Forest School

Forest School

Kindergarten | Afternoon Care | Scenes from Kindergarten

Once our Kindergarten children reach age 6 they spend one day a week at our own Forest School, in a stunning natural woodland setting near St Hilary in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Forest School is an innovative educational approach (originally developed in Denmark) that builds independence and self-esteem in young children through hands-on play  in a woodland setting.

It's an holistic learning experience. Through play and exploration children learn about the natural environment, how to handle risks and, most importantly, to use their own initiative to solve problems and co-operate with others.

During Forest School children will build a shelter, dig a fire pit and light a fire. They use full sized tools, play, learn boundaries of behaviour -both physical and social- establish and grow in confidence, self-esteem and self motivation.

Forest School embraces, and is strongly influenced by, Steiner Education, developing confidence, creativity and independence through a child- led approach that encourages children to make their own choices and follow their own learning styles.

As in Kindergarten, the adult’s role is to facilitate development and learning by providing the environment, equipment and activities for the children to choose to do, alongside the freedom to explore and enjoy the site. The teacher trains and helps the children to use the site and tools safely so they can develop their own ideas and play freely in this environment.

As you can imagine there are a lots of possibilities. Last year the children built a low ropes course, and developed the base-camp shelter. They can help with these type of activities, or they can use the equipment for treasure hunting, seasonal collecting, identification of things around them, digging, using clay, whittling with potato peelers or knives as their skills progress, making things out of the natural resources around them, or developing their own plans. 

A Typical Forest School Day
9.30
 		 Forest School Leader arrives at base camp before any children/adult helpers to conduct a safety sweep of the site
10.00 Arrive, ring-time around the campfire, singing the Forest School song, remembering forest school rules and discussing possible activities for the day
10.30- 11.30 Free play/exploration

11.30 - 11.45		 Return to base camp for snack of fruit salad and hot chocolate

11.45 -12.30 		 Free Play/ Exploration/Forest School Activity of choice
12.30 -1.00
 		 Lunch - a vegetarian seasonal soup made and cooked on site on a wood fire and soda bread baked each week in the ‘dutch oven’
1.00- 2.15 Free Play/ Exploration/Forest School Activity of choice
2.15- 2.30 Jobs - washing up, cleaning and putting away tools and equipment
2.30- 3.00  Ring -time, reflecting on the day's activities, planning next week, story-time


Further Reading