Our Forest School Classroom
I wondered in amazement, I couldn't believe my eyes,
There were no doors, no walls or windows, goodness what a surprise!
I was told it was a classroom, it was like none I'd every seen,
The blue sky was our ceiling and our walls were trees of green,
Sometimes the walls change colour to brown or red or gold,
The ceiling always looked different, especially when it was cold.
The windows in the classroom were special, we could look clearly at everything in sight.
Our eyes were now our windows, all sparkly, shiny and bright.
We learnt so much in this classroom, and saw nature at its best.
Who needed toys when we had all this, a magical room called a forest.
By Maureen Sloly, Childcare Practitoner
Forest School
What is Forest School?
'A Forest School is an innovative educational approach to outdoor play and learning'.
Forest Schools originated in Europe in the early 20th century as a way of teaching about the natural world. By the 1980's it became part of the Danish Early Years programme. During the early 1990's a group of Early Years practitioners from the UK visited Denmark and were inspired to bring the ideas back to the UK.
The philosophy of Forest Schools is to encourage and inspire individuals of any age through positive outdoor experiences. Children participate in engaging, motivating and achievable tasks with adults acting as facilitators. The sessions are designed to support development in many areas of learning, including physical, social, emotional and scientific. The focus of any forest school session always centres around the child and facilitating a holistic experience. The children are encouraged to explore and develop their own activities and 'freely chosen play' is a big part of the experience. On occasions, when appropriate, the children have an opportunity to use tools and experience lighting a fire. Learning about health and safety and taking 'risks' in a controlled way are important parts of the experience. There is a designated 'Forest Schooo' area within the school grounds which forms a 'base' for most activities.
All sessions will be staffed by a Forest School Leader and at least one other adult. Children will receive a series of sessions which include exploration of their environment, sensory activities and physical challenges. There are also opportunities to use simple tools.
How does Forest School benefit learners?
At Forest School all participants are viewed as:
- equal, unique and valuable
- competent to explore & discover
- entitled to experience appropriate risk and challenge
- entitled to choose, and to initiate and drive their own learning and development
- entitled to experience regular success
- entitled to develop positive relationships with themselves and other people
