Forest expedition to Juvanmalmi for Espoo sixth graders!
The Kaikki kuutoset metsään (Taking all sixth graders to the forest) campaign aims to provide a forest experience for one day for all sixth graders in Finland. During their forest expedition, the schoolchildren get to visit various activity stations with tasks based on the national core curriculum for basic education.
All sixth graders in Finland are invited to the forest expedition for the Kaikki kuutoset metsään day. Sixth graders from Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa have 24 forest excursion days reserved for them in the Helsinki capital region. The campaign is a collective effort of the forest sector for the future that aims to reinforce the sixth graders’ knowledge and relationship with our forests, as well as encourage the next generation to learn about forests and the forest sector.
Highlights in the forest exhibition
Kaikki kuutoset metsään is a one-day forest excursion for sixth graders. Entire classrooms pack their gear and follow their teacher to the forest, to learn and experience new things.
The children go around, completing tasks at activity stations while learning about forest nature and biodiversity, getting to know wood products. They also get to plant a tree. The excursion ends with a picnic, around a campfire if the weather is good.
The topics of the activity stations are based on the core curriculum. It’s easier to remember the basics of the carbon cycle and photosynthesis on the forest trail, through practical tasks, instead of classroom studies. The children get to learn about the forest, have a good experience, and reinforce their relationship with the forest.
Behind the forest excursion
The Finnish Forest Association works with 4H in Finland(external link, opens in a new window) to coordinate the project. The Finnish Forest Association organises the forest excursions in the Helsinki capital region. Events elsewhere in Finland are carried out in close cooperation with local forest and youth sector operators. The project reaches children in rural and urban areas as well as cities.
The project has received funding from the Finnish Forest Foundation(external link, opens in a new window) and LähiTapiola(external link, opens in a new window).
Materials and information on the Kaikki kuutoset metsään project are available online at kaikkikuutosetmetsaan.fi(external link, opens in a new window).