Kids take a leaf from older people in Forest Schools project

Radius Housing is working with Northern Ireland Forest Schools Association (NIFSA) and Kylemore Nursery to run the intergenerational forest schools programme.

Forest schools is a recognised model of education which takes learning to the outdoors environment, engaging and motivating children through outdoor exercises linked to the

curriculum.

The pilot will bring together children from Kylemore Nursery, their parents and grandparents and older people from Radius’ Independent Living schemes in Coleraine, Portstewart and Portrush for a programme of learning and sharing.

The intergenerational work will see the older people tell their stories and memories of outdoor play and learning, as the children undertake their own outdoor activities in the

wooded and green spaces. The idea is that the older people pass on their ideas of outdoor creativity and fun to the young children.

The workshops, led by NIFSA and supported by the teachers of Kylemore Nursery, who are accredited in the Forest schools programme, will involve 52 children from the nursery. They will each participate in a planting workshop and two Forest schools workshops at The Cornfield, Ballysally. A celebration event will be held at the end of the programme to highlight learning and achievements.

As well as the obvious benefits of learning and intergenerational sharing, the programme has clear good relations benefits with different religious and ethnic backgrounds mixing and learning together. Parents, grandparents and children have the opportunity to meet and develop relationships with others of different backgrounds and nationalities.