Preparing Your Preschooler for Forest School. A guide for parents
Starting Forest School is an exciting milestone! For many children, it may also be their first experience spending several hours outdoors, carrying their own backpack, separating from their grown-up, or navigating a new group.
The good news? Your child doesn't need to arrive already knowing how to “do” Forest School. That's what we're here for.
Here are a few simple ways you can help them feel confident and ready.
Talk About Forest School Positively
In the weeks leading up to their first day, talk about Forest School as an adventure.
Tell them they'll get to explore, play, get muddy, discover bugs, climb, create, make friends and spend time with their class and their Forest School teachers. Keep it simple and positive. Children often take their cues from us, so showing confidence in their new experience can help them feel secure. We recommend reading “The Kissing Hand”
by Audrey Penn; which is one of our favourite September/Get ready for September books.
Practice Wearing Their Backpack
This little step makes a surprisingly big difference!
Let your child practice putting on, taking off and carrying their backpack. They can even wear it on a short family walk.Children will gradually learn to take responsibility for their own belongings, and arriving already comfortable with their backpack gives them one less new thing to navigate.
Build Independence Through Little Tasks
You don't need to teach everything before Forest School begins.
Instead, give your child opportunities to practice:
Opening their snack containers
Opening and closing their water bottle
Putting on their coat
Pulling up rain pants
Putting belongings back into their backpack
Recognizing which items belong to them
Asking an adult for help when they need it
Independence doesn't mean doing everything alone. It means developing the confidence to try.
Spend Time Outside — Even When the Weather Isn't Perfect
Let Them Get Messy
This one can take some practice for grown-ups too!
Mud, water, sticks, leaves, paint and dirt are all part of learning outdoors.
Send clothing that you're comfortable seeing come home dirty. When children don't have to worry about protecting their clothes, they have much more freedom to explore.
Practice Saying Goodbye
For some children, the hardest part of starting Forest School isn't the forest — it's saying goodbye.
Create a short, predictable goodbye routine:
A hug, a kiss, an “I love you, have a wonderful adventure,” and then goodbye.
Long or uncertain goodbyes can sometimes make separation harder. Our educators are ready to meet your child with warmth, connection and something interesting to explore.
And if there are tears? That's okay. Building trust and comfort in a new environment takes time. We are always here to help!
Don't Worry About Making Them “Ready”
We aren't looking for children who already know everything.
We're here to meet them exactly where they are.
Forest School is where children get to practice being capable — trying something new, solving problems, navigating friendships, taking appropriate risks, asking questions and discovering what their bodies and minds can do.
The Most Important Thing to Bring
Not the perfect rain suit.
Not the fanciest backpack.
Not even perfectly packed snacks.
Curiosity.
We'll help with the rest. Your child's first few weeks are about connection, trust and learning the rhythms of our forest community. Before long, the unfamiliar trail becomes their trail, educators become trusted adults, and Forest School begins to feel like a place where they belong.
Welcome to Little Wise Owls Outdoor Learning. Your adventure is just beginning.
