Experential Learning
"Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I will understand."
Experiential education is a process for learning through action,experiential education informs many educational practices underway in schools and out-of-school programs.
There are a number of teaching methods which rely on experiential education to provide context and frameworks for learning through action. Experiential education serves as an umbrella for linking diverse practices in a coherent whole. The development of experiential education as a philosophy is intertwined with the development of other educational theories and have helped articulate and clarify elements of this philosophy. 
Learning outside the classroom and outdoor education usually refers to organised learning that takes place outside. Outdoor education draws upon the philosophy and theory of experiential education and on environmental education,
Typical aims of outdoor education are:
- to learn how to overcome adversity
- to learn alongside others
- to develop a deeper relationship with nature.
Outdoor education spans the three domains of self, others, and the natural world. The relative emphasis of these three domains varies from one program to another.
An outdoor education program can, for example, emphasize one (or more) of these aims:
- to reduce recidivism
- to enhance teamwork
- to teach outdoor survival skills
- to promote spirituality
- to understand natural environments
- to develop leadership skills
- to improve problem solving skills
Children are at their rawest level when outdoors. We remember that we are part of a greater ecosystem and are not as bound by social customs and norms. In essence we are more true to ourselves and it is easier to see each other as people regardless of race, class, religion etc. Outdoor education also helps instill the basic elements of teamwork because we are forced to work together and rely on others. For many children a timber trail or an outdoor activity zone may stretch their comfort zone and cause them to challenge themselves physically which in turn can lead to challenging oneself mentally.
Through the Playforce Play Elements we can examine and develop the role of children's play as part of appropriate practices for young children.
