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| The rise of the bush school |
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Forest schools have been gaining popularity in recent years in countries such as Canada, Denmark and the UK. Focusing on
providing education and care services in a wholly outdoor setting, these early childhood providers take the classroom
to the wild, with no tables, books, chairs or walls.
Children are immersed in the natural environment, free to climb trees, navigate streams, and use the outdoors
to develop confidence, self-esteem, and gross and fine motor skills. They have become so popular that today over
10 per cent of Danish schools are now in a natural setting, with the natural world at the centre of their primary
curriculum.
The Forest School Movement is now reaching Australian shores, with Bush Schools springing up across the country.
Allowing children to free-play in nature rather than within the structured confines of a classroom, children can
take small risks in a safe way, learning a plethora of life skills that can only be learnt through hands-on experience
and practice.
With an increase in screen-based entertainment and the decline of the Aussie backyard, a study from the Australian
Institute of Family Studies found that only eight per cent of Australian children play outside every day. Worryingly,
Australian children have been ranked as some of the least active in the world, according to the ABC. These bush schools could be the perfect
antidote to the rising problem of inactivity in kids.
Outdoor learning comes with many benefits:
Better health
Outdoor free play brings many physical health benefits such as fitness, strength and increased immunity. But
outdoor learning also enhances mental health, lowering stress levels and reducing overstimulation and anxiety.
Increased social skills
With children working in groups to solve problems and take expeditions, skills in communication, cooperation
and conflict resolution are significantly enhanced. These experiences in self-risk also develop confidence, resilience,
self-esteem and self-reliance.
Increased sensory awareness
Being immersed in the Great Outdoors allows children to form a better awareness of the world around them,
as well as having a better connection to, and greater appreciation for, the environment.
Better behaviour
Poor classroom behaviour can be quickly changed in an outdoor setting. Giving children a little autonomy and
igniting curiosity with a task can be enough to turn a troublemaker into a leader.
Better learning outcomes
Kids learn best through hands-on experience and fun. Outdoor-based education combines these two things in
an environment that nurtures inquiry, providing a wonderful platform to then introduce numeracy and literacy learning
intentions.
Increased self-awareness
Putting their skills to the test, children discover how far they can jump, how high they can climb, how fast
they can run. By stepping outside their comfort zone children have the opportunity to develop new skills.
Increased imagination
Outdoor free-play is the perfect place for encouraging creative thinking and imagination, crafting a car from
logs or a fairy garden from sticks to develop an understanding of the world around them.
Increased responsibility
Outdoor education is a great platform for teaching life ownership. Where you take responsibility for your
mistakes, experiencing consequences as well as sharing successes. The increased connection to the natural environment
also increases responsibility for personal health and wellbeing, with a better understanding of the food cycle.
Increased motivation
Outdoor learning can re-motivate children who aren't thriving in a classroom setting, with children becoming
more engaged outside the classroom walls. When children are happier and having fun, they are more motivated to
participate.
What if you live in a city?
Even without the 100 per cent all-natural setting, early childhood education and care providers, primary schools
and preschools across the country are introducing a more nature-based pedagogy. Whether it’s children making puppets
from sticks, or children spending their entire day exploring the local bushland, the benefits of a more natural
setting are being seen everywhere.
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