The motto of the Congress was: “Forest pedagogy: a tool for educating for (offline) life”, and the lectures and workshops of the event were organized around this theme. In addition to the professional program, activities introducing Hungarian culture and local natural assets were also part of the event.

The starting point of the conference theme was that many are already sounding the alarm that children spend too much time in front of screens. Yet few want to hear this, because when a child plays quietly with a device, there is peace and calm. It is difficult to break out of this situation for both adults and children.

However, the developing brain, the development of attention and social skills, and sleep quality are all sensitive to digital overload. Medical and psychological research is increasingly precise in showing when and how screen time becomes harmful, and therefore children must be brought out of this fast-changing, stimulus-saturated virtual environment, which usually contributes little to their knowledge and emotional development.

Forest pedagogy is in essence the natural counterpoint to excessive screen time, where not only the setting but also the impact on children’s development is entirely different. Forest pedagogy and the forest provide an ideal space, as they offer opportunities for sensory experiences, feelings, intuition and inspiration. In the forest, as an “outdoor classroom,” learning becomes experiential and motivating. Here, children can actively experiment, observe, ask questions, immerse themselves in the scenery and thus acquire deeper knowledge.

Watch the video from the congress