Active learning outdoors – implementing Forest School approach! Erasmus Project

Project Title

Active learning outdoors – implementing Forest School approach!

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Early School Leaving / combating failure in education; Early childhood education and care; Disabilities – special needs

Project Summary

With the ever increasing urbanization and introduction of technology into our lives and concerns about safety outdoors, children are getting less opportunities for outdoor play and to learn about the natural environment. Children spend more time indoors and therefore their stress level is higher than before.
This is developing into major problem in our countries.Children are stressed, not motivated about learning and their physical and social skills are decreasing. Therefore we find it necessary to deal with this issue in our institutions and implement new way of teaching.
We wish to study about and implement during this project outdoor learning and Forest school approach.
When implementing Forest school approach we are spending more time outdoors. We regularly plan outdoor activities and take learning process outside classroom. Studies have found that spending more time outdoors has a positive effect on children. Their stress level decreases because they spend less time in closed rooms and with less noise. Taking part in long-term and consintent outdoor activities gives children a solid fundation for further social, emotional and learning skills.
Therefore we need to increase teachers professional skills about planning outdoor activities. Teachers gain during this project new knowledge and skills how to plan outdoor activities.
The reason for cooperation is that we would learn about Forest school approach, implement outdoor activities and create common materials about outdoor learning for implementing the approach during the project and after it ends so the outdoor learning will be permanently part of all partner institutions. Also it is necessary to create outdoors learning environment to support outdoor learning.
With this project we approach Erasmus+ programme relevant horizon and school education field priorities such as strenghtening the profilesof the teaching professions, reinforcing the development of key competences and achieving environmental and climate goals.
Most important objectives of the project are:
-Increasing environmental awareness.
-Developing children social and communication skills, independence, creativity, risk evaluation, problem solveing, cooperation and motor skills.
-Rise of children learning interest and positive attitude towards learning.
-Teachers gain new skills and knowledge how to plan and conduct outdoors activities and implement „Forest school“ aprroach principles.
-Teachers professional skills, competence and horizon increases.
-Outdoors environment for learning is created.
The objectives are achieved through carefully planned activities such as:
-Conducting and composing common outdoor activity pages.
-Conducting teaching materials as cooperation with partners.
-Creating outdoor learning environment.
-Learning about and implementing „Forest school“ approach consistently weekly.
-Outdoor learning days conducted weekly.
-Projectweeks 2 times a year. Common environmental activities are held with children.
-Creating environmental animation with children.
-Creating a vegetable garden for growing pure food.
-Creating a common recipe book with partners „From soil to fork“.
-Toys free day 2 times a year.
– Creating Facebook outdoor learning community.
-Conducting a booklet: 10 steps to follow before starting with outdoor education.
The most important results we aim to achieve during this project are:
-Teachers and children cooperation skills improve, horizon and environmental awareness increases.
-Children are more interested and feel positive about learning.
-Children creativity has increased, social and motor skills improved.
-Teachers have gained competence about „Forest school“ approach and knowledege how to plan outdoor activities.
-Children stress level decreases.
-Learning materials conducted as cooperation with partners.
-Recipe book conducted as cooperation with partners.
-Animation about environment topic.
-Outdoor learning environment.
-Vegetable garden.
-Improvements of curriculum about outdoor learning.
-E-twinning page, dissemination book and booklet.
In this project are involved teachers and children between age 3-7 years old from 6 different European countries. Teachers will gain a variety of practical experience and new skills they implement during the project. Children learn outdoors and their social, emotional and learning skills improve.
This project will have a long-term impact on every partner institution. Inside every institution there will be competenced staff, who is able to implement outdoor learning for indefinite time. All institutions have learning materials to be shared inside and outside institutions. Teachers use the materials to plan activities even after the project ends and can supplement the materials with new ideas and activities. All partners wish to carrie out outdoor learning for indefinite time. After the project ends all institutions have an outdoor learning environment created during the project implementation.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 115920 Eur

Project Coordinator

Tallinna Suitsupääsupesa Lasteaed & Country: EE

Project Partners

• Vrtec Škratek Svit Vodice
• OJUDG Goce Delcev
• 16TH KINDERGARTEN DRAMA
• Perihan Akturk Anaokulu
• Przedszkole 237 im. Warszawskiej Syrenki