As I reached the entrance to the group camp site at a local state park, I was greeted by my very muddy 3-year-old son who was wearing a rainsuit, sturdy boots and a giant grin on his face. This was the site of his school, Magnolia Forest Preschool. He grabbed my hand and started his tour, showing me his favorite spots, introducing me to his friends and pointing out his artwork. As we came to a small hill, he immediately ran down, jumped into a huge pile of leaves at the bottom and grabbed a small rake to tidy up the pile for the next child.
While the concept is still relatively new in the United States, forest schools had already become popularized in Scandinavian countries in the s. The most striking difference between forest school and traditional school is that most, if not all, of the school day is spent outside regardless of the weather. In addition, most forest schools are play-based with children choosing activities that piqued their interest.
Students are encouraged to use their five senses to explore the natural world, stimulating their imagination and sparking their sense of wonder. This is important because research shows that play is likely the most effective way for children to learn life skills and discover their interests and passions.
Add this to the scientific evidence showing that being in nature increases cognitive performance while decreasing stress levels and forest schools can provide an advantage for the mental development of a child even without the use of workbooks and structured learning. To paint a better picture of what a forest school looks like, I interviewed the curriculum director and co-owner of Magnolia Forest Preschool , Jenny Stokes.
She gave me some insight into what a forest preschool looks like and what the children learn and do in a typical day.
What are the benefits of forest preschool when compared to traditional indoor preschool settings? At forest preschool, children are given freedom to play, the opportunity to explore and learn about the natural environment, and the support they need in learning how to handle risks and cooperate with their peers.
Outdoor learning encourages children to think of learning as an ongoing process instead of something done in the classroom. It also encourages problem solving and critical thinking skills. Children develop grit when they must try something repeatedly before they figure out how to solve the problem they face. There are also studies that show that there are less injuries in an outdoor setting than in an indoor classroom with its confined walls, hard surfaces and sharp corners!
What do children learn in forest preschool? Children at forest school learn boundaries — physical, social and emotional.
In this environment, children learn that there are different ways of solving problems and how to manage risks, become self-starters and develop critical thinking skills daily.
Children learn pre-reading skills, math concepts, about the natural and physical world, engineering concepts and art. To the trained eye, children can learn just about everything in an outdoor classroom that they learn in a traditional classroom barring rote memorization and how to sit at a desk or in a chair for large swaths of time. Why is it important for children to have free play in an outdoor setting? Because they are largely able to plan their day based on their interests and needs each day, children become more self-aware, they are able to self-regulate and it sparks their curiosity.
Children become intrinsically motivated, develop empathy, learn how to interact with adults and their peers and how to assert their independence, and they are given opportunities to grow in confidence every day. Schooling and outdoor education. Wagstaff Eds. Champaign: Human Kinetics.
The Schools, Students and Teachers Network Mind the gap: Collected essays on the development of character, non-cognitive skills, mindfulness and well-being. The Silvanus Trust Social cohesion and well-being deriving from woodland activities. Waite, S. Losing our way? Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 10 2 , — Cambridge Journal of Education, 43 4 , — The contribution of free play and structured activities in forest school to learning beyond cognition: An English case.
Kryger Eds. Copenhagen: The Danish University of Education. Comparing apples and pears? Environmental Education Research, 22 6 , — Download references. You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar.
Correspondence to Sue Waite. Reprints and Permissions. What is different about Forest School? Creating a space for an alternative pedagogy in England.
Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education 21, 25—44 Download citation. Published : 13 February Issue Date : March Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:. Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative. Skip to main content. Search SpringerLink Search. Notes 1.
References Aasen, W. Article Google Scholar Brown, M. Google Scholar Davis, B. Google Scholar Department for Education Google Scholar Good from Woods Google Scholar Gutman, L. Google Scholar Huggins, V. If there are no spaces left at the Forest School, you could always see if the practitioner is available to set up another group.
Alternatively, if you are interested in outdoor learning in general, or there are no Forest Schools nearby, you can still take steps to get involved in other outdoor learning opportunities. You could also encourage them to take ownership of a small part of your garden, or an indoor house plant if you do not have access to your own outdoor space. Other non-Forest-School outdoor education sessions include bushcraft sessions, scouts, field work and community groups with an outdoor, wildlife or environmental focus.
We also discuss some ideas to encourage environmental awareness for children in our dedicated hub article: Environmental Awareness for Children. This article has given you an overview of what Forest School is, its foundational principles and the benefits Forest School can provide to learners. There are many steps you can take to get involved, or you could also try other alternative outdoor education ideas to help your child to appreciate nature and encourage self-development. In addition to the links in this article, the following resources were used as sources of information:.
Skip to content. Xenia Spencer-Milnes. What is a Forest School? Further Reading and References In addition to the links in this article, the following resources were used as sources of information: Cree, J. Vol Institute for Outdoor Learning. Available from: here. Forest School Association Quality Forest School for All video presentation. McCree, M. The Hare and the Tortoise go to Forest School: taking the scenic route to academic attainment via emotional wellbeing outdoors.
Early Child Development and Care. Vol , pp Murray, R. New Economics Foundation and Forest Research. Tags: Education Teachers and Parents. Like This Article? Post Author Xenia Spencer-Milnes. Xenia started writing for the Hub in and specialises in education-based content. Her background in studying and research — from science-based PhD projects to day-to-day classroom work in a primary school — has provided her with expert knowledge and abilities to educate others on complex subjects.
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