Green Lane Forest School was praised for its ‘long term
planning’ and ‘emphasis on outdoor play’. (Forest Schools Education, 2015)
These two aspects are important when considering starting a
Forest School. As the weather can change frequently it is important to know
what needs to be done to keep the setting useable in the long-term as well as having
a range of activities for the indoors as well due to changing weather
conditions. An emphasis on outdoor play is possibly one of the most vital
aspects of forest school. Without practitioners believing in what principles
they follow, children will not develop from their time at a forest school and
are less likely to enjoy the experience. As well as this, the emphasis practitioners
have through showing enthusiasm and supporting children in their learning helps
to motivate children, especially those who may feel reluctant to engage in an
outdoor setting to explore the environment around them.
Crowmarsh Pre-school was rated outstanding, including the
use of ‘skilful questioning’ which aids the children learning (Crowmarsh Pre-school, 2015) .
Questioning children about their environment can help them
understand more about what they are observing. For example, if in a forest
school setting a child finds a caterpillar, a practitioner could use questions about
the life cycle of a butterfly to help the child explore their environment in
order to find the answer.
Bus Stop Pre-school also gained an Outstanding OFSTED rating
for aspects including their partnership with parents (Robertson, 2014) .
Within a forest school setting, partnership with parents is
incredibly important for children’s learning. Knowledge from parents helps
extend a child’s learning, for example if a child has shown an increase in balancing
skills at home, a practitioner could provide more opportunities for risky play
such as tree climbing. As well as this, one of the principles of forest school
is providing new experiences. By communicating with parents about what their
child hasn’t experienced in an outdoor setting, a forest school could tailor an
activity to provide this for the child.
Original post by Charlotte
What sort of things could we as practitioners ask the children that would allow for an open ended answer?
ReplyDeleteThings like asking the children to describe the textures of objects or different shapes/ patterns that natural resources have made allow for lots of creative thinking and descriptive language. also talking about the weather and how it may have changed the environment. For example when it rains the ground is wet and soggy but when its frosty everything is crispy and hard.
DeleteThanks Sophie and the team.
I love the idea of expanding on what a child has learnt In education to get the whole family interacting wit mature at home. Too often children are not engaging or interacting with nature, that are sat playing on iPads !!'n
ReplyDeleteI completely agree! Our aim as a team is to stop all this and get more children, settings and families involved with Forest School development! Please have a read of the benefits of it all lower down on the blog!! Its great to see you all on board!!
DeleteSophie and the team!!
Any ideas on how to make this happen in a family with a verity of ages ?
ReplyDeleteUse your local areas and take trips to places like the Forest of Dean! The sensory exploration of the natural resources are great for babies. Recognizing and describing textures and what they can see/ feel is great for the tots and pre-schoolers. And for the older children be supportive of extending their descriptive language, physical play (Both fine and gross motor skills) with tree climbing and weaving with twigs and leaves! The possibilities really are endless!!
DeleteHope this gives you a place to start! Follow what the children show an interest in!
Sophie and the team!