STEP OUTSIDE
children: outdoor classrooms are subject to weather conditions, while hygiene and safety concerns could potentially put off parents and teachers alike. Not only this, but creating engaging and suitable lessons for a brand-new, unfamiliar environment could be stressful and potentially time- consuming for teachers. The question is: do the pros outweigh the cons? Children taught in forest schools are encouraged to take charge of their own learning, and can be faced with difficult situations or even failure. But this will teach resilience and problem-solving skills, as well as how to weigh up risks. There’s no doubt that indoor play carries its own set of benefits, providing a safe and controlled environment during the earlier, most formative years of a child’s life. There’s nothing inherently wrong with indoor classrooms, but the truth is, the earlier we can introduce children to nature as part of their daily routine, the more likely they are to learn to relish it later in life. Schools in our area are proving that education doesn’t have to be synonymous with classroom learning. Lessons learned in the great outdoors can have a huge impact, too.
CAMBRIDGE EDUCATION GUIDE 33
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