100 Ideas for Early Years Practitioners: Forest School

Book excerpt: Forest School sessions have risen in popularity in recent years, with many nurseries and pre-schools offering them as part of their regular programme of activities. This new title in the best-selling 100 ideas series is filled with easy-to-implement ideas for introducing Forest School activities and concepts into each day, without putting pressure on the practitioners' time or the setting's budget. 100 Ideas for Early Years Practitioners: Forest School promotes the use of natural resources and the environment, as well as encouraging and instigating child-led learning and play. It addresses health and safety in the outdoor classroom, discusses issues and myths surrounding Forest School, and explores how integrating it into early years settings and provision can enhance children's learning as well as developing a range of 'soft skills' such as self-confidence, working with others, sharing, problem solving, empathy and respect for self, others and their environment.