Going bird watching is a classic outdoor learning activity. An easy lesson in local species and diversity, it plays a role in citizen science, often with a bit of maths thrown in to boot. However, wild birds (apart from our ubiquitous herring gulls) can be quite an illusive bunch, especially when they’re faced with aContinue reading “Embracing Animal Allies: Nurturing Nature Connection in Children”
Category Archives: Beach Schooled
Social & Emotional Learning at Beach School
When I was a home-educator*, the most frequently asked question was about how my child would socialise. It felt like a bit of a preoccupation with any form of slightly alternative education. A holistic school or nursery setting can provide many social opportunities for children. However, it is really not the only way children can learnContinue reading “Social & Emotional Learning at Beach School”
The Importance of Names
”One of my students told me that every time she learns the name of a plant, she feels as if she is meeting someone new. Giving a name to something is a way of knowing it” – Richard Louv . Names are important. It’s an integral part of identity, but also essential in cultivating connection.Continue reading “The Importance of Names”
Beach School meets Montessori
“Let the children be free; encourage them, let them run outside when it is raining; let them remove their shoes when they find a puddle of water; and; when the grass of the meadow is damp with dew, let them run on it and trample it with their bare feet” – Maria Montessori At firstContinue reading “Beach School meets Montessori”
Beach Schooled: Sand Play
We don’t have a lot of sand on the beaches we use for Beach School here in East Kent. But when it appears with the ebbing tide it is always a huge draw for our participants. And rightly so – sand is an absolutely glorious learning material. No preparation required, just get stuck in. PlayingContinue reading “Beach Schooled: Sand Play”
Why the beach? The importance of the nature on your doorstep
Why the focus on the beach and not a woodland for your forest school? I get asked this a lot. Firstly, I must say I love the woods and I love working in them – they provide an incredible learning environment. Home to such depth and diversity – the opportunities for learning are endless. TheyContinue reading “Why the beach? The importance of the nature on your doorstep”
Beach Schooled: I’m not the Teacher
What’s the first thing you think of when I say ‘learning’ to you? Books? Classrooms? Pupils and teachers? Probably not playing on the beach. At Little Gulls, our approach to learning is inspired by the Forest School ethos. We’re not a traditional learning establishment, we don’t deliver education in the traditional manner. But we doContinue reading “Beach Schooled: I’m not the Teacher”
Holdfast Beach and Forest School - East Kent, UK 