Is it Just Playing Outside? Understanding the Learning in Forest School

As parents, we naturally want the best for our children’s development and education. We hear about Forest School, and it sounds positive. Fresh air, freedom, nature, mud. But a common question often arises: Are they actually learning anything, or is it just a supervised play session outdoors? It’s a fair question. In a world focused on academic attainment, it can be hard to see how building a den or splashing in a puddle connects to education. The reality is that Forest School is built upon a sound educational philosophy. It uses children’s natural inclination to play as the engine for powerful, holistic development. Let’s look beyond the surface and understand the rich learning in forest school. It’s much more than just running around outside.

Play as the Process: How Play Based Learning UK Works Outdoors

The first thing to grasp is that Forest School practitioners see play as serious work. It is the primary way young children make sense of their world. Forest School is a prime example of high-quality play based learning UK educators value. However, it’s different from simply opening the back door or visiting the local park.

• It is Facilitated, Not a Free-for-All. Unlike unstructured play, Forest School sessions are run by trained, qualified leaders. The leader’s role is complex. They are skilled observers who carefully plan, prepare the environment, and facilitate activities. They do not constantly direct, but they subtly guide and support. They introduce tools, skills, and ideas, and they pose questions that encourage children to think more deeply.
• It is Child-Led. This means learning often follows the child’s own curiosity. If the children become fascinated by a fallen log, the leader doesn’t rush them on to a planned activity. Instead, they might facilitate an exploration. How can we get over it? What lives under it? How strong is it? Can we balance on it? The learning follows from the children’s engagement, making it more meaningful and memorable for them.
• It Uses the Environment as the Teacher. The natural environment is a rich, ever-changing, and stimulating resource. Children learn about physics when they work out how to stop their shelter falling. They learn biology when they observe a beetle or see how plants change through the seasons. The environment provides authentic, real-world challenges and discoveries.
• It is a Long-Term Process. Real learning in forest school happens over time. Regular sessions, often weekly, allow children to build on previous experiences. They observe seasonal changes, practise and refine skills, grow in confidence, and develop a deeper relationship with the place and the group. This is quite different from a one-off nature walk.

Effective play based learning UK practitioners recognise that play allows children to explore, test theories, practice social skills, process emotions, and develop creativity. Forest School harnesses this, providing a supportive framework for it to happen.

Uncovering the Learning: What Skills Are Actually Developed?

So, what does this look like on the ground? Where is the forest school educational value found in the day-to-day activities? The learning is cross-curricular, touching on all areas of development, often simultaneously.

Here are specific examples of learning in forest school:

• Problem Solving, Maths, and Science:
  • Building a den involves design, planning, and engineering. Children have to select appropriate materials, estimate lengths, consider how to make a structure stable and waterproof, and work together.
  • Working out how to move a heavy log requires children to assess, plan, and cooperate, applying leverage principles.
  • Counting, sorting, and categorising natural objects (leaves, stones, twigs) develops early maths skills.
  • Observing insects, birds, plants, and weather patterns fuels scientific understanding.
  • Using ropes to build a swing or construct a shelter involves learning about knots, tension, and forces.
• Physical Development (Gross and Fine Motor):
  • Navigating uneven terrain, climbing, balancing on logs, carrying branches, and running all develop coordination, strength, stamina, and gross motor skills.
  • Carefully using tools like peelers for whittling, or hand drills, requires focus, control, and the development of fine motor skills.
  • Tying knots, weaving with natural materials, or handling small creatures also improves dexterity.
• Language and Communication:
  • Children develop a rich vocabulary to describe the natural world.
  • They need to listen to others and clearly articulate their own ideas during collaborative tasks.
  • Group discussions around a fire, planning activities, and sharing discoveries all build communication skills.
  • The environment inspires storytelling and imaginative role-play.
• Social and Emotional Development:
  • Collaboration is key. Children learn to work with others, share tools, negotiate roles, listen to different ideas, and resolve disagreements.
  • Mastering a new skill (like using a tool safely or lighting a fire with a fire-steel) provides an enormous boost to self-esteem and confidence.
  • Dealing with the weather (getting cold or wet), or trying an activity that fails at first, builds resilience and perseverance. Children learn to manage frustration and try again.
  • Learning to assess risk helps children develop judgement and self-awareness. They learn to understand their capabilities.
  • Quiet time, simply sitting and observing in nature, helps develop focus and self-regulation.

The Real Forest School Educational Value

The true forest school educational value lies in this holistic approach. It is not just teaching children facts; it is developing the skills and attributes they need to become effective learners and well-rounded individuals. It actively supports the goals of the UK’s Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). It does this by promoting:

• Positive Attitudes to Learning: It fosters curiosity, imagination, and a desire to explore and find out. When learning is enjoyable and intrinsically motivated, children are more likely to become lifelong learners.
• Confidence and Independence: Children are trusted with responsibility. They learn to make choices, manage tasks, and trust their own instincts and abilities.
• Resilience: Forest School is not about wrapping children in cotton wool. They experience challenges – the weather, a tricky task, a disagreement. Learning to navigate these in a supportive environment builds grit and adaptability.
• Creativity and Critical Thinking: There is rarely just one ‘right’ way to build a den or cross a stream. Children are encouraged to think creatively, try different approaches, and evaluate what works.
• Environmental Awareness: By developing a close, hands-on relationship with the natural world, children grow to understand and respect it.

It complements, rather than conflicts with, indoor, classroom-based learning. The practical skills, confidence, and positive learning dispositions developed outdoors are transferred back into the classroom, often improving children’s focus and engagement. Children learn by doing, experiencing, and reflecting. Forest School provides endless opportunities for exactly that. It is so much more than ‘just playing outside’. It is a dynamic and powerful approach that provides deep, meaningful learning in forest school. It values play as a vital tool, guided by skilled professionals, to help children build the practical, social, and emotional skills they need to thrive. It builds a foundation of confidence, creativity, and resilience that has enormous educational value, both for school and for life.