• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
GO TO EXPAT LIVING SINGAPORE
GET OUR NEWSLETTER

Expat Living Hong Kong HomepageExpat Living Hong Kong

Moving to Hong Kong and not sure where to start? Expat Living is the essential lifestyle guide to living in Hong Kong.

Login Pelcro Shop

Menu
  • Living In Hong Kong
      • Living Here
      • Where To Live
      • Schools
      • For Guys
        • Win a dinner for 2 at Basin (worth $2,000)
        • SCMP Posties summer camps - journalismInteractive camps for budding journalists – and more!
        • Exciting summer programmes for kids – in HK and abroad!
        • Horoscopes for June 2023!
      • View all
    Close
  • Things To Do
      • Things To Do
      • What’s On/Calendar
      • Competitions & Offers
        • Designing Circularity ExhibitionTop 35 Best Things To Do In Hong Kong This Weekend
        • Horoscopes for June 2023!
        • 10 things about the Dragon Boat Festival 
        • What to watch this month – Netflix & more!
      • View all
    Close
  • Kids
      • Activities & Things To Do
      • Education & Enrichment
      • Health & Wellness
      • Mums & Babies
      • Podcasts
        • SCMP Posties summer camps - journalismInteractive camps for budding journalists – and more!
        • Exciting summer programmes for kids – in HK and abroad!
        • International schools in Hong Kong - HKABest International Schools In Hong Kong, Primary to Secondary
        • Choosing a university and finding the right fit
      • View all
    Close
  • Homes
      • Home Décor
      • Readers Homes
        • BoConcept Danish furniture and interior design services in Hong Kong - roomsetBoConcept celebrates a decade in Hong Kong!
        • Home design and décor tips - ginger jarsHow to bring your living room to life!
        • Rebecca, Brian and daughter Billie in their newly renovated Fortress Hill homeTransforming a Hidden Gem in Fortress Hill
        • Horizon Plaza stores - Indigo Living Boston Brownstone CollectionOur guide to furniture shopping at Horizon Plaza
      • View all
    Close
  • Travel
      • Short Breaks
      • Further Afield
        • Pets and Planes: 5 Things to Consider
        • Sri Lanka - Where to go for a girls tripWhere to go for a girls’ trip
        • Best Surf Breaks in Southeast Asia - padang padangBest Surf Breaks in Southeast Asia
        • Outdoor activities in Hong Kong - hikingOutdoor activities for all the family
      • View all
    Close
  • Wine & Dine
      • Recipes & Groceries
      • Bars & Restaurants
        • Win a dinner for 2 at Basin (worth $2,000)
        • Beef & Liberty burgers in Hong Kong - Falafel burgerTaste Test Burger Edition #1 Beef & Liberty
        • Seafood restaurant in Hong Kong - Lobster Shack4 restaurants to satisfy your cravings
        • Taste Test: Chinese Cuisine in HK
      • View all
    Close
  • Style & Beauty
      • Fashion
      • Hair & Beauty
        • hair treatment at Glow Salon in Hong Kong4 hairdressers and their styling solutions
        • Considering getting hair extensions?
        • Paraben-free skincare for men
        • Skincare anti-ageing products, overnight creams, face and eye serumsTried and Tested: Anti-ageing Products 
      • View all
    Close
  • Health & Fitness
      • Medical & Dental
      • Fitness
      • Wellness
        • 11 great gyms & studios to keep in shape
        • recurrent miscarriages – causes, risk factors, ivf treatmentHealth help: A focus on recurrent miscarriage
        • lung cancer - symptoms and treatmentLung Cancer: 8 Common Myths
        • Osteopathy in Hong KongOsteopathy for Body Aches & Pains
      • View all
    Close
  • Shop
    • Magazine
    • Advertise With Us
    • Close

Outdoor education at Discovery Bay International School

14 August, 2017 by Expat Living 2 Min Read

https://expatliving.hk/outdoor-education-discovery-bay-international-school/

The climate and lack of space in Hong Kong aren’t always conducive to outdoor education. But some schools are embracing what they have around them, and finding ways to get kids outside and engaged with the local natural environment. Discovery Bay International School has done just that with its Forest School approach.

outdoor education: Staff are making the most of the natural surroundings at Discovery Bay International School
Staff are making the most of the natural surroundings at Discovery Bay International School

Head of Early Years, Eleanor Loran, has been in Hong Kong for 11 years, and has worked at DBIS for just as long. She started as a Year 1 class teacher and Year Group Leader, Deputy Head of the Primary School and today is Head of Early Years. Her knowledge of Discovery Bay and its surrounds as a local gives her a unique perspective on how the school’s backyard can be brought inside. The Early Years campus recently introduced the Forest Schools approach.

Eleanor tells us, “DBIS is extremely proud and happy to be implementing the Forest School approach but no one is happier about it than the Early Years students!” Based on a programme from the UK, Forest School is all about getting your hands dirty, having some fun and learning important skills at the same time, so it’s no wonder the kids love it.

Of the programme, Eleanor says, “Exploration and investigation are at the heart of it, linking perfectly to the fun, enquiry-based philosophy running through the DBIS Early Years curriculum. Through imagination and play the children are introduced to far-reaching concepts that ignite a true desire for learning and a respect for the outdoor world that simply can’t be achieved through traditional classroom lessons.”

outdoor education: Students have relished the chance to be part of the Forest Course
Students have relished the chance to be part of the Forest School

In the purpose-built garden on the Early Years campus, the students have access to sticks, logs, pebbles and mud, giving them the opportunity to create and build in a way many of them don’t often get to do when they live in apartments. But all of this messy fun does serve an important purpose, says Eleanor. “Fun is of course the emphasis of all the activities in the Early Years, and children often don’t even realise that their construction or art projects are making them better mathematicians or collaborators. Whether it’s building bridges, fairy houses, dens or sculptures, the students are always being stretched in their abilities to think critically, apply reasoning, problem-solve and develop their own next steps.”

As the students engage with the great outdoors, they also interact more with each other, and this kind of learning-by-play also fosters each child’s communication and teamwork skills. Each of the five nursery and five reception classes at DBIS takes part in Forest School outdoor education sessions. While the sessions are currently held on campus, there are plans to take them further and to utilise the beach, the rock pools and the country park that are part of DB and its surrounds. Given the success and popularity of the outdoor education programme thus far, we’re sure the next step is going to be a big hit with the little explorers, too!

Discovery Bay International School is in Discovery Bay, Lantau Island

2987 7331 | dbis.edu.hk

This article first appeared in the June/July issue of Expat Living magazine. Subscribe now so you never miss an issue.

Want more ideas on where to get the kids outside? Check out our round-up of parks, playgrounds and outdoor centres for the kids

Categories: Schools

Get the latest events, stories and special offers sent to your inbox
Get the latest events, stories and special offers sent to your inbox

You May Also Like

SCMP Posties summer camps - journalism

Interactive camps for budding journalists – and more!

Exciting summer programmes for kids – in HK and abroad!

A day in the life of a Shrewsbury student

Primary Sidebar

  • COMPETITIONS & OFFERS
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Subscribe

© 2023 Expat Living Hong Kong, All Rights Reserved.