This is how to bring kids up

[Bothwell_Craig]

Wondered how long it would be till someone mentioned Forest Schools. I helped out for the day on a week long session, and it was just like the excellent video. It was a private firm with rich folks kids, but they really enjoyed it. There was some daft activities though where the kids got frustrated as did I, and this mainly involved doing risky things in an over safe way. I would teach them how to manage the risk as did the lady in the video, or forgot about it (this was using a Potato peeler instead of a knife on hardwood?) until they can manage it.
I think teachers are still learning what's best for sessions and age groups, and as long as it progresses and there's plenty of play involved too at the younger ages, it should all be a good thing.

It's right outside a lot of teachers comfort zones. I started with our youngest Scout section (Beavers) and used potato peelers to teach safe stance and technique to whittle a piece of wood to a point to toast a marshmallow on.
Once that was done they worked up through folders to Moras.
Teach and reinforce the basics is the key.

 

[mayfly]

there are schools across the UK who have qualified teachers capable of running the courses to their pupils

Any idea where one could find out which schools have such teachers and what sort of courses they run?

Chris

 

[Fallow Way]

www.forestschools.com

 

[Dougster]

It is brilliant and is expnading, at our secondary we are starting forest schools for the younger kids and I am teaching Countryside crafts outside the curriculum and BTEC Countryside and The Environment next year - assuming things follow the plan......

 

[ex Member swampy99]

Due to the nasty copywrite people I am unable to watch the videos in Australia. But it sounds good from what I have read.

 

[Osprey]

Here's a link to the Forest Education Initiative website

http://www.foresteducation.org/

It shows some of the forest schools that are happening throughout the UK

 

[SCOMAN]

My fiancee is a nursery teacher and a friend of hers went over to Scandanavia to check out the concept. She was stood outside freezing her bits off and the kids were dressed for the weather and running about quite happy. She turned to the teacher and asked how cold does it have to be before she brought the kids inside. Now I don't know if she was joking or showing off but she said - 25 C. Again as has been mentioned little or no common illnesses with the kids just a healthy glow and a love of the outdoors. Certaintly doesn't make me yearn for my experience of a couple of portacabins strapped together, plasticene, paint, half an apple, and Brendan who insisted on keeping his left hand down his trousers.

 

[Osprey]

I ran a session here last winter when the temp was -15 and the children, their teacher and I built a quinze in the school playground as the snow was too deep for them to walk to the woods.

 

[mousey]

I looked at http://woodlandoutdoorkindergartens.co.uk/default.aspx. [only that one page mind]

and thought why's that so special - there's a wood near where I live, I take the kids and dogs there as much as posssible, it's free and even has a play park/ asault course thingy.

But then if they are also teaching the kids stuff too I suppose there's more to it than just going to a wood and having a laugh.

 

[locum76]

Forest schools are a little different are they not? There is a nursery near me that does outdoor education for kids from 3 years up right through the year. My daughter will be going there when she's old enough.

 

[Dougster]

It is brilliant and is expnading, at our secondary we are starting forest schools for the younger kids and I am teaching Countryside crafts outside the curriculum and BTEC Countryside and The Environment next year - assuming things follow the plan......

No surprise this didn't happen, either of them.