Woodleigh School introduced an outdoor learning program with its pre-school students several years ago following an action research project conducted by the staff in the Minimbah Campus' Early Childhood Centre. Following the principles of the Danish Forest Schools, our pre-schoolers spend a day per week in a creek area on the School's property.
So successful was the experience for our pre-schoolers, we decided to develop the program and introduced 'Discovery Day' to our Foundation, Year 1 and Year 2 students.
These children also spend a day per week, taking their learning beyond the classroom and into the outdoors. They engage with nature in authentic ways and work collectively, collaboratively and in a sustainable way in several environments beyond the school environs.
Several experts are engaged with the children in the outdoors depending on the focus of the student's learning at the time. An indigenous educator provides the children with indigenous perspectives, storytelling, identifying indigenous practices and providing authentic links to the local environment. The children work with community groups to protect thefragile environment. We have had marine biologists and artists provide specific lessons to the children in thebush and marine environmentswe visit.
Discovery Day provides a safe environment in which children can take responsible risks. It helps develop in each child, a sense of responsibility for the environment. It develops independence and helps them assess risks and with the space required to do so.
