Forest School – Come as You Are!
We have been running Forest School here at My Outdoor Classroom for over 12 years. There are so many benefits for children, but time and time again, the most important one for us is: come as you are. When a child comes to Forest School, a good practitioner will meet the child where they are and be accepting of their abilities, interests, and personality.
We have come a long way as a society when it comes to allowing people to be themselves, but in many ways, we still let children down by not giving them the time and space to truly be themselves.
“Be yourself, but not like that—that is too loud.”
“Be yourself, but not like that—that is too emotional.”
“Be yourself, but not like that—you are not doing it right.”
“Be yourself, but not like that—you are being too silly.”
Forest School is a unique experience in children’s lives because we do not, and should not, have any planned outcomes for our sessions. That is not to say there are no benefits for children—there are many—but we are not outcome-driven. We are not trying to make a child better at something, make a child sit still and listen, complete a project, or finish a task.
Forest School isn’t about an adult expert passing on knowledge to a group of learners like so many activities in a child’s life. Forest School is, and should be, child-led. Leaders have many skills, but sharing those with children happens on the child’s own terms—when they are ready and willing. That is one of the things that makes Forest School unique.
“A child’s world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement.” – Rachel Carson