Children playing in the forest – dirt is just mud, after all

The birdsong in the forest is accompanied by fast, light steps, high-pitched voices and the sound of rustling jackets. It’s Tuesday morning once again, which means that twelve little children are gathered around Fabian and Brigitte, who run the woodland playgroup. Things kick off, as always, with a welcome song, before they set up a campfire at the edge of the wood that holds adults and children alike in its thrall. They’ll make lunch on it in a few hours, but until then, it’s time to play – with total freedom. Traditional toys are nowhere to be found here.

Established two years ago, the forest playgroup gives children something few can access nowadays: the opportunity to immerse themselves in the authentic natural world. For Fabian, it’s a dream come true. As father to Giulia and Yannis, aged seven and five, he’s wanted his children to spend time outdoors ever since he and his wife Petra had their first child. ‘As a father, I try to see the world through a child’s eyes. What is there to discover, to learn, to play? The forest playgroup lets me help even more children to develop this spirit of discovery.’

Outdoor adventures calling

When Fabian’s not running the forest playgroup or enjoying outdoor activities with his family and their tents, bikes or hiking boots, you can find him in our St. Gallen store, where he offers advice to people at all stages of life – from those heading off on solo trips around the world through to people looking for clothing for their first child. Here, he noticed how family jaunts to local woods and fields experienced a surge in popularity during COVID-19. ‘The biggest adventure playground – the forest – is often just a stone’s throw away for Swiss families. And yet many children have spent barely any time there. It’s important to me that future generations become familiar with the forest and know how to respect it.’

The children are getting busy at the edge of the wood: Yannis and Nick are playing at being knights and hunting thieves on invisible horses, Lisa and Jerome have collected acorn caps to play a memory game, and a group of children has clustered around Fabian, who’s showing them how to use a flint to set fire to a bundle of sticks. The little ones copy him with total concentration and unexpected courage. ‘Fire can be dangerous. That’s why it’s even more important to me that they know how to deal with it safely,’ explains Fabian.

He notices how children see the forest with totally different eyes than adults. ‘Their size puts them nearer to the ground, so they pay more heed to little insects and plants.’ To foster this spirit of discovery, the ‘Zwergenberg’ playgroup takes a dim view of bringing toys into the forest. Some children did bring their own toys to start with, but they realised of their own accord that they didn’t need them: the forest has so much more to offer.

Barking up the right tree

Spending time outside doesn’t just give the children the chance to explore nature, but also to get to know themselves. Christa Zeilinger has worked in youth and adult education at Planoalto for 20 years. As a former primary school teacher, mother of two and an outdoor guide, she has a good idea of why children need to spend time in nature: ‘We ourselves are nature. When children discover nature, that can only be of benefit to them. It provides massive support with their mental, social and physical development.’

Just like us adults, the mental aspects of this include a reduction in stress, better self-perception and enhanced wellbeing. Social competences develop via spending time in a group: the collaboration involved in climbing a tree, sharing berries that you’ve picked and, when talking to others, language skills. Feeling the cold, the wind, getting wet and keeping your balance when crossing a stream boost self-assurance and the immune system alike.

On multiple occasions, Christa has noticed that children who are new to the forest stumble on rocks and roots when walking. Their motor skills quickly adjust to the terrain, though, and they’re soon more sure-footed. ‘Learning things like this boosts self-confidence and the awareness of your relationship with your own body. Children automatically know where their spatial limits are indoors. Outdoors, though, these limits dissolve and the context changes. This enables them to show a different version of themselves.’

Play reveals our true nature

When children are outside, they don’t have access to the man-made toys they have at home. In the woodland playgroup, they can spend time with their peers away from the watchful gaze of their parents – which is why Fabian sees the group dynamics as being freeing. ‘I can see just how much their creativity is enhanced. And I think children automatically improve their language skills when they’re able to relax and play: they find their place in the group and can flourish. Routine-based, repetitive games like going on the swings or throwing a ball are replaced with roleplay. When children play, they reveal their true nature.’

Brigitte, Fabian and their twelve charges only spend three hours a week outside together in their woodland playground. Nevertheless, they play one game after another, they tell stories about the dwarves Schnigg and Schnagg while sitting on their homemade woodland sofa and there’s time for a rather substantial lunch. Repetition and routines like singing, making a fire and having a snack are key points that structure the morning in the woodland for those children that need it more than others.

Fabian has never expressed his motivation behind getting involved with the woodland playgroup, or even really given it much thought. The village was crying out for something like it when another group had to close. Fabian grew up in the countryside, so it never crossed his mind that he’d limit his own children’s leisure time to the boundaries of their garden. ‘My children were much more impressed by seeing a wild fox or hare outdoors for the first time than being shown dozens of wild animals behind bars in a zoo. It’s the feeling that it’s something rare. And outside, everything’s a one-off, unique. When the weather is “bad”, in particular, that’s when lots of nature starts to come to life. You need to make a bit of effort to get the children dressed properly and head out, but I’ve never once regretted it.’ There’s never any reason for the ‘Zwergenberg’ woodland playgroup to cancel their weekly visit to the forest, except if a storm warning has been issued.

Fostering development

Fabian’s favourite time in the forest playgroup is the end of the school year. In summer, his charges move on to kindergarten, which fills him with pride: ‘For a whole year, I was able to see how the twelve of them developed. How they got less afraid of and less disgusted by insects, how they became brave enough to make a fire, how they made friends and got to know the forest on their own terms.’

The goodbye song wraps up this week’s morning of woodland adventures. The fire is put out, knights’ swords transform back into humdrum branches and the acorn caps used for the memory game are scattered on the ground. It’s not just the children in the playgroup who head home without a care in the world, cheeks flushed and reinvigorated: so does Fabian.