Cold Tea Never Tasted So Good…
That day I had an epiphany that Forest School was the answer, whilst holding a cold cup of tea and looking out of my classroom window at a copse of woods, was the day I became excited about something I hadn’t, since I decided teaching was for me.
Cold tea never tasted so good!
Its really a good lesson for us as adults that we have to be excited by things in life, preferably our job, but if not then something that fulfils us on the weekends to make us feel whole.
So what is it about Forest School that for me and the children I work with that makes it taste so good?
Thinking about this was so difficult as there really is so much, but after trying to dissect and a pull out common themes I think it comes down to 4 areas;
1. The woodland
Why is this number one you ask? Well its due to its thousands of possibilities, it’s peace, tranquillity and mystical magic.
Being amongst the trees, those oxygen behemoths, earths us and allow us to connect with our ancestors and our spiritual beings in a way that is becoming so scarce.
The thousands of stories that originate in forests and woodlands across the world show us that we are not alone in the magical way the woods make us feel.
I would suggest to, it is the freedom we experience there. The endless expanse, possibilities to play, shout, run, roll, dodge, hide, climb, frolick and gallop. Yes I did say frolick and gallop in the same breath. Some of my favourite movements!
Children feel all of this too, but on a much larger scale through their increased sensitivity to stimuli and their keen sense to notice even the smallest details.
That leads me to number 2; The children.
The sound of laughter echoing through the woodland fills my soul with joy and their ability to take me back to sweet memories of my own childhood in woodland are some that I cherish so fondly.
Importantly, as well as I mentioned their inability to miss the smallest detail is something I’m so thankful for as it causes me to pause and admire some of the most intricate, fundamental and beautiful things in our natural world that now as a grown up I take for granted.
Re-grounding with this makes me so grateful to be a Forest School leader. Looking further into why children make Forest School for me is the chance to work with them in a way that stretches, enhances and empowers them. Seeing children grow from seedlings to powerful sycamore trees is self motivating and in some way gifting forward the love for life.
Number 3; Play
Even as adults we love to play. It makes us happy, removes stress, makes us laugh and connects us with others. Being forced to play is a gift I loved being given during training and I feel parents are also grateful of this when they attend our sessions with their children.
Initially of course they are somewhat apprehensive, but when they realise there is no judgement and I happily make a fool out of myself by playing alongside the children, they too appreciate how good it makes them feel.
This comes naturally to children, of course, but they are thankful for actually being allowed to play as a form of learning. Of course there is an importance for the more academic skills but I would fiercely argue that so are the millions of skills learnt during play that allow children to put in place the more academic skills.
Finally, on this point when both adult and child combine to enjoy play together it connects them on a deeper level and strengthens bonds and connection. Like any relationship, a bond between parent and child needs work throughout both there lives and opportunities like play make this work so so easy and highly valuable.
Finally, Number 4; The empowerment of children
Handing the power of learning over to the children is such a thrill. Where will they take it? What might they choose today?
It keeps a Forest School leader on their toes and makes each and every session so exciting.
Due to the unpredictability of sessions it test the Leaders skills, keeping them fresh and driving the thirst for knowledge and desire for professional development opportunities to deepen understanding. For me it has led me down the route of undertaking a Masters degree in Early Childhood.
For children, being empowered drives those intra personal skills and sparks in them curiosity as their learning desires are free to be explored. Through empowerment also, children are more accepting of scaffolding and help as they view it as a supportive measure as apposed to a restrictive one.
Simply, if I directed your every move each day and then tried to help you with something, would you likely accept what I had to say or would you think I was trying to further control and direct you? You’d probably feel oppressed right? How likely are you to learn from that?
But what would happen then if I offered you an opportunity with some guides and then stood back and allowed you to go about it yourself and find your path with it? How empowered and trusted do you feel now?!
Would you come back to me for a little more assistance when you needed it? Of Course you would and that my friends is the strength of learning through play at Forest School, it empowers the children.
So there are my 4 themes as to why Forest School tastes so good for me and the children I work with. If you’ve never experienced Forest School maybe it’s time you did to experience this magic and sorcery.
I could have gone on for much longer into each of these areas and subsections within these themes for sure! But I’ll spare you… this time.
As always, remember you’re just one session away.
