Outdoor Learning

Outdoor learning has numerous benefits for your child, not just physically but also for mental well-being and all-round development.  Outdoor learning at educational settings often involves children taking part in Forest School sessions. ​

​

Forest School involves children spending uninterrupted time outdoors, where they participate in a range of child-led outdoor learning activities, from climbing trees to carving unique creations using woodwork tools.

​

What is Forest School?

What are the benefits of Forest School?

What will my child need to take part in Forest School sessions?

Should I be worried about my child being involved in risk taking?

​​​​

What is Forest School?

​

​Forest School is an outdoor learning philosophy, which originated in Scandinavia, where learning in the outdoors has been a key part of their curriculum since the 1950’s.

​​

At Forest School children spend extended periods of time in woodland environments where they explore new activities and develop key skills. These carefully planned activities and experiences develop a child's self-esteem and emotional intelligence, by fostering resilience, confidence, creativity and independence. 

 

Children gain much enjoyment from splashing in puddles, building dams in shallow streams and creating their own mud pies. There are many local woodland environments and Forest School type activities can also take place in your garden with some planning. Encourage your child to share their Forest School experiences with you, so you can try some non-tool-based activities together at home! 

 

A favourite Forest School activity with young children is 'mud painting'. This involves your child gathering soil with a small trowel, placing it in a pot, adding rainwater and then mixing the soil and water together with a paintbrush. Your child can then use their 'mud paint' to create marks, patterns, letters and numbers on tree trunks, pebbles, pathways and leaves. This is a great activity for hand-eye coordination and developing early writing skills. 

​

Your child may take part in Forest School session at school or you may decide to enroll your child in a local Forest School group. These Forest School groups often run sessions during school holidays and at weekends.

​

​​​

What are the benefits of Forest School?

​

• Your child will develop greater independence through being outdoors in a woodland environment for each Forest School session where they manage their own backpack and personal needs during the session.

• Your child will develop greater levels of resilience through exploring the outdoor environment in varying weather conditions. 

• Your child's self-esteem is enhanced, as they independently explore the outdoor environment within set boundaries. 

• Your child will develop language and communication skills through working alongside others during group activities such as den building or perhaps collecting wood for campfires. 

• Your child's problem-solving skills will be enhanced through negotiating the outdoor woodland space and new terrain. For example, your child may complete challenges such as navigating small streams, creating shelters and cooking outdoors. 

• Your child will grow in confidence and creativity as they lead their own learning outdoors, developing. unique interests. 

• Your child will develop responsibility and independence through decision making. For example, they will learn how to assess risks and are supported to make informed choices about safety in outdoors. 

• Your child will learn new skills and have the opportunity to select an activity of their choice to pursue further. 

• Your child's will develop greater self-worth and esteem through careful and appropriate use of praise by adults along with recognition of successes. This is possible for all children as tasks are ‘small’ and ‘achievable’. 

• Your child will regularly experience success as will not be in situations where they feel they cannot do an activity. At Forest School there are no specific pre-defined learning outcomes. 

• Your child will find it easy to socialise and be more at ease with others. Sometimes children who may suffer peer rejection indoors are recognised as having a new skill at Forest School.  This increases acceptance by peers and subsequently, a child will often make new friends.

• Your child will build new friendships through cooperative activities and games. Friendships will also develop when children help and support each other during outdoor learning. This often yields different friendship groups to the indoor environment. ​

​

What will my child need to take part in Forest School sessions?

​

To take part in Forest school learning the Forest School Group Leader may request your child bring in the following items of clothing, dependent on seasonal weather. 

​

• Woolly hat or sun hat

• Gloves

• Fleece or sweatshirt

• Waterproof jacket and trousers

• Warm or thermal socks   

• Stout shoes/wellingtons or boots

• Spare socks

• An emergency change of clothes and carrier bag for any wet clothing

 

If your child is taking part in outdoor learning sessions at school, the school may provide waterproof overgarments. However, it can make the experience more personal and easier if your child has their own set. These are also beneficial for holiday and weekend outdoor learning sessions. 

​​​​

Should I be worried about my child being involved in risk-taking?

​​

Although the term 'risk taking' can seem an unknown and nerve-racking concept for parents, the Forest school approach manages this very effectively. At Forest school your child learns to risk manage their own environment by becoming familiar with the safety aspects of woodland learning.

 

At Forest school children are continually supported by adults with the environment always checked, for safety reasons, before children began Forest school. Risks are minimised and those which the children identify, will almost always, have already been identified by an adult, and are likely to be of very low impact, such as prickly holly leaves or a small animal hole. 

​

Your child is likely to walk around the boundaries of their Forest site and recognise what they must be careful of and not touch. Children are taught the Forest school rules, whereby they must stay within the boundaries, not pick anything or put anything in their mouths and look after their Forest school. Children learn to discuss different weather conditions and environmental changes, and how these can affect the Forest at different times of year. For example, in winter paths may become icy, or new animal holes may be present that they need to be careful of when exploring.

 

Surprisingly, your child will probably be very good at assessing danger and will be quick to point out areas of risk, sharing these with others in the group. Your child will be encouraged to reflect and consider what is safe, for example, which trees are safe to climb and how high would be safe to explore. Children are encouraged to take manageable risks with supportive adults nearby, who encourage children to considering what is safe and not safe around them. This develops self-confidence as your child shares important information about their Forest School with others,

​​​​​