The very first Forest School was dreamt up by Ella Flautau, in Denmark in 1952. It came about following her and some of the children in her community having regular gatherings in the nearby woodland as a kind of unofficial daycare.
These same families went on to form a group and developed a ‘walking kindergartens’ initiative that they hoped would be replicated.
It was.
Spreading to Sweden, Germany and the USA before the idea was eventually introduced into the UK in 1995, when a group of educators and nurses visited a Danish Forest School.
From around 2000, some local authorities in England and Wales began to really get behind the Forest Schools initiative and deliver training for leaders, as settings began to pop up throughout the UK. There are now over 100 certified Forest School assessors across the UK and this continues to grow.
What sets Forest Schools apart is that it has a more holistic based education environment, which is child led in its approach. It supports healthy social development alongside emotional, physical, and intellectual growth which encourages the fostering of a very deep connection to nature and the world we live in.
Whilst full time Forest School nurseries provisions exist, the initiative has been incorporated into many mainstream educations settings with nurseries and schools offering regular Forest School sessions as part of a more enhanced curriculum. The demand for sessions continues to increase as the benefits of such a unique learning experience are in such huge demand.
The Happy Kids' Forest School ethos is embedded in our daily practice, with freeflow indoor/outdoor play and whole session Forest School too. Contact us for more details on 07837 273357 or hello@happykidsaltrincham.co.uk.
