Mama Beech

As the world struggles to get back to some kind of normal taking children outside is increasingly being recognised as a necessity and not just good practice. It really doesn't matter if the children go outside to play cricket, to do Forest School, have an extended playtime, take a lesson outside, or do something specific for the day. Let's be honest, you can't peek into a nesting box while in the classroom! I keep saying that Forest School is just one form of outdoor learning, and this week was an opportunity to prove that with Outdoor Classroom Day: 'Outdoor Classroom Day is a global movement to make time outdoors part of every child’s day. On two days of action each year, teachers take children outdoors to play and learn. All year round, the Outdoor Classroom Day community campaigns for more time outdoors every day.' The next date will be in the Autumn so if you haven't already - now is a good time to sign up ! With a remit that literally means exiting 4 walls...

In my own head, I separate Outdoor Learning and Forest School.  They are interconnected but to me, FS offers activities and supports what the children choose to do, whereas OL has learning intentions and aimed-for outcomes. Year 3 are currently looking at the Stone Age as a theme, and I was asked if I would provide activities to support this. In doing so I would have to remove the children's usual choice, their opportunity to follow their own interests & learning outside, and the ability to respond to what they discover and expand on it. This isn't a 'bad' or 'wrong' thing, but it isn't Forest School. Hence approaching it with a different ethos. In giving 21st Century children a tiny taste of life over two million years ago the week began with a definite learning intention. I went with 6 activities that every child could try on rotation. They would end up with perhaps 10 minutes at each exercise in life long ago, after a chat at basecamp that explained w...

I know - Term is over, chocolate Eggs have been eaten, Passover and Easter have been and gone, family celebrations are easing out and new regulations about meeting friends ease in! I have no Forest School news to report EXCEPT for letting those of you on Twitter know there is a new Outdoor Learning chat starting on Thursdays from 8 - 9 The page is called Outdoor Ed Chat and the hashtag is # OutdoorEdChat This should be a great space to share news and ideas, moan and groan, get inspired, have some fun, and seek advice! The account is run by the great  Bluebell Matt  and  Sam LEAF   The more people interested in Outdoor Learning that join in the wider the knowledge base, so if you are a Tweety-Peep - consider joining in!     

Tomorrow is the Spring Equinox. Whatever the weather is throwing at the UK at the moment we are hurtling towards April and Winter has passed. There is so much to do and so little time in which to get anything done! Blowing gales and 'unauthorised visitors' leave a wake across school grounds, the outdoor environment needs maintaining to ensure that previous hard work and development isn't lost, and the evolvement of the site needs planning. Seasons change and bring new challenges to the outdoor area, these are set in nature and a learning resource to be harvested. It's something Forest School has no choice but to use, our 'classroom' is deciduous, we are open to the elements, we have to work with the rain or the snow and alter our activities to either accommodate or to celebrate the differences.  Finding an ants nest is a learning opportunity, the discovery of an eggshell beneath a tree is a learning opportunity, watching a pheasant strut out of the bushes is a l...

  Is it me or does this year not feel particularly new?!  So far 2021 is a hangover of 2020. Not much 'out with the old and in with the new' to celebrate! Where as January is usually filled with the determination (and struggle!) to make changes for the better, this year it's overwhelmed by a want and a need to get back to the norm. I know for a lot of Forest Schools Lockdown means shut down - and I am so sorry that small businesses offering such a amazing opportunities to children are having to take a step back. I'm also heartbroken at how many children will be missing out on those opportunities. There are pros and cons to running a Forest School within a Primary School. Working around other peoples timetables and, for some, working with other people's themes and plans can be difficult and frustrating. But many have at least managed to continue to provide sessions because they are based on a school site. In Lockdown March 2020 we kept minimal staff on site and the r...