The Nature of Scotland – Autumn 2011 – Issue 13
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The Nature of Scotland – Autumn 2011 – Issue 13

The Nature of Scotland – Autumn 2011 – Issue 13 The Nature of Scotland – Autumn 2011 – Issue 13

snh.org.uk
12.02.2014 Views

7 8 If you go down to the woods Nature play in schools doesn’t always need big changes to the playground. Several hundred Scottish schools have areas of woodland either in or directly next to the playground. Schools are increasingly using woodland for curriculum-based learning in class time, but in most cases the woods are out of bounds to children for play in break times. With funding from Forestry Commission Scotland and Inspiring Scotland, GfL are helping six of these schools to open up their woodland for break time play. It’s a remarkably low cost route to providing incredible play experiences. In most cases, there’s been no need for any big woodland operations. All that’s usually required is a bit of tree safety work, some time to create suitable access points and a chance to clear litter. Some simple features have been introduced, such as tarpaulins for den building or ropes for swinging, but mostly it’s about using what nature has provided. Watching the children at play is fascinating. Fairy gardens are created, a log becomes a seesaw, someone’s found a froglet and a group of boys is figuring out how to move that log. In some cases, teachers have been so impressed by the creativity and co-operation that they’ve allocated class time to play in the wood. They’re also using the experiences in the wood as the basis for some of their classroom work, such as how could we measure the height of that tree or the volume of that log? What’s that bug we found? Write a story about the fairies who created the garden… Providing these enriching experiences for children has challenged existing school culture, policy and practice. Playground supervisors are used to being able to see most of the children from one or two vantage points, and the prospect of children disappearing out of sight has raised all sorts of questions and anxieties. Schools have needed a lot of support with training and the development of play guidelines, management systems and risk benefit assessments. It’s not always been comfortable or easy. But 10 minutes in the wood at break time will convince anyone that it’s worth it. If you’re interested in finding out more about this approach, then look out for two short online films about GfL’s nature play and woodland play projects due out later in the autumn. If you’d like to be notified about the films, or to find out more about these projects, contact gfl@ltl.org.uk or visit www.gflscotland.org. You can also keep in touch with GfL on Twitter @gflscotland 7 How many games can you invent using cones? 8 and 9 Getting close to nature through play. 10 Once out of bounds, but now an extension to the school playground. 12 The Nature of Scotland

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