Forest Skills - ‘An innovative educational approach to outdoor play and learning.’

 

A broad choice of activities is available. Using our resources, which can be linked to the National Curriculum, enthusiastic and experienced staff will help you to design a programme that will meet your needs.

  • Encourages and inspires individuals of any age through positive outdoor experiences
  • Participate in engaging, motivating and achievable tasks and activities in a woodland environment
  • Has demonstrated success with children of all ages who visit the same local woodlands on a regular basis and through play, who have the opportunity to 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
  • Programmes run in all weathers (except for high winds). Children use full sized tools, play, learn boundaries of behaviour; both physical and social, establish and grow in confidence, self-esteem and become self motivated
  • Develops: Self Awareness; Self Regulation; Intrinsic motivation; Empathy; Good social communication skills; Independence and A positive mental attitude, self-esteem and confidence
  • Uses and provides opportunities to explore thoughts, feelings and relationships and to develop understanding of the world, the environment and everything within it through the use of emotions, imagination and senses

A Typical Day

  • Taking something home: Most times the children leave the woods they will take something with them to encourage parental interest and communicative interaction (continuation of the review process). This will also lead to enhanced communication within school, with friends as well as with parents or guardians
  • The progress of each individual will be observed and monitored and a thorough evaluation process will be used to ensure that your programme and session aims and outcomes are being met

The Activities

  • All sessions are designed around the needs of your group and are learner-led
  • Sessions are designed around a theme: themes are sometimes subtle such as evolving or exploring the site or more obvious such as Romans, butterflies, spies, fairies or nature investigators.  Many areas of the National Curriculum are intrinsically covered in the experience without the programmes needing to be curriculum led
  • Activities are set so they are within the capabilities of every person within the group (small achievable tasks). Teamwork skills are developed through games and activities.  Individual skills and self-esteem are heightened throughout activities such as hide and seek, shelter building, tool skills, lighting fires or environmental art, the list is endless. Each activity develops intra and inter-personal skills as well as practical and intellectual skills
  • Tools are used in a traditional woodland manner and are introduced gradually with a structured safety base that your children become familiar with. The use of tools in the wood promotes trust and self-confidence within those taking part; their use will develop both gross and fine motor skills
  • A level 3 practitioner will constantly evaluate the progressions of individuals with a final review at the end of the day.  This is a very important part of the day. The children could be asked to shout out, draw, act or play a game to review the day they have just experienced, reflecting on what they have done during the day