From Hannah: 

I am undertaking a research project on the subject of risky play at forest school and the importance of it in regard to preschool children’s personal, social, and emotional development. This area of development is one I find to be very interesting but also crucial to children as through it they can discover who they are as people. I will be carrying out observations of forest school sessions in order to obtain a clear picture of children’s behaviours and responses. I will also send out a questionnaire to a variety of early years practitioners which will allow me to gather an overall view on personal opinions in this subject area. I will finally be emailing open interview questions to forest school leaders which will provide me with detailed viewpoints and the ability to fill any gaps in my current knowledge and understanding. By collecting and analysing this data I hope to display a breath of information to support my current views.

I would love to produce a report which highlights the wonder of forest school so others can understand the advantages and appreciate its benefits for children’s development. An important point to be recognised is that the environment can play a crucial role in teaching and learning. Forest school allows children to be explorers and with such a wide natural space there is room for self-discovery. Risks do play a part in forest school; however these risks can be viewed as valuable. I hope to see the children displaying confidence to investigate the risks and decide how to approach them and as a result overcome them. I believe this can aid independence, self-assurance, and the ability to negotiate and problem solve. As well as this I hope to observe communication skills and teamwork however I am open to uncovering so much more that I may currently be unaware of.  

My passion and previous experience of assisting with forest school has enabled my curiosity, and as a practitioner I have a desire to support children with their development and positively influence them. This is why I am so keen to undergo this research in these subject areas. Perhaps I may discover that forest school can allow children to be more prepared for the next stages in their lives.