Scottish Forestry has declared a new woodland activity programme aimed at deaf children as “a great success” and says it hopes to continue it in 2020.
The ‘Deaf Friendly Forest School’ was held in Lord Ancrum Woods with a group of deaf signing pupils and hearing pupils from Bonnyrigg Primary School attending throughout the summer. The project was led by Woodland Learning Adventures, with the support of Scottish Forestry.
The specially designed forest programme includes a number of activities and games for the children to take part in which are specially designed to inspire confidence in themselves and develop a greater understanding of the woods and the environment.
Included in the lessons at the Forest School is British sign language storytelling, allowing those children who are still developing their BSL skills to do so in a fun and relaxing way.
You can watch a video of the programme here.
Romena Huq, Engagement Programme Manager for Scottish Forestry, said: “The Deaf Friendly Forest School is just one example of where a natural woodland setting can be used to complement a programme of this type.
“It’s about getting children into an environment where they feel comfortable and relaxed while being inspired to explore their skills and learn more about the forest. It’s also been great to see the children build their confidence to mix with their peers and learn a key skill like British Sign Language in a different way.
“It’s clear this particular programme has been a great success and we look forward to supporting its continuation into 2020.”
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