The Power Of Choice At Forest School

Today, I’m going to be looking at the power of choice at Forest School.

A key principle of Forest School is choice.

The Power Of Choice

Choice for a child to choose what and how they learn. What they use to develop their play. Who they play with. When they eat. When they put on a spare piece of clothing. What resources to use in that project. What to say to resolve a problem. The list could go on.

What’s so important about giving my child choice, I hear you ask?

Well, choice empowers and prepares children for adulthood and after all Forest School is about developing in each child the life skills that will see them right for the future.

These choices at Forest School may not seem huge, but the power of a small choice can go a long way in developing cognitive processes in your child.

Often as adults we make most decisions for our young children. We dictate when meals are served and often we pre-select the menu.

We manage their schedules, imposing specific lessons, playtimes, social outings and extra curricular activities. We determine when they TV is on and off and which programs are appropriate. We even force our own personal sense of style and fashion on our kids.

Would you dress like your mother? I rest my case.

The Curse Of Micro-Management

In all seriousness this is not to suggest children don’t need boundaries or structure because despite choice being at the centre of Forest School there is still a framework structure to it.

But often as a result of consistent adult micro-managing, children begin to feel powerless and often can buck the system or cause upsetting behaviour . Can we blame them? Being able to choose for ourselves is an innate human need and all behaviour good or bad stems from human need.

The Removal Of Micro- Management At Forest School

This micro management becomes removed at Forest School and you will be amazed at how your child responds. What happen’s you may ask?

Well, firstly your child will begin to co-operate as the power is being handed back to them and the responsibly of decision making shared. It also takes the pressure out of an adults request and allows your child to feel in control and that they are trusted and listened too.

Through choice children become seen as and begin to feel more independent, more skilled at making decisions, able to know their own mind and are more aware of the relationship between their decisions and outcomes; a lifelong lesson worth teaching now instead of later.

By your child having a choice it will support their wellbeing as they will begin to feel empowered and trusted.

So by allowing your children to practise over small things they will find making bigger decisions easier later on in life.

The Secret Of ‘Limited Choice’

I can hear your mind thinking and saying out loud ‘So you want me to offer them choice?’. Isn’t that just going to lead to carnage or take years to instill into my child so they come round to my way of thinking.

There is a special trick here that is used at Forest School to allow children to feel in control, independent, self regulating improving their decision making and autonomous but maintaining overall safety and session progress. That trick is limited choice.

As children learn to make simple choices from; ‘Shall we play that game now or after lunch?’ ‘What tool do you want to use the axe or the bowsaw?’

Once this mindset is began, foundations layed and they are given time to practice.

Making life decisions will be taken in their stride and confidently.

The Relevance Of Age And Stage To Limited Choice

It’s also important to note that we should offer choices that are based on your child’s age and maturity.

A toddler can have two choices, a school aged children three or maybe four and a teenager can have a more general guideline but still have a limited choice chosen by you.

The secret is to offer choices an adult is happy with, whatever option your child chooses — the key is not giving away power but just opening up some limited potential possibilities to bring about the immense benefits of choice for your child.

Remember You’re Just One Session Away.