Taking learning outdoors

30th September 2013

Sheffield Hallam University has become one of the country's first higher education institutions to provide students with the skills to teach children in the great outdoors.

The Forest Schools module focuses on learning amongst nature and is based on the principle that open-air play can help youngsters develop personal, social and technical skills. Working in partnership with woodland officers in Ecclesall Woods, 44 students on Sheffield Hallam's Early Childhood Studies degree took part in two 12-week pilot schemes where they learned how to safely teach outdoor skills such as lighting fires, cooking and building shelters. They have now been awarded an OCN accredited Forest Schools qualification. The idea behind Forest Schools was developed from Denmark's Nature Kindergartens initiative in the 1950s which concluded that children who have the opportunity to play in such environments demonstrate a higher level of self-confidence, self-esteem and well-being. Due to the success of the first two pilot schemes which was made available to second year students as an elective module, the University has provided funding for the elective to run for a further three years. Philippa Thompson, senior lecturer in early childhood studies, said: "We've had a fantastic response from the students who took part in the pilot programmes and it seems to have had a real impact on their enthusiasm for research, the quality of their written work and the self-confidence to allow children to be involved in risky play."