Preschoolers who attend forest school may experience greater enjoyment of nature, fewer negative emotions, and better emotional regulation Existing research demonstrates that forest schools can facilitate positive outcomes in children's cognitive development and behavior. However, there is a limited body of research investigating the involvement of preschool-aged children in forest school programs. To address this gap, this study examined the impact of forest school attendance on preschool children's nature connection, emotional regulation, social confidence, and mood, in comparison to their peers enrolled in traditional nursery schools. The study further investigated whether the effects of forest school participation varied between children in the UK and Portugal.
A total of 76 parents/caregivers with a preschool-aged child (age 3-5) attending a forest school or traditional early childhood nursery school in the UK or Portugal participated in the study. In the UK, 46 parents/caregivers participated. Of these, 33 had a child attending a forest school, and 13 had a child attending a traditional nursery. Of the 30 parents/caregivers in Portugal, 9 had a child attending a forest school, and 21 had a child attending a traditional nursery. Forest schools in both countries adhere to the Forest School Association (FSA) principles and accredited training for program leaders. The study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic; therefore, direct assessment of children was not possible. Instead, parents and caregivers, who had been recruited via email and social media, were asked to complete an online survey. The surveys assessed children’s nature connectedness, positive and negative affect, emotional regulation, and social confidence. Parents reported their child’s nature connection using the Connectedness to Nature Index for Parents of Preschool Children (CNI-PPC), which included four subscales for enjoyment of nature, empathy for nature, responsibility towards nature, and nature awareness. Children’s mood was reported using the Positive and Negative Affect Scale for Children – Parent Shortened Version (PANAS-C-P). Lastly, parents rated their child on the Emotional Regulation and Social Confidence Subscales of the Preschool Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale. This instrument assessed the child’s ability to regulate emotions and behavior in social situations and to relate and interact with peers. Statistical analyses were conducted to examine differences in parent ratings for children who attended a forest school compared to a traditional nursery setting, and to compare differences between children in Portugal and the UK.
Results regarding overall nature connectedness revealed that children in forest schools did not significantly differ from those in traditional nurseries. However, children in Portugal were reported to have significantly higher nature connectedness than children in the UK. The effect of school type on children’s nature connection was not found to differ between Portugal and the UK. Analysis of the four individual components of the Connectedness to Nature Index showed that children in forest schools were ranked significantly higher on the enjoyment of nature subscale than those in traditional nurseries, and that children in Portugal were ranked significantly higher on the enjoyment of nature subscale than those in the UK. The effect of school type on children’s enjoyment of nature did not differ between Portugal and the UK. No differences were found between forest schools and traditional nurseries, or between countries, on the empathy for nature, responsibility towards nature or awareness of nature subscales. Children attending forest school had significantly less negative affect than those attending traditional nurseries. Negative affect did not vary significantly across countries. However, the effect of school type on children’s negative affect differed significantly between Portugal and the UK. Specifically, children in the UK who attended forest school had significantly less negative affect than those who attended traditional nursery. The negative affect of children in Portugal did not differ between the two settings. No significant differences in children’s positive affect were detected by education setting type, country, or the interaction between setting and country. Children in forest schools were reported to have significantly better emotional regulation than those in traditional nurseries in both countries. Emotional regulation did not significantly differ between countries. Finally, no differences were detected in children’s social confidence based on education setting, country, or their interaction.
The study contributes to a deeper understanding of how forest schools can support the healthy development of very young children. Findings offer “some initial evidence that preschool children who attend forest school have a better connection to nature than those who attend only traditional nurseries, but this was only observed in the measure of enjoyment of nature.” Findings also suggest that forest school attendance can help preschool children regulate their emotions and reduce negative mood. Researchers should continue to examine the benefits of forest schools for preschool children.
The Bottom Line