two through six met a few days each week and spent their summer days leading their play and learning - tromping through mud puddles, balancing on logs, hiking through trails, playing hide-and-seek, fashioning instruments from sticks and logs, and acting out fantastical stories. They made sun tea, crushed egg shells, squeezed honey from a comb and learned all about the Kamehameha butterfly and it’s favorite mamaki plant. Each three-hour day had some structure to help the keiki feel safe and secure but also an hour or more of unstructured free time to lead their own play and exploration. Those kiddos grew and learned so much over two months - and so did we! With a practice run under our belts we are gearing up to start a Forest Preschool soon at Kaye Family Farm in Honomu. Please stay tuned for more updates!
The two month keiki day camp program wouldn’t have been possible without the help and support of many folks including Rachel and Dan Kelly of Kulike Farm; Jenny Bach of Hala`I Farm; Ariel and Pat Maguire; Stephanie King, David Oana and Zach; Linda Jensen; Steven Karbula; and Chis and Sarah Hawkins with Lynker Technologies. Mahalo nui loa! We look forward to working with you all again in the future!
Where did our name come from?
The word kahawai means ““stream” in the Hawaiian language. It was chosen because it is a defining characteristic of the land here on the Windward slopes of Hawai`i island where many kahawai wind down from the mountains to the sea. Kahawai is a metaphor for our keiki - full of energy, life, and potential; ready to forge their own paths.
Our Core Values and Objectives
Provide young children the time, space and play to develop their fullest potential
Provide opportunities for all activities to be child-initiated and child-led, with adults acting as facilitators
Build children’s on-going relationship with the land, to one another, and to themselves
Provide opportunities to work collaboratively to create, problem solve, support one another, dream of a bigger and better world
Encourage healthy habits and lifestyles
Facilitate children’s risk-taking, made as safe as is reasonably possible
Increase motivation, self-esteem and concentration
Develop respect for the natural world and also respect for its dangers
Stimulate children’s innate curiosity by being close to nature
Teach children to become well informed and caring stewards of the natural world
Encourage family involvement in nature-related learning on site and at their homes