Group Development and Agency in Forest School

I was a brand-new forest school facilitator when my mentor and professor dropped by for a visit one afternoon. As we stood watching the children play, we witnessed a small struggle between two children who wanted to use the same cooking pot in the mud kitchen area.

"I need to get more pot and pans from the resale store," I commented. "They are always fighting over the few we have."

"Oh, no, Karen," my mentor answered. "They need to struggle and learn to share."

She was right. The struggles embedded within such conflicts are rich with learning. Children learn through experience to listen, to reflect, to offer compromises, and to accept "less than perfect" solutions in order to keep the game going.

Forest school offers children the opportunity to grow their social skills and develop into more resilient problem-solvers. In contrast to an indoor environment with a strict timetable, forest school allows for relaxed conversations, empathetic reflection, and inventive methods for tackling challenges.

And challenges will certainly emerge! If we allow children opportunity to play together, they will discover enjoyable projects to collaborate on. And like any group, they will face difficulties in reaching agreements and working as a team.

This does not mean we have a free-for-all! Children need help learning how to have constructive conflict. They need to learn how to apologize and how to wait their turn to speak. They need an adult close by who models these skills and makes sure everyone is treated with respect and caring.

Children often need help having difficult conversations. A facilitator can step in when needed, or simply keep watch over the situation. I often ask children, "Do you feel heard? Do you need help having this conversation?" Often they want help, but eventually they begin to work it out on their own.

The aim is for children to learn how to collaborate as a group, to work toward reaching goals. When it happens, it is wonderful to witness. Children who were initially contentious and in conflict in September, come together to work as a team.

If the "how" of leading this process sounds daunting, I recommend the Love and Logic approach to keeping children accountable while remaining inside a warm relationship with them. The book Teaching with Love and Logic, by Jim Fay, is worth a careful read. Our school chose to invest in the Love and Logic classroom training, from Love and Logic Institute, and I found it very helpful.

Another way to empower children in making good choices is to give them as much agency as possible. The ability to choose, to vote, to decide things individually or collectively is powerfully rewarding for everyone.

Below is a short video series describing how agency can be developed with a group of children. The videos describe the role of the facilitator at each step along the way.