Into the Wild Forest School

Established in 2021, Into the Wild Forest School follows a Danish/Scandanavian approach. 

​

Free-range learning

The curriculum for pre-school settings in Denmark became law in 2004 and every institution has to make an institutional curriculum plan that covers six areas of learning:

■ All-round personal development

■ Social development

■ Language

■ Body and movement

■ Nature and natural phenomena

■ Cultural expression and values

Within these six areas, the pedagogues should facilitate four learning processes:

‘to be able’, ‘to experience’, ‘to enjoy’ and ‘to understand’;

Regular access to the natural environment fully supports this.

​

For example, in order ‘to be able’ to develop physical skills children need opportunities to climb, jump, run and cycle, and these processes include the sensory, bodily, social and intellectual competencies that children develop through them. Youngsters develop positive self-image by using the outdoor environment because they can ‘test’ themselves through the physical activities in which they participate. They develop important self-regulatory skills by learning to take turns and follow routines.

‘To experience’ in nature means that children can feel wonderment in the outdoors, and experience joy, happiness and also being frightened, in the safe knowledge that others are around them.

‘To enjoy’ means that young people, through nature, take pleasure in sensory experiences – the smells, sounds, tastes and textures that being in an outdoor environment brings. Sitting round a fire, feeling its warmth on a cold day, listening to the trees rustling in the wind, and tasting the pancakes cooked over a fire, all give pleasure and enjoyment that is part of the learning process.

‘To understand’ means that the outdoor environment is the natural arena where children can learn about some of the ‘mysteries’ of life-cycle processes, and ethics and morals can be discussed by the educators and children in their natural context. Finding a dead animal, for example, raises many discussions on life and death, and the fascination the next day at discovering that the animal has disappeared or been partly eaten leads to a deeper understanding of the forces of nature and gives children the possibility of talking about their feelings – sympathy, fear, and so on.

Educators in Denmark believe that these four learning processes are crucial if the child is to develop the skills and competencies of being a whole person. Evidence that children being outdoors on a daily basis, all year round, benefits their learning and development has been documented in Scandinavia for over 20 years, and more recent studies in the UK corroborate the findings, which include that

​

■ Children’s confidence is developed by them having the freedom, time and space to learn and demonstrate independence.

■ Social and emotional skills are increased by children gaining an awareness of the consequences of their actions on peers through team and paired activities that involve sharing, negotiating and turn-taking.

■ Children’s communication and language development is increased through sensory experiences and using natural materials.

■ Motivation and concentration is developed by children’s fascination with nature; they are more attentive, have better powers of memory and are less easily distracted.

■ Physical skills are improved by children being outdoors, illustrated by evidence of better balance, agility and strength.

■ Children’s health and immunity is strengthened through being outdoors regularly; they, along with practitioners, seem to be ill less often.

​

Albeit, we don't offer Monday to Friday, week long sessions. We hope that through our Saturday Family sessions and soon to be planned Home Education session. We can give children and their families a great learning experience.