Forest School

At Enkindle we offer Forest sessions weekly to our students at one of our base camps along Wadda Mooli Creek at our JCU Bebegu Yumba Campus. Forest school sessions offer numerous benefits for our students, encompassing their physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development. We are proud members of the Australian Forest School Association. Here are some of the key benefits:

Physical Health:

1. • Outdoor activities in forest schools encourage physical movement and exercise, contributing to better physical health and fitness.
   • Exposure to natural elements like sunlight, fresh air, rain and a fresh flowing creek can strengthen the immune system and improve overall well being.

Emotional Well-being:

1. • Spending time in nature has been linked to reduced stress, anxiety, and depression levels among individuals.
   • Forest school environments provide a calming and nurturing atmosphere, promoting emotional regulation and resilience.

Social Skills:

1. • Forest schools often involve cooperative activities and group play, fostering teamwork and communication skills.
   • Children learn to collaborate, share, and negotiate with their peers in an outdoor setting, enhancing their social development.

Connection to Nature:

1. • Forest school sessions cultivate a deep appreciation and respect for the natural world among students.
   • Direct interaction with plants, animals, and ecosystems encourages environmental stewardship and conservation ethics.

Creativity and Imagination:

1. • Outdoor environments stimulate children’s imagination and creativity, providing endless opportunities for exploration and discovery.
   • Nature-based activities promote open-ended play, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.

Sensory Development:

1. • Forest schools engage all five senses, allowing children to explore and experience the natural world in a multi-sensory manner.
   • Exposure to different textures, sounds, smells, and sights enhances sensory awareness and integration.

Risk Management:

1. • Forest school experiences offer controlled exposure to manageable risks, helping children develop confidence and resilience.
   • Students learn to assess and navigate risks independently, building self-esteem and self-reliance. They learn how to climb trees, use sticks and throw rocks and use whittling knives safely.

Academic Achievement:

1. • Research suggests that outdoor learning experiences can enhance academic performance by improving attention, motivation, and memory.
   • Hands-on exploration of natural phenomena provides meaningful context for learning across various subjects, including science, math, and language arts.

Our Forest School sessions at Enkindle offer a holistic approach to education that nurtures students’ development, builds resilience and fosters a lifelong connection to the natural world.