Forest schools make a positive contribution to young childrens learning and development and should be more widely available, researchers have concluded.
A study by Forest Research and the New Economics Foundation looked at childrens experiences of Forest Schools in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. It tracked 20 children from three to five years old and a small group of children with SEN who attended Forest Schools weekly or fortnightly for eight months.
The researchers said, It was evident that some of the children displayed positive changes in behaviour that surprised practitioners and could be attributed to their involvement in Forest School.
Observations were carried out by teachers or Forest School leaders who knew the children well and were able to record subtle changes in behaviour. They scored individual children, from one for no change, to three for dramatic change.
Examples included Charles, in reception, who was reluctant to make eye contact with adults and would hold his hand up to his face to avoid looking at people but by the fifth session was joining in with the Forest School song and smiling at the leaders. One SEN child started to use more descriptive vocabulary, such as squidgy to describe mud.
Study co-author Liz OBrien, from Forest Research, said Forest Schools helped children who live in urban areas become familiar with nature. She said, Its clear from parents comments that some children had not had access to woodland before and it took a while for some of them to become used to being outdoors. In a different setting it can really motivate children. You can see success quite quickly from small tasks such as creating a shelter or whittling sticks.
Download the report at www.forestresearch.gov.uk.
