Time...
Most of the effectiveness of Forest School comes from the quality of time spent outside. Children repeatedly doing both new things and returning to things they consider important expands their interests and their expertise. We know that repeated actions grow both muscle memory and strong neural pathways, but immersing yourself in something you love to do builds confidence and self-esteem. Discovering something new adds curiosity and motivation into the mix! Knowing that Forest School will be there next week means the fear of missing out is less, freeing children up to decide what they want to focus on now, and what they will be happy to try another time. I have a lot of suggestions aimed at me that start with "next time, can we...?". Many children will work on a project such as peeling or whittling and ask to leave it in the shed until they come back. Others try over and over to master a skill, with varying degrees of success, with no goal or judgement except their own. The...