We’re back at Forest School this Spring and it’s fantastic!! It’s the perfect way to get kids outdoors if you don’t have the time or inclination to do it yourself. And kids need to be outside.
Caroline attended a woodland play session (forest school for pre-schoolers) when she was 3 and has enjoyed forest school ever since, except for the year of her cancer treatment in 2017. She loves being back in the woods with campfire cooking, knives, axes and wild garlic picking. Yes really.
What is Forest School?
If you’ve never heard of it, forest school is the best thing since sliced bread, particularly for inner city children who wouldn’t necessarily experience outdoor time other than in the playground. It basically does what it says on the tin with children learning outdoors in woodland, in fresh air and all weathers (except high winds).
At Forest School kids learn curriculum subjects like maths and science as well as experiencing the seasons, nature, the weather, wildlife and developing life skills.
Forest School Activities
The only real limitations are the kids’ imaginations.
- Fire making
- Flint and steel
- Safe tool use
- Whittling (marshmallow sticks, mallets, arrows etc)
- Charcoal making
- Natural art and crafts
- Outdoor cooking
- Knots
- Den building
- Mud kitchen play
- Tree climbing
- Plant growing
- Tree planting (and hugging!)
- Bushcraft
- Vegetable growing and much much more.
UK Forest School Origin
Originating in Scandinavia, Forest School came to the UK in 1993 via a group of British nurses researching Danish pre-school methods. It became a UK-wide phenomenon, first crossing my radar around 15 years ago. I was hooked on just the name!
A favourite woodland glade in the New Forest
I was single, in the throes of divorce with no children (& no possibility nor desire for them then) yet something about kids being outdoors whilst learning, whilst at school, really appealed to my love of nature and the wild; even better for it to be in the woods. And I just happened to work on an estate with an awful lot of woods…
The land agent was initially dismissive but later asked for more information so I visited a Worcester County Council Forest School in action and spent a day at an eco-learning centre in Oxfordshire. Within weeks our estate had identified a suitable acre of woodland and the council set up the venture! (It’s now used for corporate training so not included in this post)
Woodland Elves and Safety
Forest school groups differ based on available woodland space and to a certain extent the leader. Some leaders are more prescriptive, others let children choose their own activities, most apply a mix of both. All follow the same ethos, pedagogy and health and safety guidelines.
Do Kids Really Use Knives in the Woods?
Yes!
For example, pre-schoolers or first-time older children joining Forest Schools start learning to whittle in stages. First with potato peelers and safety gloves before moving on to proper knives with gloves and eventually no gloves and some even go on to learn axe handling.
This may horrify many parents but I can’t impress enough the importance of how GOOD this is for children in a safe environment and taken slowly under supervision.
Afraid of Taking Risks
I’ve written about this elsewhere but in all of life one wouldn’t expect an untrained person to be dropped into a hostile environment and become an immediate expert.
If we wait until children are ‘the right’ age’ before allowing them to use matches or climb trees we somehow believe they will be ‘safer,’ ‘more reliable’ and ‘sensible’. In my experience quite the opposite is true.
Older kids suddenly allowed to run riot with an axe for the first time in their lives can be incredibly over-excited, mindless and downright dangerous!
Learn Outdoor Skills from Pre-School Age
A 5-year old who’s been whittling with peelers and knives for a couple of years under the correct supervision is likely to be far more mindful, sensible and reliable, hence my absolute passion for allowing kids the freedom to explore dangerous situations and scenarios from as young an age as possible.
There are risks but forest school is a safe environment in which to take them, and wild kids are my favourite kind of kids! My forthcoming post Rites of Passage for Outdoor Kids discusses this further.
Outdoor Learning Benefits
Below are a few facts about why outdoor learning is so beneficial.
– 25% higher oxygen concentration in the air improves brain function – Source Norfolk County Council
– Farm children are 35.5% less likely to develop asthma – Source journal Thorax; European Community Respiratory Health Survey II,
– Every hour a child sits still adds 3 minutes to bedtime!! Source not known
– Trees planted around a school created a 40% increase in air quality – Source ACS Chemistry for Life. ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology
Tree Hugging Kindergarten
A favourite anecdote I’ve heard involves an inner city boy who had never been among trees before. At his first forest school session he apparently spent many minutes simply hugging a tree trunk!
And we’ve all heard the latest fad for forest bathing – a wonderful practice that all forest school kids could vouch for.
What more encouragement do you need? Get those wild kids booked into a forest school now. Many schools have woodland areas in their grounds whilst some local authorities have central woodland areas for multiple schools to use.
Other forest school practitioners offer sessions for SEN groups, home educators, youth clubs, parties, after-school clubs and even overnight camping. There are also Coastal Schools for those with more beach than woodland!
Find A Forest School Near You
The Forest School Association regulates UK Forest Schools. Find your local provider here.
I can highly recommend the three forest schools we’ve attended over the years; Brightwood Forest School, Wiltshire and Stomping Grounds in Northumberland.
How to be a Forest School Leader?
For full information and first hand advice on how to train and qualify as a Forest School Leader, read my recent interview article Forest School Leader in the Jobs of the Wild section.
Outdoor Skills Training for Parents
As a parent you can learn forest and bushcraft skills to use with your own children.
This book is a brilliant place to start – read my review and add it to your Christmas list or click the image below to buy on Amazon.
TCV (The Conservation Volunteers) hold conservation days which are great for learning to use tools etc. Check out their courses here
Nature Net offer various outdoor courses, find their list here
Read about urban campfires in the garden here.
Buy your own outdoor resources at Muddy Faces
For inspirational ideas and activities to get your kids outdoors check out my posts on nature adventures at home, in the garden and further afield
Buy the Books
Click on the images below to buy these excellent books from Amazon.
What a fantastic experience for kids, well for anyone! I love being outdoors and taking my son camping. He would have loved experiencing a forest preschool. I have wanted to try whittling with him, but am nervous about it. Your post makes me think I should give it a try. #countykids
I’d definitely give it a go, start with an old potato peeler, it really works.
A school near me does forest school over the summer holidays. I think I may wait until Lily is a little older though, she is so fussy with things like mud, and insects. Looks great though. #CountryKids
Definitely worth trying, it’s surprising how little ones get used to the mud and mess when outside and in the company of others. Some don’t, but it’s worth giving it a go. Thanks for commenting
I looked into Forest School for my kids but sadly its too expensive. Our primary school have adopted some element from it though which is good and we have been on trips around Poole Harbour and across Canford Heath
That’s a great shame it’s so expensive near you. Maybe try some basics in your garden or at the beach?! If a group of you were interested your local provider might consider a reduction. I hope so, it’s so great for kids. Thanks for reading, and good luck
I love the idea of forest schools. In many ways it is like what I have developed for activity hour at Coombe Mill but I think it takes things further. I’m all for the safe use of knives and learning how to use them, foraging and cooking with wild garlic and edible berries. It is perfect for children of all ages. I think every child should have exposure to something like this growing up and I’m delighted Caroline is still enjoying it and it is growing in activities as she does.
Thank you for sharing with me on #CountryKids
Thanks Fiona, that’s why I love so much of what you do at Coombe Mill.
I think the concept of forest school is amazing. I wish there was one near us. I totally agree with you about allowing children to use sharp tools under supervision, they are much more likely to be sensible with them as they get older #countrykids
I wish all schools had a forest school attached. They’re so great for kids. Thanks for reading
This looks brilliant and the ultimate fun for outside kiddies 🙂 #CountryKids x
It certainly is, and great for life skills and a love of nature too.
I love the fact that these forest schools exist. Unfortunately, we are bit restricted as to getting to ours. #countrykids
I’m hearing that a lot. Such a shame. Let’s hope lots more forest schools are opened and more accessible. Thanks for stopping by
Great post with many good points. And I love getting out to explore with Penguin. Ironically it’s really awkward to get to a lot of these places without a car though, so I hope our current car-less status will change before too long x #CountryKids
I agree about travelling. Most forest schools require a car to get to which is a shame. We used to travel an hour to ours but we’re so lucky one started just 5 mins away.
Wow, how fab to have one so close by! 😀 x
Forest School looks like so much fun. I’ll definitely be taking my little one when she’s a bit older.
It’s really worthwhile for little ones, you’ll love it too!