PRESCHOOL children at Kids Planet Lymm and Kids Planet Warrington have begun a Forest School programme in Dunham Massey.
Both nursery settings have newly-qualified Forest School leaders and will be participating in Forest School sessions over several weeks.
Discovered originally in Denmark, Forest School is based completely outdoors in a woodland or natural setting. Sessions are learner-led, with a holistic approach to development, allowing children to learn at their own pace through hands-on experiences, engaging with healthy risk.
Rhiannon Scott, Outdoor Learning Lead at Kids Planet, said: “Children are spending less and less time outdoors, as a society we are becoming disconnected from nature and it’s vital for us to find ways to get children back outside. Many of us have fond memories of time spent climbing trees, making mud pies, building dens but sadly children are often not getting these experiences.
These sessions will stay with children for a long time, teaching them valuable life skills, the benefits to their health and wellbeing as well as their learning and development are endless. It is the perfect way to give the gift of nature back to children.”
Forest School aims to create a culture of collaboration and respect for each other and the environment, embracing challenge and building a lifelong connection to nature. Sessions have been proven to support children’s self-confidence and self-esteem, building resilience and empathy.
