Stronger bodies, braver children: Fitness through Forest school

Being out in nature is good for the soul, but it is also incredibly good for the body.

Children jump — sometimes literally — at the chance to charge freely around the forest floor, release their energy and let everything out. It may feel like play, but it is also a fantastic workout. Forest School does not simply encourage children to move more; it encourages them to move their bodies in ways that are far less common in the classroom or at home.

They bend to duck under branches, reach to climb trees, twist to dodge their friends and crawl along the ground in search of bugs. They lift, balance, stretch, carry and scramble. It really is a whole-body workout, providing natural opportunities to develop strength, flexibility, coordination and balance.

The chance for children to use their bodies in this natural and intuitive way is incredibly important, and the potential health benefits are substantial.

Research suggests that Forest School can involve even more physical activity than school days containing PE lessons. A University of Edinburgh study led by Rebecca Lovell found that children’s overall physical activity on Forest School days was 2.2 times greater than on days that included PE, and 2.7 times greater than on ordinary school days.

The children also spent around 25% of a Forest School day taking part in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, compared with 8% on PE days and just 6% on ordinary school days.

In other words, if we want to raise a generation of healthy, active and physically confident children, we need to give them more opportunities to get out into the forest.

Of course, the real strength of Forest School is that children are not being told to exercise. They are moving because they are curious, excited and absorbed in their play. Fitness becomes a natural by-product of exploration rather than a task to complete.

That is what makes Forest School so powerful. Children can build strength, stamina, coordination and confidence while simply enjoying being outdoors. They may think they are climbing, chasing, digging and discovering — but their bodies are working hard the whole time.