Ticks! And suddenly, the snow is gone (mostly) and the weather is warming up. There will still be lots of water in the forest so boots, rain pants and wool socks are still an absolute must. However, warm weather and less clothing will mean lots of skin accessible to bugs. Of most concern is the possibility […]
Child led learning. The premise is simple; observe the children at play, follow up on what they are interested in, extend the learning by providing appropriate materials, and/or locations. But, throw in a little unpredictable Mother Nature and this gets infinitely more difficult. Wonderful play that involved digging and building in the deep snow, as […]
“Kids are now heavier, rounder and weaker,” says Wayne Scanlon (Ottawa Citizen) in an article recently. The article compares 12 year olds in 1981 and 2007 and suggests children from a generation ago were healthier in many ways because they were more active outside. The article suggests the solution is simple: “Get outdoors.” Chelsea Forest School […]
I remember a couple years back when I was new to Chelsea Forest School and my oldest son was attending the mixed class. After I watched the kids interact on the playground I started to wonder: “What exactly are the kids learning at Forest School? It looks like all they do is play in the […]
Over the winter Chelsea Forest School’s children have changed focus – Initially they focused on themselves. Now they are supporting those around them. They changed from worrying about winning to cheering on their friends who were in the lead! When climbing up the big sliding hill, climbing challenges created big frustrations. Just figuring out […]
Wow! It’s currently a completely different world out there… we can now walk anywhere in the forest on the hard-packed snow. It’s easy for us to explore places and share secrets of the forest that were previously inaccessible. Forest School is all about learning through play: letting kids lead the play and run with their […]
Join us on March 9th as Chelsea Forest School offers an evening in the forest for adults. Why should the children be the only ones that benefit from Forest School? What to Expect • Learning – Expect to smile and learn. We’re not sure exactly what’s on the agenda because each class develops based on the interests […]
Notice how many movies, songs or stories use mountains to symbolize life obstacles? Well here is my mountain story… My son James joined Chelsea Forest School at the end of October. James was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and we have had him in intervention therapy since he was 2 years old. After a lot […]
When parents sign our waivers upon registering their child at Chelsea Forest School, they may be taken aback by the clause that refers to using knives, saws and having fires. Say what?! Forest school pedagogy believes in providing opportunity for supported risk. It is only by learning how to manage risk that we can truly […]
Each week, Chelsea Forest School draws students from places like Ottawa, Gatineau, Aylmer, Hull and further afield. Each program and class are different because students lead the learning – supported by qualified teachers. Last week saw students from three to ten years old learn math, physics, language and social skills in outdoor “forest” settings. Below […]
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