usually provide a higher adult to child ratio than some learning styles, in order to ensure children are supported sufficiently in a higher risk environment. Beyond primary-school-age children, forest school is frequently used to further develop social skills and explore creative learning and focuses on developing firm foundations for continued personal and education development. In particular it has been used as an alternative curriculum provision to support continued mainstream education involvement, or as a temporary/transitional approach back into school. Consistent with attention restoration theory, children taking part in forest school have been described as more relaxed. Relationships between the children and each other, with adults, and with the environment, are important. Incorporating simple meditation practises, such as sit spots, helps children develop mindfulness in the natural setting. Forest school is part of the broader area of outdoor education. Outside the school curriculum, this extends to summer holiday camps, Scouting, Outward Bound projects and many other activities. Before children reach school age, forest kindergartens provide a similar service. Forest school is currently taking place in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, USA, Malaysia, Switzerland, Spain, Israel, Ireland, Germany and United Kingdom. Supporting exceptional children The combination of freedom and responsibility has been particularly beneficial to children who lack confidence or whose behaviour is challenging. With high adult to child ratios, children can safely experience activities that are often prohibited, such as climbing trees or lighting fires. Children have the freedom to explore the area within the forest, this helps the child to learn to manage their own safety and move around comfortably. The programme allows children to grow in confidence and independence and extend their abilities. Some children do not perform well in classrooms. They are encouraged to develop their innate curiosity and develop the motivation to learn. They may come from a non-academic family background, may have a short attention span, or may just not be comfortable with the organisation of a teacher standing in front of a group of pupils. Boys in general, prefer to be outside, and learn better in this way. In a major study in the US, students with behavioural problems in "Environment as an Integrating Context for Learning" (EIC) programmes caused fewer discipline problems than their traditionally educated peers. Similarly, Forest schools have been found to help children with additional support needs, including Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and autistic children. History Sweden and Denmark In the 1950s the