We all know that the wind in our hair and the great outdoors is good for our wellbeing and happiness, and that totally goes for children too. Worrying studies recently revealed that here in the UK 1 in 9 children didn’t get into a park, forest, beach or other kind of natural setting during the last year! #shockedface Luckily for us, here in Essex, we have plenty of gorgeous green environments to check out with the little ones, which is exactly why we set up the first Forest School in Essex in Norsey Woods, back in2015! Keen to know more? Well, here’s a snippet of the benefits Forest School learning provides children with…
What is Forest School?
Originating in Scandinavia in the 1950s and based on the philosophy that children’s interaction with nature and the natural world is a super-duper important factor in their development, Forest Schools came to the UK in around 1993, and have been filling little one’s lives with an outdoor education like no other ever since. It is a specialised learning approach that sits within and compliments the wider context of outdoor and woodland education, and The Treehouse Club were the first to adopt this method of learning in the whole of the Southeast.
The benefits of Forest School in the early years
Playing and learning outside improves children’s physical and emotional wellbeing and the Forest School experience has proven to be hugely beneficial for children’s emotional and developmental needs. Children are curious little critters so we know from experience how much they love using natural materials found in the woodland and enjoy gathering sticks and leaves, making dens, climbing trees, using twigs to write and draw in mud, counting bugs and splashing in puddles. But while we know they are having fun in the great outdoors, Forest School can also help children develop:
As such, Forest School settings fully support the EYFS curriculum, and children leave their early years education with a keenness for education and a motivation to learn.
Sound like something you want for your own nursery and pre-school children? We have Forest School settings in Billericay, Wickford, Brentwood and Ingrave, and a few spots have come up for full-time spaces for 2-3-year-olds. Get in touch today to learn more about The Treehouse Club, ask any questions you have about our curriculum and outdoor learning ethos, find out about special offers for new parents and to arrange a show around. We also offer Out of School Clubs (for which we’ve just won the ‘best in Essex’ award thanks to Essex Mums), infant care and Holiday Clubs (the next one is all lined up for Easter).
