What is a Forest School?
A Forest School is an innovative educational approach to outdoor play and learning. The philosophy of Forest Schools is to encourage, inspire and assist individuals of any age as they are given the opportunity to experience and explore a positive outdoor community
Through this children will develop and enhance...
· Self Awareness
· Self Regulation
· Empathy
· Good social communication skills
· Independence
· Creativity
· A positive mental attitude, self-esteem and confidence (Tree Jumpers, n.d.)
The benefits of a forest school...
Research shows that young children are stimulated by the outdoors and environment around them. As they gain hands on experiences, over time they increase in their self belief and freedom, confidence, learning capacity, enthusiasm, communication and problem-solving skills and emotional well-being (Pound, 2011, & ForestSchoolTraining, n.d.).
A Forest School is an innovative educational approach to outdoor play and learning. The philosophy of Forest Schools is to encourage, inspire and assist individuals of any age as they are given the opportunity to experience and explore a positive outdoor community
Through this children will develop and enhance...
· Self Awareness
· Self Regulation
· Empathy
· Good social communication skills
· Independence
· Creativity
· A positive mental attitude, self-esteem and confidence (Tree Jumpers, n.d.)
The benefits of a forest school...
Research shows that young children are stimulated by the outdoors and environment around them. As they gain hands on experiences, over time they increase in their self belief and freedom, confidence, learning capacity, enthusiasm, communication and problem-solving skills and emotional well-being (Pound, 2011, & ForestSchoolTraining, n.d.).
Forest School Philosophy
The philosophy is to encourage and inspire children throughout positive outdoor experiences. Ideally, children should visit the same local woodlands on a regular basis throughout the year, no matter what the weather. Only high winds prevent a Forest School from operating. While participating in Forest School, children use full-sized tools, play, and learn boundaries of physical and social behaviour, as well as gaining self- confidence, independence and self-esteem.
Forest School is more than just a collection of activities. It offers all children the opportunity to play and discover the woodlands, without any pressure of the expectations, assessments or requirements that a everyday centre or classroom may bring. This can sometimes be hard for traditional teachers to accept, as the childs learning and development are observed and not graded againest with a set of tick boxes. In practice, each child benefits differently from the experience. They develop inter-personal skills, such as teamwork, as well as practical and intellectual skills.
The philosophy is to encourage and inspire children throughout positive outdoor experiences. Ideally, children should visit the same local woodlands on a regular basis throughout the year, no matter what the weather. Only high winds prevent a Forest School from operating. While participating in Forest School, children use full-sized tools, play, and learn boundaries of physical and social behaviour, as well as gaining self- confidence, independence and self-esteem.
Forest School is more than just a collection of activities. It offers all children the opportunity to play and discover the woodlands, without any pressure of the expectations, assessments or requirements that a everyday centre or classroom may bring. This can sometimes be hard for traditional teachers to accept, as the childs learning and development are observed and not graded againest with a set of tick boxes. In practice, each child benefits differently from the experience. They develop inter-personal skills, such as teamwork, as well as practical and intellectual skills.
4 Learning Processes!!!
In order 'to be able' to develop physical skills children need opportunities to climb, jump, run, cycle etc and these processes include sensory, bodily, social and intellectual competences that children develop through such opportunities. Children develop a positive self-image by using the outdoor environment because they can test themselves in the physical activities in which they participate. They develop important self-regulatory skills by learning to take turns and follow routines.
'To Experience' in Nature means that children can feel wonderment in the outdoors, joy and happiness, as well as experiencing the potentially frightening, in the knowledge that others around them are keeping them safe.
'To enjoy' means that children, through nature, take pleasure in sensory experiences - the smells, sounds, tastes and touch that being in an outdoor environment brings. Sitting round a fire, feeling its warmth on a cold day, listening to the trees rustling in the wind and tasting the pancakes made on the fire, all give enjoyment that is part of the learning process.
'To understand' means that the outdoor environment is the natural arena for children to learn about some mysteries of life - life cycle processes, ethics and morals can be discussed by the educators and children in their natural context. Finding a dead animal, for example, raises many discussions on life and death, and the fascination the next day on discovering that the animal has disappeared or been partly eaten, deepens understanding of the forces of nature and gives children the chance to talk about their feelings - sympathy, fear etc.
These four learning processes are crucial if the child is to develop the skills and competences of being a whole person.
(Williams-Siegfredsen, 2007, p.65-66).
In order 'to be able' to develop physical skills children need opportunities to climb, jump, run, cycle etc and these processes include sensory, bodily, social and intellectual competences that children develop through such opportunities. Children develop a positive self-image by using the outdoor environment because they can test themselves in the physical activities in which they participate. They develop important self-regulatory skills by learning to take turns and follow routines.
'To Experience' in Nature means that children can feel wonderment in the outdoors, joy and happiness, as well as experiencing the potentially frightening, in the knowledge that others around them are keeping them safe.
'To enjoy' means that children, through nature, take pleasure in sensory experiences - the smells, sounds, tastes and touch that being in an outdoor environment brings. Sitting round a fire, feeling its warmth on a cold day, listening to the trees rustling in the wind and tasting the pancakes made on the fire, all give enjoyment that is part of the learning process.
'To understand' means that the outdoor environment is the natural arena for children to learn about some mysteries of life - life cycle processes, ethics and morals can be discussed by the educators and children in their natural context. Finding a dead animal, for example, raises many discussions on life and death, and the fascination the next day on discovering that the animal has disappeared or been partly eaten, deepens understanding of the forces of nature and gives children the chance to talk about their feelings - sympathy, fear etc.
These four learning processes are crucial if the child is to develop the skills and competences of being a whole person.
(Williams-Siegfredsen, 2007, p.65-66).
Video of Forest School |
Nature? what will you expect to hear? |