A nature-based pedagogy that advocates for courage and climbing trees.
What is a Forest School?
Imagine spending your days climbing trees, exploring, and wandering through the woods. That is what the Forest School principals are all about. It is an experiential outdoor education idea that offers holistic growth for kids through the seasons. Although predominantly catering to children in the pre-primary (3–6) and primary years (7–12), some Forest Schools have programs for 13–15 year olds.
This holistic, child-centered learning experience offers children a way to connect with themselves and nature. By allowing children to handle tools, climb trees, make mistakes, and problem-solve, Forest Schools offer an environment for discovery and self-reflection. A qualified practitioner is there to help the children feel safe as they explore.
Spending time in nature aims to help kids to solve real-world problems and practice risk assessment. Students often develop self-belief, confidence, and resilience by independently tackling challenging activities.
Forest School takes place no matter the weather, and it is an experience designed to challenge and empower young children. With no set curriculum, children are free to direct their learning by overcoming challenges and trying new things.
Roots of the Forest School Movement
Forest Schools originated in Scandinavia, with the first school being founded by Ella Flautau in Denmark in 1952. The school happened accidentally as Ella and the other moms in the neighborhood noticed that their kids were gathering in the forest to play. The parents then formed a ‘walking kindergarten’ based on Waldorf-Steiner principles that put the child at the center of learning.
Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Germany all have Forest School options, with Germany having the world’s most established formal forest kindergarten with over 1500 groups.
The idea of nature-based schools spread to the United Kingdom in the 1990s, and the popularity of this innovative approach to play-based learning spread to other countries. Richard Louv’s book Last Child in the Woods sparked conversations about nature-based play and learning in the United States. There are now over 100 forest schools in the USA.
Principle 1: Long-term nature immersion
Forest schools are about getting kids out into nature often and for regular sessions. When you immerse children in a natural environment over a period of time, they get to see the changing seasons and observe and interact with the world around them.
The Forest School program is based on observation which allows for structured progress in a child-led way. Forest Schools have physical and behavioral boundaries that the group co-creates, ensuring everyone feels safe and secure.
Returning to the same place with the same group of children develops reciprocal relationships with nature and peers. Think about going to visit your favorite spot. There are familiar smells, textures, and small nuances that make you feel comfortable and relaxed. Forest School offers the same opportunity just in a nature-based setting. Children become familiar with the landscape around them and may notice the subtle changes of the seasons and their impact on the space.
Principle 2: Foster the relationship between learners and the Natural World
Have you ever spent time sitting quietly outside? From the sound of the wind in the trees, the feel of the leaves beneath your hands, to the smell of damp earth, it is a multi-sensory experience that promotes curiosity and reflection.
Forest schools need to take place in a forest, woodland, or at least somewhere with trees. For children to fully immerse themselves in experiential learning, they need access to different habitats that offer chances for exploration and discovery.
Forest schools focus on natural resources that spark curiosity and imaginative play, so you won’t find plastic tools or toys. Children may develop sustainable attitudes and ideas when they have a regular, personal experience with the natural world. Forest schools also have a site management plan that helps the students understand their impact on their environment.
The Norwegian saying ‘there is no bad weather, only bad clothes’ epitomizes the ideals of Forest Schools. Children are encouraged to face the challenges of the natural world and overcome their worries.
Principle 3: Promote holistic development
Have you ever noticed that you feel better after spending time outside? That is because you have used all of your senses. The Forest School philosophy believes in holistic development in a multi-disciplinary way. Children have the chance to develop physically, emotionally, socially, and linguistically by spending time in nature. They play in groups, engage in physical tasks, and learn vocabulary when naming flora and fauna. A forest environment encourages kids to be confident as they learn new skills and become creative while exploring and connecting with the natural world.
Did you spend time climbing trees as a kid? Could you do that now? Forest School aims to create children who push the boundaries and evaluate risks. They form friendships and connections through shared experiences and engage with the world around them. Climbing trees and boulders helps to develop motor skills and resilience in children.
Where appropriate, facilitators make links to real-life experiences, and children get to learn knowledge in context. Forest Schools are concerned about the whole child, not just their academic ability.
Principle 4: Opportunities for taking supported risks
Forest Schools offer students the chance to take supported risks. Using tools, building shelters, and climbing trees helps children learn to assess risks in relation to their personal boundaries. The opportunity to tap into their interests and push themselves outside of their comfort zones through physical tasks and group engagement may help children develop greater confidence and self-awareness.
Forest Schools are risk-aware, not risk-averse. Risks are a part of life, and Forest Schools offer children the chance to practice good decision-making. If you stumbled across a Forest School in the woods one day, you might see children whittling with knives, using axes, or lighting fires. These activities are done with a professional facilitator who trusts the child’s abilities.
Children also take an emotional risk when trying something new or confronting their fears. Taking risks is part of healthy development, and this educational approach aims to help children to make well-informed decisions based on personal boundaries.
Principle 5: Qualified practitioners
You may be wondering what kind of parents let their children frolic around in the woods all day, but there are appropriately trained Forest School practitioners present at all times. The Forest School Association requires facilitators to have an endorsed level 3 qualification, which includes practical skills, first aid, teaching skills, environmental impact awareness, and risk-benefit analysis.
Being a facilitator for complex learning opportunities in an outdoor environment can be challenging, not to mention that they need to have eyes in the back of their heads as they watch over wild forest kids. The facilitators need to balance their guidance and structured activities with the self-direction that they want children to have. They need to be adaptable and change their approach to suit the children.
Forest Schools usually have a high adult-to-learner ratio and are backed by relevant working documents. From the outside, you may see children using tools and playing in the forest, but really, you are seeing a collaboration between facilitators and students as they focus on holistic development.
Principle 6: Learner-centered processes
Forest Schools are communities for development and learning. They offer collaborative spaces where practitioners, students, and the environment work together to facilitate learning.
There is no curriculum in a Forest School. Rather, it’s a mix of play, choice, and structure. The facilitators spend time observing the students and co-create a learning experience with them. This learner-centered educational approach aims to provide organic and authentic experiences that suit different learning styles.
When students are at the heart of learning, there is often more time for creativity and spontaneity. Children may develop independence and autonomy because they have control over their experiences. Through discovery and exploration, they often learn about themselves in relation to the world around them. Forest Schools are process-based and not goal-based. They believe that learning happens in cooperation with others and that experience, and not outcomes, are important.
Benefits and drawbacks of Forest Schools
The benefit of Forest School is that it is holistic development that encompasses the whole child rather than academics alone. This experiential and immersive way of learning may help children develop self-regulation skills, resilience, and respect for nature. Children at Forest Schools often develop a growth mindset by facing challenges and having to problem-solve. Many of them can assess risk and learn from their mistakes. Having a growth mindset aims to set kids up for success throughout their lives.
But there are some drawbacks to this educational approach. There is no structured curriculum, meaning children learn on a different timeline than in mainstream schools. It is a very specific pedagogy, and this learning approach might not suit every family or child. The weather is also something to consider. Unless the conditions are unsafe, Forest School happens come rain or shine. This can be challenging for facilitators, parents, and students. Moreover, Forest Schools can offer an insular curriculum that may be difficult to translate into real-world experiences. Life in a classroom may be challenging for children used to a forest setting, and there may be knowledge gaps.
Case Study: Robin Hood Waldkindergarten
The Robin Hood Waldkindergarten in Berlin, Germany, is an example of seeking out the wild in an urban environment. Started in 2005, this Forest School uses public transport to get kids out of the city and into wild public spaces.
The students spend all day out in nature, climbing trees or sliding across frozen ponds. The children can be out of sight but must be within hearing distance. Picco Peters, the group facilitator, says that the lack of toys allows for imaginative play and more inclusion.
At breakfast time, food is shared in silence as the kids observe the nature around them, hoping to spot a deer. Quiet moments like this help the kids self-regulate. After 5 hours of wild outdoor play, the children and facilitators head back to the Robin Hood building for a hearty lunch before home time.
