Forest school
In Acorns we value outdoor play and learning as being essential for children to experience regularly. Our Forest school sessions follow a ‘Forest School’ approach to outdoor learning. The ‘Forest School’ philosophy is based upon a desire to provide young children with an education that will encourage an appreciation for the natural world and create an opportunity for a responsibility and affinity to nature conservation later in life. The sessions outside give an understanding, appreciation and care for the natural environment.
When we participate in Forest School sessions outside we are learning:
that from a small amount of risk, we are given the chance to risk assess ourselves and learn new skills in a safe, controlled environment
to create stronger social communication skills
to have a greater ability to work in social groups
to develop higher levels of self-esteem and confidence in our own abilities
to use different tools, play and learn about boundaries of behaviour, both physically and socially
to be self-motivated and use our own initiative to problem-solve
to develop the children’s relationship with the outdoors through regular experiences in each term all year round, throughout the seasons
to build children’s confidence, independence and self-esteem through self-initiated tasks
to create positive, practical, physical, visual and sensual experiences
to develop children’s thinking, speaking and problem-solving skills.