About
Foxglove Forest School was founded by Holly in 2017.
We believe that through regular exploration of the natural world children can develop their social skills, resilience and empathy. At Foxglove we value each participant’s individuality and want to support children’s self esteem through hands on learning experiences.
Most of all we want all our Foxglove families to have fun!
What is Forest School?
With roots in the outdoor way of life in Scandinavia, Forest School was brought to the UK in the early 90s. It is a child-centred learning process, where learners spend regular, sustained time in a natural, woodland environment. Through exploration, play and risk-taking they build confidence and self-esteem.
The role of the leader is to help facilitate the ideas of the learner and help them reflect on their own development. They introduce specific skills, tools and knowledge as they become appropriate and meaningful to the child’s play.
At Foxglove, we incorporate the principles of Forest School into our sessions for young children and their parents. The majority of each sessions is devoted to free play. We offer a craft activity every week and have areas with different resources set up but children are welcome to choose to interact with all, one or none of these.
We experience and respond to the changing seasons and weather. If your child comes regularly, the leader can build a relationship, getting to know them and their interests. They will also grow in confidence as they get familiar with the environment, the leader and other children.
Benefits
Coming to Forest School and spending time outside can have loads of benefits for you and your child, including:
- confidence – from having time and space to try new things
- language – developed through discovery, sensory experiences and stories
- social skills – sharing space, resources and joy with others
- physical health – through movement, fresh air and close contact with plants and soil
- mental health and emotional wellbeing – time spent in nature helps regulate the nervous system
- physical skills – children develop fine and gross motor movements and start to learn new crafts
- knowledge – finding out about seasons, plants, animals and materials
- eco-awareness – having a relationship with nature means children are more likely to want to take care of the environment in the future
- self esteem – enjoying coming up with their own ideas and achieving what they set out to do
There is plenty of research showing the positive outcomes from Forest School, nature play and spending time outside. Our sessions could be the perfect way for you and your little one to start to experience these benefits. And – of course – we have a lot of fun!
