K1544252
Within this fourth task I will be writing a position paper on a theme related to creativity and/ or critical thinking within the Early Years. The themes I have chosen in relation to creativity and critical thinking is Forest Schools. Through this position paper I will be demonstrating a critical understanding of the learning process involved in Forest School’s outdoor and natural environment and learning styles of the approach which supports challenging and creative learning.
O’ Brien and Murray (2007, 45) state that Forest School is ‘an inspirational process that offers children, young people and adults regular opportunities to achieve and develop confidence and self -esteem through hands on learning experiences in a woodland environment’.
Forest Schools developed Denmark, Norway and Sweden first. The first Forest Schools in the UK began in Somerset, following a visit by students and practitioners to Denmark in 1995. They were
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Identify Argument 1 to discuss-
‘Learning in outdoor environment promotes creativity and critical thinking.’
Evidence to support this can be taken from Frances Harris, who believes that Outdoor education allows children to experience nature, faces challenges, and in the process, develop team working and negotiating skills, engage in creative thinking, critically analyse situations and develop problem-solving skills.
Furthermore, case studies by O’Brien and Murray (2006) have shown that this phenomenon has far-reaching positive impacts on children in terms of confidence, communication and self-esteem, and has also influenced parents and teachers to make more of being outside. (Mackinder, 2017:176)
According to Frances Harris outdoor education allow children to have experience of nature in which they face challenges, learn wo work as a team and negotiate, and engage in creative thinking. Children take part in group activities and develop team working and negotiating