Outdoor learning becomes a new trend

Plans to encourage outdoor learning among children will be rolled out across Ireland.

 

The first Forest School Leadership course will be introduced to Co Wicklow and led by two trainers from the UK.

 

The aim of this course is to help children build a rapport with the natural environment in a way that will engage all their senses.

 

The idea to take pupils out of their classrooms once a week proved to be highly effective with forest schools in Scotland as it showed improved language, social and physical ability among children.

 

Inspired by the Scandinavian model of learning outdoors, forest schools have become increasing popular since launching in the UK twenty years ago.

 

Ciara Hinksman of Earth Force Education is one of the trainers who helped bring the course to Co Wicklow. She believes that Ireland should no longer deprive children of the benefits of the outdoors.

 

“If we have a generation that is disconnected from the outdoor experience then that means the next generation has no memory of it,” she points out. Like any cultural norm, if it skips one generation, parents and educators won’t know how to teach it – and they won’t much care about it either,” said Ciara.

 

If the planned rollout is a success, the battle between a weekend walk and the television just might be a non-issue for mums in the future.