What Is Forest School?
What Is Forest School? A Parent’s Guide
If you’ve heard the term Forest School but aren’t quite sure what it means, you’re not alone.
Is it outdoor forest school in the woods? Do children just play outside all day? What happens when it rains? And most importantly — are they actually learning?
The short answer is: Forest School is so much more than simply playing outside.
What Is Forest School?
Forest School is a child-led, nature-based approach to learning that gives children regular opportunities to learn, explore and grow in an outdoor environment.
Instead of visiting nature occasionally, children return to outdoor spaces again and again throughout the seasons. The forest becomes familiar. Children notice when the leaves change, when the creek rises, where insects hide and how their favourite climbing spot changes after a storm.
That ongoing relationship with a place is an important part of Forest School.
But What Are They Learning?
A child balancing across a log may look like they're simply playing.
But they're also developing balance, coordination, spatial awareness, problem-solving, risk assessment and confidence.
A group building a shelter with sticks is experimenting with engineering, communication, teamwork and perseverance.
A child watching a worm disappear into the soil is beginning an investigation into habitats, living things and the natural world.
The play is the learning.
Our role as Forest School educators isn't to provide every answer. We observe, ask questions, introduce ideas, support appropriate risk and give children the time and space to investigate their own thinking.
Forest School Is Child-Led: Children are naturally curious. Forest School makes room for that curiosity.
A planned walk might suddenly become an investigation into animal tracks. A puddle can become an experiment. Educators still provide experiences, materials, invitations and guidance, but we also recognize that some of the richest learning happens when children are given permission to follow an idea.
Children Are Allowed to Take Healthy Risks. Risky play is an important part of Forest School.
Children may climb, balance, explore uneven terrain, work with appropriate tools or challenge themselves physically. That doesn't mean anything goes. Educators continually assess the environment, children's abilities and potential hazards. Instead of removing every possible risk, we help children learn how to recognize and navigate risk safely.
A child who says, “I did it!” after accomplishing something they once thought was too difficult is learning something incredibly important about themselves.
What Happens When It Rains?
We put on our rain gear and keep exploring.
Experiencing changing weather helps children understand that rain, mud, cold, sunshine and changing seasons are all part of the natural world.
There are, of course, times when weather or environmental conditions are not safe. Extreme temperatures, high winds, poor air quality and other hazards require educators to adapt plans or change locations. Forest School isn't about being outside at all costs. It's about learning to work with nature while respecting its limits.
Forest School Builds More Than Outdoor Skills
Yes, children learn about plants, animals, weather, seasons and ecosystems.
But some of the most meaningful growth can be harder to see.
Over time, we see children learning to:
solve problems
communicate their ideas
navigate friendships
advocate for themselves
care for living things
persevere when something is difficult
assess appropriate risks
trust their bodies
become more independent
wonder, investigate and ask questions
These are skills children carry far beyond the forest.
Does My Child Need to Be Outdoorsy?
Not at all.
Your child doesn't need to arrive knowing how to climb trees, identify plants or happily jump into every mud puddle.
Some children charge into the forest on their first day.
Others observe.
Some don't want muddy hands at first. Some need help navigating uneven ground. Some are cautious climbers. Others need time to feel comfortable separating from their grown-up.
Forest School meets children where they are.
Confidence develops through experience, connection and many small opportunities to try.
What Does Forest School Look Like at Little Wise Owls?
At Little Wise Owls Outdoor Learning, Forest School means giving children time.
Time to play.
Time to wonder.
Time to try.
Time to make mistakes.
Time to get muddy.
Time to build friendships.
And time to discover just how capable they really are.
Our year-round Forest School programs in Chilliwack, BC provide children with opportunities for child-led play, exploration, inquiry, appropriate risky play and meaningful connection with the natural world.
Curious About Forest School?
If you're considering Forest School for your child, explore our programs, learn more about our educators, or read the next article in our Forest School 101 series.
September registration is now open for select Little Wise Owls programs in Chilliwack.
Come discover where childhood belongs — outdoors.
