The Educator Magazine UK May- August 2023 - Magazine - Page 62
Enjoy a classroom with no walls
Based across England, we have something for everyone of any age and ability.
Take your class to one of the nation’s forests and reconnect with nature.
Experience a guided, or self-guided visit that’s fun, adventurous and memorable.
Reconnect with nature
The nation’s forests are the perfect
place for a school trip. The benefits
of children learning outside are
well known; it can reduce stress,
improve emotional well-being, build
resilience and boost self-confidence.
A forest visit allows for this and
much more while offering a valuable
learning experience. With forests all
over England there is a forest for
everyone. With lots of free
downloadable activity ideas you can
plan your perfect class visit and help
your pupils to reconnect with nature
and build long lasting friendships
in a low-stress environment.
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Ranger in a Bag
Our band-new learning resource
is the perfect tool for a self-guided
visit. Ranger in a Bag is suitable for
preschool and primary aged children
and has everything you need for a
fun-filled forest adventure, all zipped
up in a handy rucksack. The bags are
based around a role/career in Forestry
England with clear learning outcomes
that link to the national curriculum.
Self-guided visits
Forests are natural classrooms- the
perfect place for hands-on learning.
If you take your class on a self-guided
visit, the time is yours and you can
allow some of that for free play and
exploration and let children discover
for themselves what they want to
learn. The forest is also the perfect
setting for role-play and scenarios,
a fantastic way to encourage their
creativity and inspire their minds.
Guided visits
If a self-guided visit is not for you, we
have a variety of guided visits on offer
across our forests. These range from
bushcraft to forest ecology and
learning about forests and climate
change. Whatever the session, these
hand-on activities led by Forestry
England staff, or our third-party
providers, will be sure to excite and
engage your students. Go to our
website to discover what is on offer
at a forest near you.
DOWNLOADABLE RESOURCES
We have a host of free resources
suitable for all ages. From lesson
plans to our new pre-visit resources,
we have everything you need
whether you’re learning in the
classroom, using a local outside
space, or coming to one of our
forests. These resources take away
the hard work for you and are perfect
to extend the life of your trip and
keep the magic alive for that little bit
longer. All our resources have clear
curriculum link such as;
Geography
Learn about native woodlands within
our temperate forest biome using
our Geography lesson plan.
Or study maps and the physical and
human processes that shape our
environment.
Science
Learn about trees and how important
they are for people and wildlife.
Find out all about the forest cycle,
habitats and real-life experiences.
PSHE
Help children develop an
appreciation and understanding of
the world around us. Reconnect, build
relationships and inspire children
within a beautiful forest setting.
To book a trip or download our free
resources please visit
www.forestryengland.uk/learning