Lakeside Outdoor School and Luzern

Hallo, Calvert!

Yesterday I woke up very early and quickly ate breakfast before catching a ten minute train to the neighboring town of Kusnacht. From here, I walked along Seestrasse (Lake Street) for approximately fifteen minutes upon reaching The Lakeside School, on the right. This is a private school in Zurich which has a separate outdoor preschool program, in a forest nearby. Above is a gorgeous view of the walk to the school- the weather was close to 50 degrees.

My contact at Lakeside gave me a tour of the school before driving me to the forest at 9am, where the preschool kindergarten meets twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The forest area is actually a park as well- many people walk their dogs here. There are eight children in this class with two teachers- one German speaking and one English speaking. The children are three or four years old, and some attend what we would consider a regular (indoor) preschool program on the days when the outdoor program is not in session. Exploratory learning is a big focus of this outdoor education.

The parents said goodbye at the entrance to the forest, and I walked on a path with the class and teachers into the woods. We stopped after a minute or so, and the German teacher sang a German song with the students, followed by the English teacher who sang an English song. They were both "Good morning" or "Welcome" songs. We then walked on. Backpacks were placed on a mock cubby area, with branches from a tree used as hooks. The rest of the morning was spent exploring the area sectioned off for use as a classroom in the forest, building a fire (which was later used to cook bread and lunch- the students helped here), collecting stones, and clearing an area for a spring garden. I loved how inventive the students were and how relaxed this atmosphere really is. I can't wait to share more with you when I return home.

This is a photo of the German teacher singing with the students: Below is a video of two boys moving a large stone into the garden area. I noticed teamwork and critical thinking skills being utilized at this time (one boy later used a rope as a harness to pull it when it got too heavy).




After a train ride back to Zurich, I rested before dinner at Zunfthaus Zur Waag (Scales Guildhall). Renaissance in style, this circa-1637 guildhall was the meeting place for linen weavers and hat makers. Today it houses a restaurant of the same name, offering Zurich specialties and “small deliciousness”. We had an amazing, very authentic meal, and the proprietor was extremely friendly- he even allowed us to sample a bottle of sweet Austrian wine with our dessert! Famous names frequent this spot, included Roger Federer, Tina Turner (she owns a house here in Zurich) and the President of Credit Suisse Bank. This is a picture of my husband and mother-in-law at dinner.


This morning we took a train ride (are you sensing a theme?) to Luzern, the very heart of historic Switzerland. Although it was rainy, the Swiss alps and Lake Luzern surrounded us. We viewed the historic Water Tower and Chapel Bridge.

And of course, the day would be incomplete without a little shopping along the lake! (I purchased my first ever Swiss watch and army knife.) We left Luzern and walked inside the market in the train station to sample decadent cheeses. Fresh produce, flowers, salamis and an assortment of meats, as well as olive oils and sweet treats were abound. This is my husband, describing this wonderful market- look at all of that Swiss cheese!


The Market:


Tomorrow I will return to The Lakeside Outdoor school for my final visit and hope to visit the Chinese gardens. Until then, ciao!