Adapting forest school practices to develop practical preschool teaching models in China

The practical teaching model of preschool education has received widespread attention, but in China, its effective implementation is hindered by a rigid curriculum, insufficient teacher training, lack of resources, and outcome-oriented evaluation. This paper analyses the forest school model, which originated in the UK and is characterised by child- centred exploration in natural environments, through a comparative literature review and construction of a theoretical framework. The analyses show that forest school practices support children’s autonomy, creativity, and social-emotional development, but systemic barriers limit their integration into Chinese kindergartens. Based on these findings, this study proposes three strategies: redefining teachers as facilitators, reforming policies and resourcing to enable experiential learning, and localising curriculum design to align nature inquiry with national standards.