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The Global Rise of Forest Schools: Benefits for SEN Students

22nd August 2025

As schools worldwide rethink how to make education more inclusive, Forest Schools have emerged as a powerful model for supporting Special Educational Needs (SEN) learners. By placing learning in outdoor, natural environments, this approach offers rich sensory experiences, emotional stability, and hands-on engagement that traditional classrooms often lack.

For educators pursuing programs like the Master of Arts in Education with Special Education, Forest Schools provide valuable insights into how alternative teaching strategies can transform SEN learning experiences across the globe.

What are Forest Schools?

Forest Schools represent an innovative educational model that integrates outdoor learning within natural environments, typically wooded or forest areas. Originating from Scandinavian countries, this approach prioritizes hands-on learning and experiential engagement with the natural world. Through activities such as climbing, den building, and imaginative play, children are encouraged to explore and interact with their surroundings.

This method supports holistic development, whereby learning is not confined to traditional academic subjects, but encompasses physical, emotional, and social growth. The objective is to foster deep connections to nature, resilience, problem-solving skills, and an appreciation for environmental sustainability.

What Makes Forest Schools Different for SEN Learners?

Unlike traditional classrooms that rely heavily on textbooks and structured routines, Forest Schools focus on exploration, discovery, and experiential learning. For SEN learners, this means:

• Freedom to Learn at Their Own Pace: Outdoor settings provide flexibility, reducing pressure and enabling personalized growth.
   
• Engagement Through Sensory Play: Natural elements stimulate sight, touch, and sound, helping children with sensory processing needs.
   
• Boosted Emotional Well-Being: Nature has a calming effect, supporting children with anxiety, ADHD, or autism.
   
• Inclusive Social Opportunities: Group activities like den building or team-based exploration encourage collaboration and peer bonding.
   

Global Reach of Forest Schools

While the concept began in Scandinavia in the 1950s, Forest Schools are now flourishing worldwide, each adapting to local contexts while retaining a focus on holistic development:

• United Kingdom: Forest School Association (FSA) leads one of the largest movements, supporting SEN learners with specialized outdoor curricula.
   
• United States: Programs like Cedarsong Nature School and Fiddleheads Forest School incorporate inclusive outdoor learning strategies.
   
• Australia & New Zealand: Nature Kindergartens blend indigenous perspectives with outdoor SEN-focused learning.
   
• Germany & Denmark: Waldkindergartens (forest kindergartens) emphasize free play and risk-taking, widely adopted for SEN inclusivity.
   
• Canada: Forest and Nature School in Ottawa develops tailored SEN programs around seasonal outdoor activities.
   
• Asia (Japan, India, China): Increasing adoption of nature-based learning, with pilot forest schools integrating mindfulness and inclusive SEN-friendly activities.

This global spread demonstrates that outdoor learning is not just an alternative but a mainstream educational strategy for diverse learners.

Key Benefits of Forest Schools for SEN Learners

Here are some of the key benefits of forest schools for SEN learners:

1. Emotional and Social Growth

Outdoor team-based activities like den building or group exploration reduce social anxiety and foster confidence. SEN learners feel valued and connected, building essential life skills.

2. Physical Development

Climbing trees, balancing on logs, and using natural tools enhance gross and fine motor skills, which are crucial for learners with developmental delays.

3. Cognitive Engagement

Nature’s unpredictability sparks curiosity. SEN learners develop problem-solving, focus, and critical thinking skills while exploring ecosystems.

4. Environmental Awareness

By directly interacting with flora and fauna, children cultivate sustainability values and learn responsibility toward the environment, an empowering experience for SEN learners often excluded from conventional science classes.

Top 4 Forest School Activities for SEN Learners

Let’s get to know the best 4 fun and engaging forest school activities for your special needs children:

1. Mini-Beast Hunts

What it is: Children search for insects, bugs, and small plants using magnifying glasses, jars, or field guides.

How teachers can implement it:
 

• Provide visual aids (like picture cards) for students with communication challenges.
   
• Pair SEN learners with peers to encourage team-based exploration.
   
• Create structured observation sheets with simple checklists for learners who need extra guidance.

How it helps SEN learners:
 

• Builds patience and concentration in a calm, natural setting.
   
• Promotes calm engagement while nurturing focus and persistence in learning.
   
• For learners with ADHD or autism, focusing on small details in nature can promote mindfulness and reduce anxiety.
   

2. Sensory Walks

What it is: Learners explore natural textures and sounds by walking barefoot, listening carefully, or touching leaves, bark, and soil.

 How teachers can implement it:
 

• Prepare a safe, clearly marked path with varied textures (grass, sand, leaves, pebbles).
   
• Encourage children to describe what they feel, see, and hear, supporting language development.
   
• Use sound-mapping activities (closing eyes to identify birds, wind, or water).

 How it helps SEN learners:
 

• Multi-sensory engagement helps children with sensory processing needs regulate emotions.
   
• Improves self-awareness and body coordination.
   
• Supports non-verbal learners by providing tactile ways to connect with their environment.
   

3. Storytelling Around Fires

What it is: A group activity where learners gather around a safe fire circle (or symbolic outdoor circle) to share stories, songs, or experiences.

How teachers can implement it:
 

• Teachers can use props, puppets, or picture cards to spark storytelling for learners with communication difficulties.
   
• Provide sentence starters or group prompts so SEN students feel included.
   
• Allow students to express through songs, gestures, or drawings if verbal storytelling feels challenging.

 How it helps SEN learners:
 

• Builds language and communication skills in a supportive, non-pressured environment.
   
• Enhances emotional expression, allowing children to share feelings through stories.
   
• Encourages social bonding and listening skills in group settings.

4. Risk-Based Play

What it is: Activities like tree climbing, balancing on logs, or supervised tool use (saws, ropes, hammers) under strict safety guidelines.

How teachers can implement it:

• Provide clear safety demonstrations and step-by-step instructions.
   
• Scaffold the activity by starting with simple risks (walking on a log) before progressing to more advanced tasks (climbing small trees).
   
• Assign buddies or use small groups to encourage peer support and ensure safety.

How it helps SEN learners:
 

• Builds resilience, confidence, and independence—crucial for learners who often experience overprotection.
   
• Enhances physical strength, motor coordination, and balance.
   
• Gives SEN learners a sense of accomplishment and autonomy when they achieve tasks independently.

Together, these activities allow SEN students to actively participate in meaningful, nature-based learning experiences while developing confidence, communication, and cognitive skills. SEN teachers play a crucial role by scaffolding tasks, adapting instructions, and creating supportive peer interactions.

Final Thoughts

In a world where teacher shortages, student stress, and rigid academic models challenge inclusivity, Forest Schools stand as a global beacon for SEN learning. From the UK to North America, Scandinavia to Asia, these programs show that outdoor education can nurture emotional balance, cognitive growth, and social inclusion for learners with diverse needs.

For educators and leaders, enrolling in advanced programs like the MA in Education with SEN online equips them with the knowledge to integrate innovative, nature-based strategies into their teaching.

By embracing Forest Schools, we move one step closer to ensuring that every SEN learner, everywhere in the world, has the chance to thrive in harmony with nature.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What are Forest Schools, and how do they support SEN learners?

Forest Schools are outdoor, nature-based education programs that originated in Scandinavia and are now practiced worldwide. For SEN learners, they provide a calming, inclusive space where multi-sensory activities, hands-on learning, and nature exploration build confidence, focus, and social skills.

2. How can teachers adapt Forest School activities for SEN students?

Teachers can scaffold activities with visual aids, step-by-step instructions, buddy systems, and sensory-friendly approaches. For example, mini-beast hunts can use picture cards, while storytelling can include puppets or drawings to support non-verbal learners.

3. Are Forest Schools available globally?

Yes! Forest Schools and outdoor education programs are now present in countries across Europe (UK, Denmark, Germany), North America (USA, Canada), Asia (Japan, India), and Australia. Each adapts the model to local ecosystems and cultural needs while maintaining its core philosophy of nature-based learning.

4. How do Forest Schools benefit SEN learners differently from traditional classrooms?

Unlike traditional classrooms that can feel restrictive, Forest Schools allow movement, risk-taking, sensory play, and experiential learning. This freedom supports children with ADHD, autism, or anxiety by reducing stress and improving focus, communication, and independence.

5. What role do teachers play in Forest Schools for SEN learners?

Teachers act as facilitators rather than directors. Their role is to create safe opportunities, provide structured guidance, adapt activities to individual needs, and encourage peer collaboration so that SEN learners feel included and empowered.

6. Can teachers receive training to better implement Forest School methods for SEN learners?

Yes. Professional development programs, such as the MA in Education with SEN online, help educators learn inclusive teaching strategies. These courses equip teachers to design and adapt outdoor activities that maximize participation and learning for SEN students.