Curriculum
In Forest School, education is brought to life and children learn ancient and often forgotten skills including:
- Making shelters
- Playing in the Mud Kitchen
- Learning to make and light a fire
- Designing and constructing play equipment
- Handling and using tools safely
- Creating woodland craft
- Cooking on a fire
- Climbing trees
- Tying knots
- Pond dipping
- Hunting for mini-beasts
- Identifying flora and fauna
- Learning about woodland sustainability
Learning activities are easily tied in with topics and National Curriculum subjects. Below are a few examples of where Forest School supports the National Curriculum and some possible activities that may be done.
EARLY YEARS FOUNDATION STAGE – Especially Personal, Social, Emotional Development, Communication and Language and Physical Development.
SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL ASPECTS OF LEARNING (SEAL) – At Key Stage 1, 2 and 3
LITERACY- Using descriptive vocabulary, speaking and listening that can then be applied in their learning when writing about Forest school sessions.
SCIENCE – Being surrounded by nature enables the children multiple opportunities to investigate the world around them. This may include activities such as mini beast hunts, pond dipping, plants and growth, investigating forces and materials and living things and their habitats.
MATHS– Using Maths skills to design and build shelters using estimating and measuring skills, investigating co-ordinates and bearings using compasses, measuring trees to estimate age.
ART– Using natural resources that are found in the woodland to create art pieces, using natural pigments and making charcoal for drawing.
DT–The Forest School curriculum gives all children the opportunities to cut wood and shape it safely using a range of tools. Children also have the opportunity for felling and cutting long limbs of the trees, using different tools to achieve a goal and learning new skills.
EARLY YEARS FOUNDATION STAGE – Especially Personal, Social, Emotional Development, Communication and Language and Physical Development.
SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL ASPECTS OF LEARNING (SEAL) – At Key Stage 1, 2 and 3
LITERACY- Using descriptive vocabulary, speaking and listening that can then be applied in their learning when writing about Forest school sessions.
SCIENCE – Being surrounded by nature enables the children multiple opportunities to investigate the world around them. This may include activities such as mini beast hunts, pond dipping, plants and growth, investigating forces and materials and living things and their habitats.
MATHS– Using Maths skills to design and build shelters using estimating and measuring skills, investigating co-ordinates and bearings using compasses, measuring trees to estimate age.
ART– Using natural resources that are found in the woodland to create art pieces, using natural pigments and making charcoal for drawing.
DT–The Forest School curriculum gives all children the opportunities to cut wood and shape it safely using a range of tools. Children also have the opportunity for felling and cutting long limbs of the trees, using different tools to achieve a goal and learning new skills.
