About 150 years ago German educator Friedrich Fröbel opened the world’s first kindergarten, or children’s garden. He felt that young children should play in nature, as opposed to being bombarded with “too many numbers and letters.” Now the birthplace of kindergartens is returning to its roots, with Waldkindergarten, or forest kindergartens. Children ages 3 to 6, walk in a forest outside Frankfurt, inspecting worms, learning about the life cycle of toads, and climbing trees, a recent Wall Street Journal article reports.

While it’s far too early to assess the impact on students who experience this type of early education, some European educators believe that Waldkindergarten kids exercise their imaginations more and are better at concentrating and communicating than their brick-and-mortar peers. Interestingly, the children also appear to get sick less often. The downside? Studies also suggest that the children’s writing skills are less developed, and that they are less adept at distinguishing colors, forms, and sizes.