Why choosing the right approach matters
Nature-based practice is a rapidly growing field. Across education, health, play, therapy and community development, practitioners are finding new ways to use natural environments to support learning, development and well-being.
However, not all nature-based approaches are the same. They may use similar environments, resources and activities, but their purpose, structure and required practitioner expertise can differ significantly.
Understanding these differences is an important starting point. It helps organisations and practitioners choose suitable training, plan appropriate programmes and set realistic expectations for participants, employers and funders.
What are nature-based approaches?
Nature-based approaches use natural environments, experiences or resources to support outcomes such as learning, play, health, well-being, personal development and community connection.
Some approaches are child-led and play-based, while others are directed by curriculum outcomes, therapeutic goals or practical skills. The boundaries are not always clear, and a programme may draw upon more than one approach.
This flexibility can be valuable, but it can also create confusion. For example, using tools and lighting fires does not automatically make a programme Forest School, just as delivering an enjoyable activity outdoors does not make it therapy.
The most appropriate approach should therefore be selected according to:
- The needs and intended outcomes of the participants.
- The purpose and duration of the programme.
- The level of structure or participant choice required.
- The environment and activities being used.
- The practitioner’s qualifications, competence and experience.
- Safeguarding, safety, consent and referral requirements.
Below are some of the most common nature-based approaches.
Forest School
Forest School is a long-term, learner-centred approach that takes place through regular sessions in a woodland or other natural environment. It supports holistic development through play, exploration, supported risk-taking and opportunities for learners to develop independence.
Activities may include tool use, fire lighting, natural crafts and woodland exploration, but these activities alone do not define Forest School. The approach is underpinned by clear principles, including long-term participation, learner-led development, appropriate risk-taking and connection with the natural world.
Forest School programmes should be led by an appropriately trained Level 3 Forest School practitioner.
Forest School can support participants to:
- Develop confidence, independence and resilience.
- Strengthen social and emotional skills.
- Explore creativity and problem-solving.
- Experience appropriately supported risk and challenge.
- Develop a meaningful relationship with the natural world.
Curriculum-Based Outdoor Learning
Curriculum-based outdoor learning takes teaching beyond the classroom to achieve defined learning outcomes. It may include science investigations, mathematical problem-solving, storytelling, literacy activities, historical enquiries, art or geographical fieldwork.
This approach is usually more adult-directed and objective-led than Forest School or nature-based play. The environment is used to make curriculum content more active, relevant and memorable.
Curriculum-based outdoor learning can:
- Increase engagement and motivation.
- Make abstract concepts more practical and meaningful.
- Support experiential and kinaesthetic learning.
- Provide different ways for pupils to participate and demonstrate understanding.
- Create opportunities to develop nature connection and well-being.
Simply moving a lesson outdoors does not automatically create nature connection or improve well-being. These outcomes are more likely when they are intentionally considered within the design and facilitation of the activity.
Nature-Based Play
Nature-based play involves freely chosen and personally directed play using natural environments and materials. It may include climbing, balancing, building dens, creating imaginary worlds, exploring water or investigating plants and wildlife.
The child determines the purpose and direction of the play. Adults still have an important role in preparing suitable environments, safeguarding participants, observing play and intervening when necessary, but they do not unnecessarily control the activity or its outcomes.
Nature-based play can:
- Encourage imagination and creativity.
- Develop movement, coordination and physical confidence.
- Support problem-solving and decision-making.
- Provide opportunities for social and emotional development.
- Foster curiosity, wonder and connection with nature.
Nature-Based Therapeutic Practice
Nature-based therapeutic practice uses outdoor environments and activities intentionally to support well-being, personal development or recovery. Activities might include mindful nature experiences, horticulture, woodland activities, sensory exploration or conservation work.
A therapeutic activity is not necessarily the same as formal therapy. Practitioners must be clear about the limits of their role and should not present an activity as clinical treatment unless they hold the appropriate professional qualifications and competence.
Nature-based therapeutic practice may help participants to:
- Manage stress and support emotional regulation.
- Improve mood and confidence.
- Develop resilience and coping strategies.
- Experience positive social interaction.
- Build a supportive relationship with nature.
Programmes should be appropriately planned around participants’ needs, including safeguarding, accessibility, consent and referral arrangements.
Outdoor Therapy
Outdoor therapy is a formal therapeutic intervention delivered in an outdoor or nature-based setting. It may include counselling outdoors, ecotherapy, psychotherapy in natural environments or structured therapeutic programmes.
The natural setting forms part of the therapeutic process rather than simply providing a backdrop for an activity. Sessions should be delivered by an appropriately qualified therapist working within their professional competence and ethical framework. Practitioners should also have suitable supervision, safeguarding procedures and referral or crisis-support arrangements.
Outdoor therapy may be used to:
- Address identified mental or emotional health needs.
- Support reflection, emotional processing and personal growth.
- Develop trust, communication and relationships.
- Provide an alternative setting for people who find traditional clinical environments difficult.
- Explore the relationship between personal well-being and the natural world.
Bushcraft
Bushcraft focuses on the knowledge and practical skills needed to live, travel or spend time responsibly in natural environments. Activities may include fire lighting, shelter building, tool use, campcraft, cooking, navigation and foraging.
Bushcraft activities may be included within Forest School, outdoor learning or therapeutic programmes, but bushcraft is a distinct practical discipline and is not, by itself, a complete educational or therapeutic approach.
Bushcraft can:
- Develop practical competence and self-reliance.
- Build confidence, persistence and independence.
- Encourage problem-solving and teamwork.
- Increase understanding of natural resources.
- Promote responsible and sustainable use of the environment.
Adventure Activities
Adventure activities involve physical challenge, exploration and managed risk. Examples include climbing, paddling, hillwalking, caving and mountain biking.
These activities are often structured around a defined challenge and may be used to support physical development, teamwork, leadership or personal growth. Practitioners must have the competence, qualifications and safety systems appropriate to the activity, environment and participant group.
Adventure activities can:
- Build confidence and resilience.
- Strengthen teamwork and communication.
- Develop leadership and decision-making.
- Support physical health and fitness.
- Create memorable experiences in natural environments.
Community Well-Being Activities
Community nature programmes bring people together through shared outdoor experiences. Examples include community gardens, conservation projects, nature walks, local growing initiatives and environmental improvement activities.
These programmes usually focus on collective as well as individual outcomes.
They can:
- Strengthen relationships and social networks.
- Reduce loneliness and isolation.
- Improve community well-being.
- Develop skills, confidence and a sense of belonging.
- Encourage shared responsibility for local environments.
Green and Nature Prescribing
Green and nature prescribing connects people with nature-based opportunities that may support their health and well-being. Activities can include walking groups, gardening, conservation, outdoor exercise and community nature programmes.
Green social prescribing often involves a supported referral through health, social care or community services. It is best understood as a referral pathway rather than a single type of nature-based activity.
It may help participants to:
- Increase physical activity.
- Reduce social isolation.
- Support mental and physical well-being.
- Access community-based support.
- Develop an ongoing relationship with nature.
Activities must be appropriate to the participant’s needs, circumstances and level of risk. Nature-based support should complement, rather than replace, necessary clinical care.
What do these approaches have in common?
Many nature-based approaches share several features:
- They use outdoor or natural environments intentionally.
- They provide opportunities for active and experiential participation.
- They can support physical, social and emotional development.
- They may help people develop a stronger relationship with nature.
- They often use similar activities, materials and environments.
However, these potential benefits should not be assumed. Outcomes depend on the quality, purpose, duration and accessibility of the experience, as well as the needs of the participants.
What makes them different?
The most important difference is the intended outcome.
A child-led Forest School programme may not be the most suitable choice when the primary aim is to teach specific curriculum content. Similarly, an outdoor learning session may contribute to well-being without being an appropriate substitute for a targeted therapeutic intervention.
The approaches also require different knowledge and expertise. A highly skilled Forest School leader may not be qualified to provide therapy, while a therapist may require additional outdoor competence to work safely in natural environments.
No single approach is automatically better than another. The right choice depends on the participants, the setting and what the programme is intended to achieve.
Choosing your starting point
Before selecting a course or planning an intervention, ask:
- Who will participate, and what are their needs?
- What outcomes are we hoping to achieve?
- Should the experience be participant-led or objective-led?
- Is this an educational, recreational, developmental or therapeutic intervention?
- What qualifications and competencies will the practitioner need?
- How will safety, safeguarding, inclusion and consent be managed?
- How will we know whether the intended outcomes have been achieved?
Being clear about these questions can prevent organisations and practitioners from investing in training that does not match their needs.
Finding the right pathway
Nature-based approaches can support learning, well-being, personal development, stronger communities and greater care for the natural world. Their value comes from choosing and delivering them intentionally—not simply from being outdoors.
At the Nature-Based Learning Hub, we can help you identify the training pathway that best matches your role, participants and intended outcomes.
Visit our courses page or contact us to explore the right nature-based training pathway for you.
