Forest School
Surrounded by nature, our I Learn Wild forest school setting provides a distinctively different educational environment, stimulating every child through outdoor learning…
The call of the wild
Taking learning away from the classroom, I Learn Wild encourages children’s learning by visiting natural spaces to develop their personal, social and technical skills. It has been defined as ‘an inspirational process that offers children regular opportunities to achieve and develop confidence through hands-on learning in a woodland environment’. Forest school supports and encourages children to learn how to handle risks and most importantly to use their own initiative to solve problems and co-operate with others.
I Learn has been offering a forest school learning experience since the team qualified in 2018 as Forest School Leaders. This has meant we can offer and incorporate forest school sessions and activities every week for the children to benefit from.
Why choose forest school
From natural immersion and its impact on physical development to the emotional and mental wellbeing of children and environmental education, there are countless benefits when you choose forest school.
- Nature Immersion: Forest schools immerse children in nature, fostering a genuine connection and appreciation for the environment.
- Physical Development: Outdoor activities promote physical fitness and the refinement of motor skills through play and exploration.
- Emotional Wellbeing: Spending time in natural settings has been linked to reduced stress and enhanced self-esteem, contributing to overall mental well-being.
- Social Interaction: Collaborative tasks in the outdoors encourage teamwork, communication, and relationship-building among peers.
- Environmental Education: Children learn firsthand about ecosystems, biodiversity, and the importance of conservation, cultivating a sense of environmental responsibility.
- Creativity and Exploration: Outdoor environments stimulate curiosity and creativity, providing endless opportunities for imaginative play and discovery.
- Risk Management: Engaging in supervised outdoor activities allows children to assess risks, make decisions, and build resilience in a safe environment.
Outdoor play also promotes physical activity and prevents potential struggles with obesity in later life while fresh air has been proven to reduce the risk of illnesses and infection. At I Learn, through our ethos of learning through outdoor play, children are encouraged to take appropriate risks, make mistakes and learn a great deal from adventurous play.
I Learn also encourages non-gender-specific play, challenging stereotypes, and giving them the freedom to explore and learn without judgement.
A wild education
Enrolment in any I Learn Education nursery will also give your child access to our Wild forest school sessions. Combining our Education and Wild experiences is a fantastic way for children’s imaginations to run wild as they build dens and retell elaborate stories of their time in the woods back in our nursery settings and to their families.
Exploring the woodland area together, we watch and supervise as children grow in confidence and self-esteem while developing a deep connection with the natural environment.
They also learn how to handle risks and how to use their own initiative to solve problems, cooperating with their friends in the process. Often the children bring their own ideas or projects back to the nursery to be continued indoors too, bridging that gap between outdoor and indoor learning.
Mini wilders
Staff support babies in the forest environment through heuristic play and treasure baskets as they play and explore freely with a large number of real-world and natural objects. Staff observe and let children make their own choices, with little adult intervention, simulating play that is similar to how they would be more interested in the wrapping paper rather than the present! This approach does wonders for building confidence as well as progressing their concentration span.
Babies develop their senses through exploring the objects, a simple methodology which improves hand-eye coordination as children are posting objects into the containers, for example.
Does my child have to attend an iLearn Nursery?
No not at all. Our Forest School is open to all nursery children, whether they’ve used an ilearn nursery or not.
What ages can attend the Forest School?
Any child from the ages of 5 – 11 years can attend our Forest School.