The Great Outdoors

Over the past 20 years I have seen a huge shift in how the outdoor environment has been used in early years settings both in the private and public sector of childcare and education. The value placed on what it offers children has most definitely increased. This has led to a huge increase in the provision of forest school sessions. The thought of children playing and exploring freely in nature really does make my heart sing.

Having seen the huge benefits of forest school during a study visit to Sweden, where the children were able to roam freely in the forest that backed on to their school. Climbing trees, building dens and vehicles and anything else their hearts desired, using tools and all the natural resources available to them without an adult directing or influencing them. Here, they were truly the directors in their own play. What an experience for them to have and what amazing child initiated learning I saw, where the children were intrinsically motivated to possibly their highest level. I saw this emulated during forest school sessions that I took my own children to in a forest that was surrounded by sky scrapers. It could still be done even in one of the most built up cities in the world. All it needed was the right approach. Climbing trees, exploring nature and all done through the children leading, exploring and highly motivated in what they were doing. Learning at their highest level. For me this is the true essence of what a real forest school should be about.

Sadly I think this can be so easily lost by the pressure that is being put on educators to ‘plan’ forest school sessions and to ‘plan the learning’ that is going to take place. Nature by definition is unpredictable and messy and free and that is where the quality lies, within the use of it and where children should be, right in the middle of it being the directors of their own play.