The benefits and challenges in providing risky play to children

Existing research now supports what Early Childhood Educational Pioneers have known all along- children are stimulated by the natural outdoor environment and when provided with this experience on a regular basis, their self-esteem, confidence, social development and over all wellbeing are enhanced (Knight, 2011).

Despite this, Maynard and Waters (2014) have highlighted that society has created an outdoor environment for children which is controlled and structured, in the form of parks and playgrounds to minimise risk and injury to children during play. Lindon (2011) supports this and suggests that many children are limited to hands on experiences with nature.

Douglas (2003) suggests that this is because professionals often associate risk with danger and choose to provide learning opportunities to the children that present minimal risk. This in conjunction with pressure from parents/ carers and previous mistakes in safeguarding, alongside changes in legislation has resulted in a risk avoidance culture because many practitioners are worried about their own legal safety (Solly, 2015). These have become the main obstacles for those working with children, for not providing risky play to them.



To help overcome this and in the context of safeguarding, those working with children need to find an even balance between risk and safety. They need to provide a unique and challenging environment whilst ensuring the children whom they are responsible for do not come to avoidable harm (Positively Safe: A Practical Guide to Safeguarding, No date).  This is endorsed by The Health and Safety Executive (HSE, 2012) who inform:

“When planning and providing play opportunities, the goal is not to eliminate risk, but to weigh up the risks and benefits. No child will learn about risk if they are wrapped in cotton wool.”

                                                                                                (HSE, para.5 2012)

Practitioners need to be able to distinguish between good risks and bad risks. A good risk has many benefits and the level of harm is minimal. A bad risk has no obvious benefits and the risk of harm is high (Gill, 2007).To be able to do this a knowledge of the benefits of risk in a child’s learning and development is essential.

According to Gill (2007), allowing children to take risks increases their confidence, self-efficacy and resilience. When allowed to participate in adventurous play, children quickly learn to judge their own skills and match them to the demands of the environment (Almon, 2013).These children ask themselves, “how high can I climb?”  or “am I capable of climbing that?” According to Almon (2013) this makes the children become knowledgeable about themselves and their environment and increases their confidence. Children who are confident about taking chances rebound well when they fail at first. This makes them resilient and they will keep trying until they succeed, or avoid a situation if necessary.

Gill (2007) illustrates children who are confident and resilient are more likely to participate in new challenges. This is due to being independent. Independent children engage in more challenging experiences and activities that are beneficial to their development (Charlesworth, 2013). The second stage of Erikson’s Stages of Development, Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (1923) explains how this autonomy is established by allowing children to take risks,

Also, Voce (2008) illustrates that by providing more ‘risky’ experiences for children their physical development and social and emotional skills will be promoted. On engaging in ‘risky’ activities, areas of development are furthered and well-being is increased through self-esteem (Voce, 2008).  They have to make several decisions, physically, socially and emotionally, to determine the risk: decide the level of risk they want to and are physically capable of taking. Lester and Russell (2013) highlights that when assessing risk, children are prompted to ask questions such as ‘Why and how?’ These questions promote a child’s thinking and also encourage them to engage in further conversations, therefor promoting their language development (Gill, 2007). Lindon (2011) also states that children get satisfaction in learning to do something new and their social and emotional development is furthered. But not only do they gain new physical, social and emotional skills, their self-esteem is boosted when trusted to do something independently or different by an adult (Lindon, 2011).

The Forest School approach is an example of learning that allows children to take positive risks that will promote their holistic development (Knight, 2013). Forest Schools offer an enabling environment with nature (Forest School: a marvellous opportunity to learn, 2005). Enabling environments are an overarching principle of the shape practice should take in an Early Years Setting (Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), 2014). Forest Schools offer hands-on learning experiences in natural environments with natural resources. This type of learning develops confidence, self-esteem, social and physical development, knowledge and understanding and communication (Forest School: a marvellous opportunity to learn, 2005). The controversy in Forest Schools are the risks that they present. This is because it is the natural, outdoor environment that adult’s asses as posing a risk to children (Gill, 2007).

Cummings (2010) suggests that the Forest School philosophy allows a constructivist approach to learning. This allows learning to take place from a child using their own experiences to help form new knowledge (Athey, 19990). A Forest School allows children hands on experiences with their natural world. It allows them to use their own initiative to make decisions, solve problems and take calculated risks (Cummings, 2010).

Knight (2013) emphasise that taking risk and being able to assess risk are essential life skills. A Forest School helps children to acquire these skills. By assessing the risk with the guidance of an adult, the child becomes aware of the hazards posed and their own capability in managing them (Knight, 2013). If the risk is assessed prior and during a forest school activity, it will always be minimal and the outcome of participation beneficial (Constable, 2012).

The research has highlighted the challenges practitioners encounter in providing risky play to children. The difference between good risk taking and bad risk taking has been distinguished to assist practitioners in determining whether an activity is advantageous to the child when balanced against the risk involved. Statements from Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2015 and the Health and Safety Executive, 2012 have been included to support this. The literature emphasises the benefits of allowing children to take risks. It is evident that overall holistic development is promoted. Furthermore, through taking risks, children are acquiring essential life skills (Knight, 2011). Literature has been provided on Forest Schools and the role they play in promoting children’s learning and development. The risks that a Forest School approach include have been listed and analysed against the research of the benefits of risk taking. From this analysis it is evident that the Forest School approach is a valuable learning experience for children. This is also reinforced by educational pioneers including Froebel, the MacMillan sisters and Isaacs whom stressed the importance of outdoor learning in early childhood education and its benefits.

Jade Manley

The International Ethos of Forest School

Internationally the principles of Forest Schools remain similar to those in the UK however there are some slight differences.

In Denmark, having a curriculum of learning for preschool became a legal requirement in 2004 and from this, forest school leaders developed their own principles for learning. These are the following:

To be able – No child should be made to complete a task that they do not have the skills to complete safely. For example, children who cannot balance correctly should not climb trees to a great height.

To enjoy – Children should be allowed to enjoy nature and learn from it. This principle is followed through allowing children necessary freedoms but also protecting them by bringing them inside during the particularly harsh weather such as extreme cold.

To experience – It is important for children to be allowed to explore and experience nature and provide this experience for as many as possible. For children who reside in built up areas, this principle is especially important to forest school practitioners.

To understand – Children can use the outdoor setting around them to further their understanding of the world. For example, one forest school in Stockholm has provided chickens for their setting which they raised and later killed to show the children how their meat is gathered. This understanding is vital for teaching children how important nature is for survival (Stasiuk, Unknown).

(Williams-Siegfredsen, Unknown)

The Ministry for Children, Education and Gender Equality also released ‘The Aims of Folkeskole’, in order to guide practitioners in best practice to lead in forest school. These aims include:

Working with parents to help extend children’s knowledge and aid them in their journey in education as well as teaching Danish culture and the importance of the environment around them.

Aid children in their knowledge of social understanding for example responsibility and their role in Danish society. (Ministry for Children, Education and Gender Equality, 2015)

Original post by Charlotte

Forest School in the UK

It was agreed in 2011 by the UK forest schools community that there would be six principles outlining the ethos of forest schools.

Principle 1: Forest school needs to be done frequently in woodland or a natural environment, observation and planning is a key part of the review process.

Principle 2: The natural environment is used to build relationships with the natural world and the learner.

Principle 3: The main focus is that the children will benefit from an holistic development approach and will become resilient learners who are also confident, independent and creative.

Principle 4: Forest school provides children the opportunity to risk manage themselves as it’s an important part of development.

Principle 5: That qualified forest school teachers will continuously develop their knowledge as practitioners.

Source: https://pixabay.com/en/road-forest-trees-tree-trip-21205/ (2015)

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Principle 6: Forest school has a child centred approach, this allows the children to create their own learning opportunities to enable them to develop.

(Full principles and criteria for good practice, no date)

Forest school is an opportunity for children to access a natural environment and use their innate play needs.

This is particularly important for children who have a lack of natural or wooded areas in their community and who may struggle in a conventional learning environment. Children who thrive in a classroom may struggle in forest school as they may feel uncomfortable about not having instruction from an adult. Regardless all children will learn beneficial skills to support them in their development. This gives them the ability to create their own play opportunities using resources they find in the environment around them and to explore their creative and imaginative skills. Using natural resources from the environment can also provide children with skills for life in regards to recycling and looking after their community and their environment around them.

(Gallagher and Davy, 2006, p.80-81)

Original post by Frankie

The history of Forest School - An International perspective.

Forest School is a brand of the Early Years Sector and is trademarked as such, however it is often used as a generic term for outdoor learning. Before we can look at the current concepts used within Forest School environments we must first understand where the idea of outdoor learning originated.

On an international scale, the idea of outdoor leaning was first penned in the 19th century by several European theorists.

Froebel, the German creator of the first kindergarten believed that through outdoor play, children had the opportunity to extend their learning, as well as being aware of the world around them. As well as this, he also argued that for a child to learn, they need a strong community built on a relationship of learning together and respect (Tovey, 2013, p. 3). This idea of community is seen throughout Forest School teaching, where a child is respected as an individual who can take risks such as using building tools, however, in current practice it is often a teacher-led area which doesn’t suggest adults learning from children.

Steiner theorised several ideas that still form the foundation of any Forest School now. Bruce and Halder detail Steiner’s idea that children are physical based learners who are ‘will dominant’ (Bruce, 2015, p. 29). Steiner also emphasised the need for a suitable environment where children can actively learn from their surroundings.

The first Forest Schools were developed in countries such as Denmark and Sweden in the 1980s. Juliet Robertson suggests in her report that this stemmed from the idea of ‘skogsmulle’, a character who lived in the woods and taught children to ‘love and care for nature’ (Robertson, 2008). Many educators trained in order to provide skogsmulle activities, such as building fires however it wasn’t until the mid-eighties that these ideas and values were made into a full nursery setting.

Since the development of the first Forest Schools, it has continued to grow across Western Europe and now has a large following of educators and children alike who work together in order to make the outdoors a learning space where children can develop and learn as well as caring for the environment around them. In today’s society, where climate change and deforestation are serious concerns for the future, it is hoped that the more children learn from a natural environment, the more they will want to protect it.

Original post by Charlotte

UK Historical Concept of Forest School

       Although the Forest School initiative may still seem like a fairly fresh and new movement in the UK, it is in fact grounded on a heritage of outdoor learning dating back to the 19th century. It has however grown in popularity and social regard in recent years. The following section of the blog will tell the story of Forest Schools from the writer’s perspective focussing on key developments within the UK. The compilation of this post was supported greatly by secondary research which will all be referenced at the end of this entry.

      The ideologies and theories of distinguished educators within the UK including the likes of Wordsworth, Susan Isaacs and the Macmillan sisters have all contributed the foundations and main philosophies of the scheme referred to as “Forest School” today. Their work all encapsulated the importance of outdoor learning in the Early Years centuries ago. In particular the work of Margaret McMillan (1860-1931) alongside her sister, demonstrated an imaginative and open air approach which strikes correlations with our current approach to Forest Schools and outdoor experiences.

         1970s/80s: The education system within the UK progressed toward an outcome-centred approach in order to improve children’s academic skills and thus saw the introduction of the national curriculum.  Arguably in response to this, there was a growth of ‘alternative’ educational models which rebelled from the strict regimented structure of the national curriculum and it is in this context that Forest School emerged.

      1993: A team of British nursery nurses visited Denmark to look at the pre-school system.  These individuals returned to the UK inspired by the outdoor based, child-centred ethos employed by the Danish practitioners. Consequently they developed their own 'Forest School' emulating what they had learned with children attending their settings. This resulted in the development of a course in Forest School which was offered Early Years practitioners across the UK.  This opportunity built on the UK’s outdoor learning heritage and soon Forest School was being offered around the UK.

       2002: A group of practitioners shared the first national conference in which a definition of Forest School within the UK was formulated: 'An inspirational process that offers children, young people and adults regular opportunities to achieve, develop confidence and self esteem through hands-on learning experiences in a local woodland environment.' (History of Forest School)

        2002- Present: Various other progressions have been made in the field of Forest School learning. Many settings now have trained Forest School practitioners and the movement is ever growing and becoming more highly regarded. The production of this blog is another means by which the movement is being promoted and shared between practitioners in the UK and beyond.

        The question at present is: Will the Forest School movement last, will it eventually become an embedded element of the national curriculum or will it fade like many other social trends within the Early Years sector. It is up to this generation of UK practitioners to decide...

Original post by Georgia

Introduction

This blog has been created by exploring different areas of literature to increase knowledge on the aspects of developing a Forest School. These areas have then been analysed and aim to inform and assist fellow Early Years practitioners on the concepts of developing a Forest School.

The history of Forest School’s, internationally and within the UK has been researched to help understand the ethos behind them. This knowledge of the history of the Forest School should help to create an insight into how the Forest School philosophy has reached where it is now.

Further evidence has been gathered in the form of existing literature to evaluate the impact of a natural outdoor environment on a child’s learning, play and holistic development. By analysing this research, it aims to determine whether or not the Forest School approach is beneficial to a child’s learning and development.

Forest School activities have been put into practice to assess the skills a practitioner needs to develop a Forest School provision. They also seek to help practitioners to consider a Forest School Provision from a child’s perspective.

 The benefits of risky play and the challenges in providing it has been explored to assist practitioners to implement it into future practice. This in turn addresses the expected role of a practitioner in supporting risky play to children.

All of the above has then been consolidated to explore the ideas of developing a Forest School.

Using Nature to Nurture - About Us

We are a group of five Early Years practitioners, based in either pre-schools or nurseries, studying for a Foundation Degree in Early Years.  Between us we have over ten years’ experience working within the Early Years sector and are all level four qualified .We are currently in our second year of study and as part of the course, are required to create a blog on ‘Developing a Forest School.’

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In order to achieve this, areas of research have been carried out independently and then all the information has been compiled together to create this group blog. Each section of the blog allows you to leave your own feedback on the topic and will be responded to daily.

We hope you enjoy the reading and find the information provided beneficial. Any comments, feedback or personal experiences would be appreciated.

Thank you,

Frankie, Charlotte, Jade, Georgia and Sophie.

(Original post by Jade)