DSPNS Forest school sessions bring the children and the curriculum to the forest on Killiney Hill weekly for a block of time. The structure of each session allows the children to build connection: to themselves through sit spots, creative opportunities and reflection; to each other through games and teamwork; and to the world we live in through experiencing it with all their senses.
The aim is to foster resilient, independent, confident and creative learners using a flexible approach and natural resources.
The learning flows out of the sessions in so many ways. English, Geography, Science, Maths, SPHE, Music, Art, PE, Ethical Education and drama are all covered in the sessions and then the richness of the experience continues the engagement and motivation in the classroom and at home.
Have a look at the wonderful blog posts by Liz McMahon with whom we collaborate with to run these sessions. https://dlrcreativityintheclassroom.wordpress.com/
We have two blogs that really elucidate the benefits of forest school and what happens during a series of sessions written by Yuuki Blakeney, ゆ(Yu) う(U) き(Ki), a trained forest school leader and parent in our school.
https://dspns.ie/forest-school/learnings-and-benefits-third-class/
https://dspns.ie/forest-school/observations-and-benefits/
Forest School
Forest School
Forest School Updates
2nd Class – Session 8 – A Forest School Adventure with Our Parents: Discovering the Six Principles
Our 2nd class recently had an exciting day in the forest, and what made it extra special was that our parents joined us! Together, we learned about the six fundamental principles of Forest School, which lie at the heart of our nature-based education. Let’s take …
Senior Infants – Session 8 – A Day of Learning and Fun with Parents
Last week, our senior infants enjoyed an amazing day in the forest, accompanied by their parents. Surrounded by the natural beauty of the forest, we embarked on a journey to explore the essence of Forest School, delving into its six fundamental principles. The forest transformed …
Senior Infants – Session 7 – Rainy Day Samhain Preparations at Forest School
This week, our Forest School session was all set to take us on an outdoor adventure, but the weather had other plans. Our indoor classroom transformed into a hub of creativity and resourcefulness. Our mission: to create Samhain decorations that celebrate the beauty of nature …
2nd Class – Session 7 – Bringing the Enchantment of Samhain Indoors
When rain thwarted our forest school plans, we brought the enchantment of the outdoors inside our school. With our Samhain celebrations just around the corner on October 27th, we used objects collected from our forest to create decorations. One exciting activity was making oak gall …
Senior Infants – Session 6 – A Letter from a Deer and the Sleeping Fawn Game
This week in Forest School, senior infants recieved a letter from a friendly deer living in the Wicklow woods. She told us all about her favourite foods and secret hideaways where we might spot her if we look really closely! We also learned about how …
2nd Class – Session 6 – Fawns, Crafts and Oak Gall Ink
This week in Forest School, we had a fantastic time exploring the woods. We learned how fawns stay safe by using their coats to blend in with the forest and even played the Sleeping Fawn Game, where we had to stay very still, just like …
2nd Class – Session 5 – The Great Minibeast Hunt
This week at Forest School, we searched for signs of badgers and explored under rocks, logs, and tree bark to discover invertebrates like woodlice, millipedes, beetles, spiders, ants, grasshoppers, caterpillars, and ladybirds. . After collecting some of these fascinating bugs in containers, we observed their …
Senior Infants – Session 5 – Brigid the Badger’s Request
This week, senior infants received a letter from Brigid the Badger asking for our help in ensuring there would be lots of tasty invertebrates for her to enjoy in the forest. Armed with magnifying glasses, we embarked on a mission to search for these hidden …
2nd class (4) – discoveries and colourful flags
We end each session with gratitude. Our brains are wired to remember negative things more strongly than positive things. Studies show that expressing gratitude can have benefits such as supporting physical and mental well-being, boosting self-esteem, and enhancing sleep quality; all of which contribute to happier, …
Senior Infants 4 – foxes and nature’s colours
We made beautiful colours from leaves, berries, flowers, mud and charcoal. We also used the berries and leaves to make some tea. We played games and climbed and created. We explored and discovered many treasures. We had sit spot and a closing circle where we …