Forest School: the benefits of nature for children
The figures are alarming: 4 out of 10 children never play outside during the week (except during recess) and only half go to outdoor playgrounds.
For Moïna Fauchier–Delavigne, author of the book L’enfant et la nature (Children and Nature), there are many reasons why children are kept indoors: " The importance of television and urban planning, fear of strangers, and fear that children will hurt themselves mean that we no longer tolerate risks or try to minimize them. It is the same fear that drives teachers and school principals. When in doubt, we stay indoors, without realizing how much we are depriving children of the essential connection with the outside world, nature, and what is in it, and without realizing the increased risks to their health and cognitive development."
Cabin built by the children of Montessori Happy Kids
The concept of Forest School dates back to the 1950s in Denmark. At that time, a woman named Ella Flatau had the idea of creating kindergartens in the forest. The concept was born out of a lack of places in nurseries. It first spread throughout Scandinavia, then to Germany, Switzerland, England, the United States, Australia, and now to many other countries around the world.
Today, Germany has around 1,000 "forest kindergartens" or "Waldkindergarten," with Denmark coming in a close second with around 700 preschools offering this alternative learning method.
For Sarah Wauquiez, educator at the Silviva Foundation and author of the book Les Enfants des bois (Children of the Woods), there is no doubt about it:
“Nature is a space for unlimited exploration and experimentation. It is a place for children to play and learn, but above all, it is an educational tool for developing their connection to life. The three main goals are for children to have fun, develop holistically, and form an emotional bond with nature.”
Creating nature art with the children of Montessori Happy Kids
The 9 benefits of Forest School:
1 – Stimulate the senses: children's five senses are awakened. Nature offers thousands of different textures and materials for free. Each season brings new discoveries in terms of sounds, smells, textures, and colors.
2 – Developing imagination: children can invent and create anything. Children take the initiative in their own learning. The possibilities are endless; their imagination is, in a way, their only limit.
3 – Increase concentration, memory, and adaptability. It is a source of calm, which also significantly improves sleep.
4 – Developing motor skills: walking, running, climbing. This is a true education in movement, awareness, curiosity, and exploration. Finding your bearings in nature is much more complex than it is within four walls. Falls, if they happen, allow children to better manage risks. These are referred to as healthy risks. This teaching helps combat sedentary lifestyles. We are programmed to move around outdoors. Sitting all the time is harmful to learning and health.
5 – Developing independence and self-confidence: a five-year study conducted in a school in Texas shows that, through nature-based education, children learn more about their own abilities and limitations and therefore have higher self-esteem.
6 – Strengthening the immune system: children get sick less often and have fewer cardiovascular problems, allergies, mobility issues, and obesity. There has been a decrease in the incidence of attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity.
7 – Reducing stress: in a less artificial, less noisy environment, stress levels decrease considerably for both children and teachers. This results in a better relationship between children and teachers.
8 – Develop other forms of intelligence: such as kinesthetic intelligence (related to the body and movement) and naturalistic intelligence (observing and understanding natural elements). Children find their place by developing a physical and sensory relationship with nature rather than an intellectual one.
9 – Learning about living things: thanks to Forest School, children become more aware of their environment and the elements that make it up. They also become aware of the seasons and the passing of time. Each season brings new discoveries: flowers, puddles, snails, insects, buds, and leaves.