At Roots and Branches many Forest School skills are taught that aid in fine motor skill development, instructional learning and lead to improved self esteem through gaining experience and mastery. Taught skills are always put into context in order that the children both understand the use and value of the taught skill and witness an improvement in their ability through repeated practice. An example would be the teaching of a range of important knot skills to aid in den making such as the Tautline Hitch and Figure of Eight knot. Other important skills children develop include a range of fire making techniques to suit different situations and decorative and functional skills such as lashings and whippings to enhance creative projects such as staff making and three dimensional shape creations.
Children are taught about how to manage risk and stay safe whilst lighting and maintaining fires and using knives and other tools and learning progresses at the pace of the individual child in a non critical and supportive environment.