FOREST SCHOOL: WHY DO WE DO IT?

We love being outside

Everybody does. It is a natural place to play and learn, which we all as humans have the innate drive to do. Having worked as Forest School leaders for over 10 years and camped with communities on the land since our childhood, we have been inspired by a long history of wonderful people and educators over the years. We hope to bring an amalgamation of their ideals and modern magic to play and learn in an engaged, joyful and fantastic way in the woods.

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Forest School is an inspirational process, (not a place)  that offers ALL learners young and old, regular opportunities to achieve and develop confidence and self-esteem through hands- on learning experiences in a woodland or natural environment with trees. The growing body of research points to numerous benefits to learner, educator, child and parent alike.

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Since 2017 Sawpit Woods have run Forest School sessions for primary aged children, run after school clubs locally, worked with a local pre-school and held family community and work days in the woods. We run holiday sessions for children and families. We are run a weekly parent and small persons stay and play group and maybe would like to create an evening group for adults...

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Please have a read about what sorts of things we have been up to in the past on our Blog.

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CREATING AND MAKING

Have you ever wanted to create, make with your hands and your imagination with nature's inspiration? Then come and give it a go. The woods will provide the materials, your ideas are the only limiting factor.

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We want to help to conserve and develop the woods, so come and help us to learn how we can tread lightly on the land and continue the guardianship of it for the future.

ACTIVITY AND ADVENTURE

The physical space outside is great and wonderful. The changing seasons and nature connection are not only brilliantly beneficial for you they are just downright beauteous. Come and climb and jump, swing and slip in the mud.

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Use play to keep your mind and body active through connection to the space and the people.

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LEARNING AND FUN

Qualified practitioners carefully facilitate programmes which are uniquely tailored to the needs of the individuals within the group.

We have the fundamental aim of building participants’ self-esteem, confidence, independence, creativity and enjoyment of doing and being.

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And let's be honest- we want it to be fun (because it's always good to giggle).

"First an activity needs to be entered into voluntarily; second it needs to be intrinsically motivating- that is you engage in an activity because it gives you a sense of pleasure, or enjoyment; and finally, the outcome is not known in advance."

- Priest, 1999.