‘I want to go to the bat den. . . are you coming?’ Investigating opportunities for intergenerational participation in Forest School’

Internationally, there is a growing interest in both intergenerational practice and outdoor learning opportunities such as those provided in Forest School settings. This participatory action research project, planned by a university researcher and early years educators working together as co-researchers, set out to investigate intergenerational practice in an urban outdoor environment with children aged under 5 years, and older adults. The focus was upon interactions, knowledge exchange and benefits. Data from forest diaries, interviews and observations was analysed thematically, resulting in the development of four main themes relating to different forms of participation and their value for those involved: affective participation, collaborative participation, learning through intergenerational participation and challenging participation. This study contributes to the body of knowledge that highlights the value of intergenerational activity and suggests that opportunities should be sought to involve older adults in the lives of young children within early childhood education, particularly within informal outdoor places such as Forest School.