Forest Schools.

Forest Schools originally came from Sweden in the early 1950s. Every single forest school is unique, we adapt them to how we best think it will suit our surroundings and our environment. Forest schools allow the children to go off on their own and be taught by nature, with the teacher looking on for safety and help if needed. “Forest School provides an important opportunity for children to gain access to and become familiar with woodlands on a regular basis, while learning academic and practical skills.” O'Brein and Murray (2007) The children are learning all the normal school curriculum  but in a much more stimulating and fun environment, where they're usual class dynamics are taken away. For example the normal naughty children are behaving and enjoying playing in the mud. Being out in the forest schools increases/ develops a child's social skills as they want to show the others around them what they have seen, learnt, or been able to accomplish. It also allows the children who are not very fond of socialising and would rather be on their own, to learn about the environment, in a more comfortable way where they can go off on their own. In some experiences of Forest schools some of the children even become the teachers, an example of this would be if they had learnt something to do, say climb a tree for instance, they are encouraged to then teach the others around them who to want to be able to climb it. This can increase the childs confidence a lot. The children are being motivated by the environment to step out of their comfort zones. Forest schools also allow many children to be in an environment that they might not other wise get to be in if they live in a city or town where forests or wooded areas are lacking. The children are learning things that also might not be as easy to learn in their normal surroundings. They are able to learn things such as how to start a fire and what to use them for if you were ever in the forest, but they are taught this in a sensible safe environment. They also learn to make items such as musical instruments, building dens, carving, whittling, things that would normally not be allowed or be deemed to dangerous in other school environments. "The philosophy of Forest Schools is to encourage and inspire individuals of any age through positive outdoor experiences over an extended period of time" This quote is probably the best way in which to describe what a forest school is.  

 http://www.forestschools.com/
O'Brein, L. Murray, R. (2007) Forest School and its impacts on young children: Case studies in Britain