Forest School Play Project

There was limited evidence around the benefits for pre-schoolers in Forest School play, but there is growing evidence on the importance of the outdoors and natural environment on child health and development.

This led Better Start Bradford to initiate the development of a Forest School type project for this younger age group.

• Improve children’s social and emotional development, including confidence, sharing, attention and co-operation
• Build language and communication skills through interactions between worker and child and between children
• Improve parents and carers’ perceptions of local green spaces, and increase the likelihood that they would continue to take their children to play in outdoor natural spaces beyond the end of the project
• Improve and increase frequency and quality of outdoor play opportunities within early years settings

• 26 nurseries took part.
• 633 three-year-olds attended at least one session.
• Over 500 drop-in outdoor family play sessions were delivered over the 5 years.
• 22 Level 1 and Level 3 Forest School training programmes were delivered, with over 100 early years staff and parents/carers attaining accreditation.
• Schools and nurseries reported significant and clear changes in children’s development, including improved confidence, social interactions, communication, physical skills (fine and gross motor skills) and greater self-regulation. These are important areas of development and school readiness preparation.
• Practitioners reported a change in attitude with parents and carers. Some, who were very reluctant to join in at the start and didn’t want their children to go outside to do the sessions, were actively taking part by the end and wanted their children to do more of it.
• Family play sessions showed parents and carers how accessible these activities are, that they don’t need to spend much money or travel far to have fulfilling family experiences that benefit their children.
• 35 nurseries now have improved resources for outdoor play, including all-weather clothing and wellies, and have replaced equipment with more natural, heuristic items.
• Some nurseries have created outdoor Forest School type play areas.
• In one school, a staff member trained to level 3 in Forest Schools now runs sessions three times a week with children of different ages.

*This section includes information from both the evaluation report/s and project