At forest school children experience their surroundings directly – the rain on their cheeks, the mud on their knees or the snap of a twig when it breaks.
Victoria Homewood, Head of the Pre-Prep, and Jackie Grout, our Forest School Leader, share their observations of the impact of Forest School on our children.
My dream came true this year when Jackie Grout started leading children out to the forest to experience outdoor learning at its best. I have been a keen participant and observer at the recent forest school sessions held. The children have been in their element and the smiles on their faces tell me how much they are benefitting from this time.
This week the children were placed in pairs. One child was blindfolded and the other had to lead their partner to a tree to feel and hug. Once they had felt their tree the children were led away and when the blindfold was removed the children had to locate their particular tree. Dylan, Year 2, had me as his partner and led me so carefully by the hand, warning me of any holes or hurdles I may trip over. He was gentle and able to communicate clearly with me. I was able to trust and rest into him to lead me blindly around the forest. The children are learning to trust one another, communicate, to work in a team and problem solve. I have seen calmer, happier and healthier children come back from their forest school experience.
I asked Jackie Grout, our Forest School Leader, to share some of her passion, enthusiasm and recent observations and experiences from her forest school sessions.
Here she explains how she has found her recent time in our woods:
It has been a real eye-opener for me to run the Forest School sessions. The children’s excitement has been infectious and the benefits are huge. Apart from learning new skills, making independent choices and having the opportunity to take supported risks, it is wonderful to be able to give children the gift of time.
In this busy, modern-day world, children are often over stimulated, moving from one activity to another without having time to draw breath. Forest school creates a contrasting environment where the children lead the learning and investigate the nature that surrounds them.
It does seems to take the children a few sessions to adapt to this new-found freedom, but they quite quickly become far less reliant on adult input and begin working collaboratively together, as well as supporting and encouraging one another.
The ethos of Forest School encourages children to be fully present and engaged in the moment, thus it is a very mindful experience. It focuses more on the process rather than the product. This sense of space in the mind facilitates creativity. I see a tremendous amount of child-led, imaginative play, such as building fairy houses and various tracking games. I love their curiosity about the woodland treasures – be it a worm or a lacy, leaf skeleton – and the way they become experts of the natural world.
Another wonderful benefit, which has come to light, is how quickly the children have taken ownership and become responsible for the woodland, treating the flora and fauna with great care and always picking up any pieces of litter they may find. How comforting and inspirational when they are the future custodians of our planet.
The woods have a different feel each time we visit, changing with the seasons and the weather, however they always have a very calming effect on us all. I would like to recommend, while we are experiencing this beautiful, crisp, cold weather to grab your wellies, hats, scarves, gloves and enjoy your half term outside!
Here are our top five ideas for some time in the woods to have with your children:
- Simply head into the woods. Forest School is all about child-led play. Your children might end up building a (pretend) fire and cooking up some delicious forest stew.
- Collect interesting leaves, twigs, stones and create artwork from it a la Andy Goldsworthy
- Make a bug hotel out of a carboard roll and sticks from the garden:
- Winter scavenger hunt - download your hunt activity .
- I’ve noticed that many of our children are keen bird watchers. It would be fun to make fat cakes to hang up in your garden and watch the birds that come in to feast.
And have a wonderful half term.
Victoria and Jackie
