Forest school areas

Our school has an Outdoor Learning Committee that I am a part of. We all feel very strongly that the environment where the children play outside is just as important as the environment inside our school. We have worked hard to make our playground an area where the kids can run, exercise explore and yes...learn! Outside play plays an important role in children's development! They are working gross motor muscles and getting must needed exercise. They learn how to solve problems such as when…

Outdoor Classrooms provide a place for children to connect to nature. With so many areas where children are told "no" to the diverse ways they want to interact with nature, outdoor classrooms are often a "yes" place. Yes, please dig in the dirt. Yes, please dig with the log pieces. Yes, please climb on these fallen logs. I was introduced to the Nature Explore outdoor classroom concept as we developed a natural playscape at a local nature center. This research based process helped reign in…

We have had many enquiries from schools this past year for outdoor classroom buildings for their forest school settings – be it on their own grounds or as part of a shared facility with a local established forest school set up. You could argue that the forest or woodland itself is the outdoor classroom – which of course […]

Playing with mud in a mud kitchen allows children to express themselves creatively and enhance motor skills.

I made a "worm farm" in 4th grade for a school project. How fun to have a permanent one in the backyard!