AIBU to hate Forest School?

[thetreelooksnice]

That's it. My kids hate it. They get cold and muddy. It was OK when they were younger but now they want to stay in the warm to study!

@Greensleeves , nothing currently in my area, but thanks for that I hadn't even heard of the Woodcraft Folk! Will keep an eye on them.

I think forest schools are a brilliant idea and are based on solid evidence about the benefits for kids.

I would have hated it as an 11 year old.

And I would have been totally wrong, as moody 11yr old girls often are. I love outdoorsy things now, and regret spending half my teens shut up in my room listening to angry music. My DC are getting dragged outside as often as possible.

Do schools that offer Forest School have collection boxes for warm clothes/waterproofs/wellies? There must be so.much outgrown stuff in cupboards that could be passed on if more people knew it was needed.

I think Forest Schools are a brilliant idea, nit sure why it would, or should, only be appropriate for toddlers

It’s good for them but it’s a craze and will be gone in five years max.

Some of you lot remind me of Gwendoline Mary, huddled against the radiator!

Clothing - dd is tall so she wears an old longsleeved top of mine under an old sweatshirt with her fleece and raincoat on top. Leggings, 2 pairs of socks, wellies and a hat and scarf and gloves.

Oh how I wish they did this at my sons school! He might actually want to go then! He would absolutely love it.

Mine love it. Infants do it in school grounds, in groups of 4. Juniors trek up to the woods and spend the day up there. They build dens and stuff, then show us when we go there at the weekends.

I can't think of anything worse than forest school, stupid bloody middle class idea

It really isn’t just a middle class idea. I’m assuming Forest School in more wealthy ares probably ask for payment but I know someone who runs one at the weekend on voluntary basis in a deprived area, donations are accepted but not required. The group is quite a healthy size too.

We're supposed to do "outdoor education". Nobody does because they don't want to be outdoors in horrible weather and you can't do it spontaneously (when the weather is good) because you need to plan ahead with parent helpers,

Just a tick box fad imo,

We live on the edge of Epping Forest but I don't know of any schools that do this.
I like the idea in principal but the transport and clothing costs must be prohibitive surely?
Decent kit to keep warm and dry in very cold weather (plus replacements) and getting the kids there would be out of reach for many parents and all the schools round here.

Forest school is a heap of rubbish in my opinion!
It’s just doing a whole load of things that a parent should be doing with them. IMO School is there to teach them things that I can’t, that I don’t know and don’t have the resources to do.
As for building dens, starting fires, digging in mud, that’s called parenting! It’s a sad state of affairs when the School has to provide the opportunities for children to be able to experience these things.

YABVU. There's nothing fad-ish about forest school; its benefits are based on sound research. Considering the amount of pressure that British kids are under from such a young age at school, you'd have thought people would be pleased that their children were engaging in activities that are so good for physical and mental health.

Funnily enough this article judt popped up on my FB www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/02/01/prince-george-princess-charlotte-set-play-outside-no-matter/?WT.mc_id=tmg_share_fb

Pink ponies you are right but only if the parent has had that experience or knowledge/ confidence to do it. What if they are disabled, there are a lot or reasons why a parent may not be able to do it, even transport could be an issue to get somewhere suitable.

Depends on the forest school. From what dc told me their forest school session involved lighting a fire and toasting marshmallows. Every single week. Their teeth are probably quite relieved the school no longer offers it.

School budgets are so stretched I'd rather they focussed finaces on doing the basics well.

Warm clothing makes such a difference. DC wear snow boots or wellies with fleece linings, a padded gilet plus a very warm waterproof snow jacket. plus jumper normal jeans hat and gloves. They are warm as toast and love being outside for hours. Someone mentioned cost - you can get second hand plus the jackets and gilets often last 2 years.

Really? I'm shocked at the negativity. It's so good for children to realise the nature around them, how to care for the planet, tend to plants and trees. It's good for them emotionally, physically and academically.

It can be freezing. Our forest is a 1.5 mile walk from school so by the time we get there, if children don't have correct clothing they're cold.

Like the post about children playing in rain the other day, it does come down to clothing and decent accessories. It doesn't have to cost a fortune, charity shops probably have lots of warm jumpers.

Can't see it working too well in the inner cities. 'Look, miss, I've found another Stella can and three condoms'. 'All right children, let's all tiptoe round the sleeping crackhead, and watch out for the pigeons...'

But then, we live in the rural countryside so most children are quite happy outdoors anyway, as many have dogs to walk in the fields, horses to ride, mountain bikes at weekend etc and everywhere is perpetually muddy until spring anyway!

Doing things parents should be doing? That’s what schools do all the time. It’s also the default whinge for many mnetters ‘ They should teach this in school’ for everything that parents can’t be arsed to.
I’m a teacher, I love forest school. It teaches so many different skills, practical and social. It should be on every curriculum every year for at least half a term.

I'm very meh about it.

I'm sure in the right environment it can be wonderful, but at our school they just sit in the corner of our suburban playing field making piles out of twigs.

Still. At least it gets them out of doing proper work for a bit I suppose.

Surely there aren't a huge number of forests in inner cities, so those schools wouldn't take part? I'm assuming they don't drag the kids to a local bit of wasteland and call that forest School?

You can manage a lot of activities in a local park with decent trees. Not a fire circle, but you just have to think out of the suffocating little box that so many exist in.