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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to hate Forest School?

403 replies

thetreelooksnice · 01/02/2018 18:08

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!

OP posts:
jugotmail · 01/02/2018 23:07

Gert1e I guess it really depends who you train with and what level you train to. You should not be running a Forest School session at all unless you are trained to level 3. It is not easy and I can assure you that not everyone passes. I would definitly disagree with you on this but I don't know what experiences/examples you have seen to form your view. Smile

Bingowingslikeashieldofsteel · 01/02/2018 23:09

@gert1e not sure I understand your post despite you quoting me?

ferrier · 01/02/2018 23:21

Forest school works really well with the right situation and teacher. For those saying their dc would hate it, well some dc hate the traditional classroom.
I'm all for kids of any age getting some fresh air and alternative stimuli once a week.

BackforGood · 01/02/2018 23:38

My dc have all been very keen on 'the great outdoors', and have done loads of camps and activities with Scouts, including survival camps, but they do them on weekends, and in school holidays, when that is what they are doing for the whole day or for the evening activity, so they don't have to be sitting in school in several layers for the rest of the day, or sitting in wet clothes, or carrying yet another bag of clothes to and fro to change in to. That's a very different kettle of fish.
"Outdoor Ed" is fantastic, but I'm not convinced 'Forest School' for 11 and 13 yr olds who clearly aren't in the income bracket to have never left their high rise tower block, is really achieving anything.

Kokeshi123 · 01/02/2018 23:39

Outdoor time is so important for kids (and adults).

I don't think they should be trying to study maths and reading outdoors, though, because that would both ruin the outdoor experience AND be a very inefficient way of trying to teach academic content. Get the academics done efficiently inside, and then haul them outside for some running around and experiencing nature, that is probably the best balance.

PaddlingShoes · 01/02/2018 23:48

I love Forest School! I was so pleased when my daughter's name came out of the hat to go. The overalls were provided so she just needed hat, gloves and coat and they could go to school those days in her scruffy gear. She loved it!

GoingforitNowIthink · 01/02/2018 23:49

What is forest school? Is this on the curriculum. When dd's new nursery said they had forest school once a week, I thought she meant they went for a walk in the nearby forest. Confused

toffee1000 · 01/02/2018 23:53

The problem with education is that there is no one size fits all. Some kids would love it, some would hate it. Some do well in the outdoors and hate the classroom, some are the other way round.
What happens if the weather is really atrocious?? I can’t imagine sitting outdoors in torrential rain, sounds nightmarish!

GreenTulips · 02/02/2018 00:22

it’s a great opportunity to teach them about sensible risk taking

Yes! And lighting fires, camping, building dens, problem solving, failing, trying again, using knives and saws making bows and arrows, using their core mussels and increase finger and arm strength -

Kids don't run climb jump swing anymore because of health and safely! They lack basic muscles.

Some academic kids hate it because other children have a different skill base to the one they are normally assessed by and suddenly there no grades or firsts ... just everyone together mucking in and getting filthy!

Some kids learn independents resilience, relationships, taking risks and taking control, working together and team building - in a whole new way.

Definitely a good idea

Waddlelikeapenguin · 02/02/2018 00:36

There are children who dont have wellies & waterproofs Confused really?
How do you go to the park etc on wet days?! & go flying down the chute in your fast waterproofs!

gert1e · 02/02/2018 01:28

Kids don't run climb jump swing anymore because of health and safely! They lack basic muscles.

Nonsense. Of course they still do. There will be some who don’t, but in my experience that is a minority.

oobedobe · 02/02/2018 01:41

My 5 year old does this, I loved the idea of it at first but all I see is that they go to a certain park, look at the chickens, go for a walk, eat some lunch, come home - every single trip is the same. I personally feel like the teachers need to do more/engage more.

I do appreciate lots of outdoor time for children though, it is often well below freezing here in winter (not UK) but the kids are rarely cold as they are running around and playing a lot and they are used to it.

canadianlisa · 02/02/2018 01:49

We don’t have forest school but our children play out everyday for at least an hour unless it’s more than -15 Celsius. Most children are not going to freeze to death in average UK winter weather unless they’re poorly dressed.

ragged · 02/02/2018 03:14

Our forest school does No risk taking, strict small boundaries they stay in. I'm always baffled to read about free & easy sounding FS on MN. At DC primary, they sit around in a little muddy clearing not allowed to pick up a stick bigger or long than a finger, in their safety clothing (yes they must wear safety clothing, there might be ticks with lyme disease). It's a ridiculous stifled session. For creative free learning, they'd be better off inside the fenced area & the sand pit.

OP paid for a private school & their weird ways, is all I can think.

Pengggwn · 02/02/2018 05:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DarthNigel · 02/02/2018 06:38

All the pp saying 'I would have hated it as an 11 year old it should be ditched'... I hated maths as an 11 year old-my dd Hates English now...should those be ditched then?
I actually think it's a great thing-especially as lots of kids are so screen centric nowadays.And if they don't like it well then at least they've been given a chance to know they don't like it-better then never going outdoors at all.For some kids however it might end up being something they wouldn't otherwise have accessed and really enjoy.

heron98 · 02/02/2018 06:40

As an aside, I really do not agree with the edict that "there's no such thing as the wrong weather, just the wrong clothes".

I cycle, walk or run to work all through the winter in Yorkshire. I have spent a fair amount on all the decent clothes and I am never, ever warm. There is no clothing that can keep you warm in driving rain, hail and cold temperatures.

So if I had to twat about doing bark rubbings and not even moving I would probably be cold and miserable too.

toffee1000 · 02/02/2018 06:48

DarthNigel forest school isn’t a crucial part of the curriculum as it stands, most schools don’t even offer it. Maths and English are, and you need decent grades in both for future qualifications/jobs etc. You can’t compare forest school to Maths and English, that’s just daft.

toffee1000 · 02/02/2018 06:50

I so agree heron. You might be warm in torrential rain but I cannot imagine it’s fun. Even if you’re wearing a coat you still seem to end up somewhat damp. Still no one has said what happens if the rain is horrible. Forcing the kids out in torrential rain sounds miserable, surely you can’t do that much??

MaisyPops · 02/02/2018 06:56

toffee1000
They aren't comparing the curriculum content of FS ans maths/english.
They are challenging thr logic of 'my DC would hate it so it should be scrapped'.

My y9 class are already complaining that some of them have to study a language next year for gcse becauee they hate it and 'when will i ever need...'

Students not liking something doesn't make it a bad curriculum choice.

Wingbing · 02/02/2018 07:02

How can it be a bad idea?

I'm surprised at the amount of negative comments. Kids benefit from being outside hugely.

NurseryFightClub · 02/02/2018 07:18

There have been studies that being outdoors more protects against colds etc. When I was sahm, we went out in all weather's. It's all about the clothes, aldi do a aisle of wonder special on this stuff at least once a year. I think the waterproof trouser bibs where £7,and they are fleece lined.

Natsku · 02/02/2018 07:41

I think it sounds like a great idea, being outside is so important. DD's school doesn't have forest school as such but her class has a forest classroom that they visit regularly where they have learnt to identify edible berries, different trees by their leaves, built dens, adopted a tree to track how it changes through the year and collected pinecones and whatnot for their arts and crafts projects. And of course it gets them moving outside, climbing trees and exploring, all good for their health and development.

Pengggwn · 02/02/2018 07:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

hennessythegreat · 02/02/2018 07:45

My experience of it has been a corner of the playground with maybe a couple of trees given over to a bit of searching for leaves or twigs or ladybirds. Like a heavily supervised break time. In overalls.
Some children do lack the opportunity to play outdoors.
I think to do it really well you'd have to offer a great environment and varied, purposeful challenges.