What Is Forest School’s Approach To Learning?

Today, I’m going to address the question what is Forest School’s approach to learning?

Simply put its approach is one of child led outdoor play that prioritises holistic development.

So what do I mean by this?

First up child led play.

That is what it says a child leading their play.

Making decisions, managing disagreements, adapting to failures, getting up and trying again.

All of this and more happens during this way of learning.

Now play is often seen as relief or some sort of escapism from serious learning.

The real questions I would pose is why?

Does fun mean someone is not learning? Does giggling or a hive of activity mean they are not learning.

I would argue that when you turn these statements on their head and you notice that giggling is part of social interactions which they are learning to manage in that moment, fun is a by product of being so engrossed and engaged in what you are doing that it becomes fun and not a chore.

A hive of activity and possible chaos is the existential image of what is happening in a child’s mind and you are literally seeing their thought process, trials, errors and everything in between until they find success.

Play is crucial to children’s healthy development and quality of life as it is central to child’s physical, psychological and social well-being.

Indeed, whilst playing alongside others, children can experience real emotions, create their own uncertainty, experience the unexpected, respond to new situations and adapt to a wide variety of situations, mainstays of any Forest School.

I think its time that this image of play being some sort of break from the rigour of pencil and paper learning is thrown out and new, robust opinions around plays magnitude on children’s lives and learning behaviours is given the credit it deserves.

Children are born knowing how to play. The body is innately intelligent and far to often we as human beings forget that in place of what not necessarily truthful people want us to believe.

By being born to play, play is essential to our lives.

Through play, key life skills are developed such as confidence, resilience, self-esteem and self-efficacy that are all fundamental to an individuals healthy development.

Play can also bring families closer together, strengthening parent–child relationships.

Playing away from adult supervision is equally important, allowing children to acquire independent mobility, explore the world on their own terms and create their own identities as facilitated at many Forest School sessions.

Quite simply, quality play involves children doing as they wish in their own time and in their own way and it is this component of play that is key to understanding the positive outcomes of playing throughout childhood.

The second part to Forest School approach is that this play is focused on developing a learner holistically.

I discussed holistic development in another episode and would recommend checking it out for a really good understanding of this, but ultimately it is about providing the opportunity to develop the whole child as apposed to a section at a time.

Bringing them both together provides a powerful cocktail, all supported by a trained expert in the Forest School Leader.

By using this learning approach children are immediately motivated, engaged, developing their whole selves and setting the foundations for future success.

Forest School creates rich outdoor experiences for children to learn in different ways, which plays an important part in their overall development.

Allowing children to learn through a child led play based manner enables open ended deep play with facilitated risk taking.

Children’s interests and opinions are taken into account and this drives their desire to learn more as it appeals to them and makes them feel empowered.

During this time learners may fail and this is seen as a signpost to future learning directions allowing them to develop resilience, fortitude and problem solving capabilities.

There really is a great deal to be learnt from child led play that paves the way for future robust, intellectual and forward thinking individuals.

Remember you’re just one session away.