The Child & Nature Alliance of Canada defines Forest and Nature School as an educational ethos and practice that centres the land and the child-at-play. Children and educators build a relationship with the land through regular and repeated access to the same outdoor space over an extended period of time. Educators support learning through a pedagogical framework that is rooted in place and play, directed and inspired by the child, and driven by a process of inquiry.
“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”
-F. Rogers
Risky Play
When classrooms become outdoor spaces such as forests and green spaces, children are exposed to an element of uncertainty and risk.
Risky play is a method of play that children see as thrilling and challenging, where the possibility of injury may exist, but they are guided to recognize and assess the level of risk.
It allows children the freedom to decide their limits – how far to jump, how high to climb, and how muddy to get. As a result, they develop improved balance and coordination, and build confidence, autonomy, and resilience.
Ellen Sandseter’s 6 Categories of Risky Play:
Play with Great Heights – balancing, hanging, climbing, jumping
Play with High Speed – running, sliding, swinging
Play with Dangerous Tools – sawing, hammering, carving
Play near Dangerous Elements – bodies of water such as ponds and rivers, fire building & tending
Rough and Tumble Play – rolling down hills, fencing with sticks, wrestling
Play Where Children Can Get Lost – hide n’ seek
Loose Parts Play
Have you ever noticed that children enjoy playing with simple household materials like cardboard boxes and blankets? Have you ever wondered why children love to collect rocks and pinecones?
Children have an innate desire to play with materials that spark their curiosity and give free rein to their imagination. One of the best ways to enhance creativity and innovation is to introduce children to a wide variety of loose parts materials.
Loose parts come in all forms, shapes and sizes. They can be pieces of lumber, sticks, crates, spools, tires, pipes, tubes, flowers, feathers, shells, material remnants, bottle corks and buttons.
And best of all, they come with no specific set of instructions. Children can combine and manipulate these materials in endless ways, with or without the intention of a desired outcome. This method of play encourages socialization, as children often want to share and discuss their creations, as well as collaborate with one another.
