Forest Schools use woodlands to encourage children to explore their environment in order to develop healthy bodies and minds, encourage social skills, improve motivation and concentration and develop a respect for the natural world. The focus of our Woodland Learning is child centred and child led, the natural environment is used to stimulate imagination, creativity and investigation. This offers the children the opportunity to take risks, take care and take responsibility whilst having fun.
Our onsite wildlife area enables us to deliver Forest School sessions to groups of children throughout the year, whatever the weather. Each week is different, however there are some things we do every session, these include:
- Learning how to keep safe
- Playing 123 Where are you? (Woodland hide and seek)
- Enjoying stories and songs
- Getting together at base camp to enjoy a biscuit and a cup of hot chocolate
- Sharing our thoughts, feelings and experiences
Other activities are introduced to follow the children’s interests and can range from bug hunts to den building. The opportunities are endless and enable the children to build on skills from week to week at their own pace.
These pictures give an insight into some of the wonderful things our children experience during our woodland sessions.