Pre-School Forest School

Forest School in Pre-School

Our Pre-School children benefit from regular Forest School sessions, where learning takes place outdoors in a natural environment. These sessions form an important part of our broad and balanced early years provision and provide rich opportunities for exploration, discovery and hands-on learning.

Forest School encourages children to become curious, confident and independent learners. Through activities such as den building, exploring natural materials, observing wildlife and imaginative play, children develop key skills including problem solving, collaboration and resilience. These experiences support children to take managed risks, develop perseverance and build self-confidence within a safe, nurturing environment.

The outdoor environment plays a significant role in supporting children’s physical development and wellbeing. Children have opportunities to climb, balance, dig, transport materials and move freely across varied terrain, strengthening their coordination, core strength and gross motor skills while developing a positive attitude towards active, healthy lifestyles.

Forest School sessions strongly support many areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum. Outdoor learning enriches Understanding the World as children observe seasonal change, plants and wildlife, developing curiosity about the natural environment. Communication and Language is promoted through meaningful conversations, storytelling and collaborative play. Personal, Social and Emotional Development is fostered as children build relationships, develop independence and learn to work cooperatively with others. The environment also enhances Physical Development through active exploration, while creativity and imagination flourish through open-ended experiences.

Forest School also nurtures the Characteristics of Effective Learning. Children are encouraged to play and explore by investigating natural materials and following their own interests, actively learn by concentrating, persisting with challenges and experiencing a sense of achievement, and create and think critically as they test ideas, solve problems and develop their own strategies.

Through regular Forest School experiences we support children to develop curiosity, resilience and independence, while deepening their engagement and motivation to learn. These meaningful outdoor learning opportunities contribute to children’s overall development, wellbeing and school readiness, helping them to become confident, capable learners with a growing respect for the natural world.