What did children say about learning at Forest School?

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Children’s outdoor play is declining, despite clear links between play, learning and development. The researchers argue that alternative learning initiatives offering diverse play opportunities, including outdoor play, are therefore needed.

Forest School is growing in popularity in the UK and internationally, but little is understood about its impact on children’s learning or how alternative approaches inform learning in mainstream settings. This study examined primary school children’s Forest School experiences at the intersection of formal and informal learning. It explored how children interpreted a blend of learning environments and critically evaluated the benefits they identified when reflecting on their engagement in classroom and outdoor learning.

Researchers interviewed 33 children from two mainstream primary schools in England who had recently completed a 6-week Forest School programme. A rigorous phenomenological thematic analysis identified three interrelated themes: a break from routine, learning through play, and collaboration and teamwork. The findings suggest that blending Forest School with mainstream settings contributes to children’s social, cognitive, emotional and physical skill development through experiential learning using play. The researchers say the findings emphasise the value of the social constructivist play-pedagogy underpinning Forest School and the need for primary schools to consider learning outside the classroom as an effective pedagogy.