Education is becoming more and more competitive. Children are being pressurized to be able to read and write at an earlier stage than ever before – all the while playing outside is becoming rare and is no longer seen as a requirement of childhood. This early pressure to learn has detrimental effects on a child’s ability to learn in the future (see here for studies reporting these findings).
Fortunately, there are now many initiatives to help promote outdoor play and assist children’s learning through play – and the Scottish Government is keen to develop outdoor learning and learning though play in all educational establishments.
weeSTEMs is specifically tailored to bridge the gap between formal education (that will be received in schools) and the Forest School ethos where children develop key motor and social skills (something that is increasingly lacking in today’s society).
By attending a weeSTEMs session your child will naturally develop:
· Scientific enquiry
· Numeracy knowledge
· Problem-solving skills
· Working cooperatively
· Social skills
· Language skills
· Fine & gross motor skills (i.e. small tasks versus whole-body tasks)
· Immune system development (from playing and being outside in all weather)
· Improved fitness and mobility
· Hand-eye coordination
· Proprioception (i.e. the knowledge of where their body is in space)
· Following instructions
· Bonding with siblings and family members
· A passion for learning
· Questioning skills
· Self risk assessment
Children are born brilliant scientists – they learn to repeat the word ‘why?’ from a very early age, and yet by the time they get to school most children have lost their scientific enquiry. They don’t wonder and question as much as they should – and weeSTEMs is here to change that!
Each weeSTEMs session will encourage children (and adults!) to explore different scientific, engineering or mathematical concepts through their own means of enquiry. Throughout each session there will be formal teaching of key pieces of information, however these will be carefully balanced with time to explore and test concepts and push boundaries and see ‘what happens if…?’.
Sessions take place outdoors in stunning woodlands in order to allow children the space and peace they need in order to best learn. There is also a plethora of evidence to suggest forests are extraordinarily beneficial for our health.
So, that’s why we do what we do. Would you like to join us?
weeSTEMs 