What is Forest and Nature School?
Forest and Nature School is a model of education that is rooted in supporting the ways that humans naturally learn. It was officially begun in the 1950’s in Denmark as a program called ‘Walking Kindergarten,” and quickly spread throughout Scandinavia, Europe, China, Aotearoa, New Zealand and the world, with thousands of programs now running worldwide!
What's in the Name?
Known in Canada popularly as Forest School and Nature School, FNS is known by many names, including ‘Outdoor School,’ but all these programs run on similar principles.
Where does it happen?
Forest and Nature School always occurs on the land and with the land, with learners returning again and again to the same natural area, developing a nuanced and deep relationship with the inhabitants, constituents of that place.
Being outdoors is deeply beneficial to our well-being. It can help children (and people of all ages!) regulate their nervous systems, experience meaningful calm and deep connection, and improves learning outcomes too (1).
Is it just playing outside?
Each day at Forest and Nature School is co-created by learners, facilitators and the land. Power is shared, and learning happens in a context of horizontal relating that empowers learners, deeply respects their power to choose, and honours their intrinsic motivations, inspirations and proclivities, supporting a wide range of positive adventures in play, learning and growth.
Forest and Nature School provides plenty of time for diving deeply into play. Learning and play are understood in FNS pedagogy to be synonymous. When we are at play, new skills are often acquired and new understanding developed joyfully, willingly, and more quickly than if the learning were by rote (2). This sets up learners for a life-long love of learning.
At Forest and Nature School, learning is child-led, ‘inquiry-driven’ and ‘emergent,’ meaning that new pathways for learning emerge naturally from inspirations and experiences of the learners. Practitioners ensure the availability of tools, equipment, and context on the land and aid learners in developing both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ skills.
Hard skills include risk assessment, physical agility and dexterity, balance, coordination, cooking, fire and safety, knots, shelter building, arts and crafts, musicality, and more.
At the heart of Forest School is the creation of space and time for the honing of ‘soft’ skills - cooperation, co-regulation, self-regulation, consideration and self-care. Emotional literacy is supported and encouraged by regulated practitioners, staff and volunteers who support children and youth to be themselves and develop fully, knowing that they are being listened to, respected, and supported in their learning.
Perhaps most importantly, Forest and Nature School teaches learners how to care for themselves, others, and the land well. Learners are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions, to follow their creative inspirations, and play in ways that challenge, inspire, and lead to meaningful personal growth.
Although the methodologies of FNS may seem simplistic, they are actually very sophisticated and rooted in a deep understanding of human nature, and supported by ongoing studies and research by child development specialists (see 'Benefits of Forest and Nature School' for more details on studies done).
What kind of education credentials do your staff have?
Our program directors and main facilitators are either certified, or well into their path to certification by the Child & Nature Alliance of Canada (CNAC) as Forest and Nature School Practitioners, and demonstrate an excellent understanding of the ethos and principles of Forest School. They have a great deal of experience facilitating learner-centered, play-based and place-based learning.
In hiring additional staff, we will determine eligibility for the role of facilitator on a case-by-case basis, with preference given to those who are deeply familiar with the ethos, have dedicated training in Forest School, or have other similar credentials and experience.
All staff are trained in Standard First Aid and CPR, and have clear Child Abuse Registry and Criminal Record Checks.
Are you insured?
Before our FNS programming commences, our program will be fully insured with general liability insurance. Our Policies and Procedures document for safety and responsible conduct is extensive and thorough.
What is the history of Forest and Nature School?
Forest and Nature School began in Northern Europe (Denmark) in the early 1950's, begun by a Mom running a daycare who wanted to get the kids outside - the first one was called 'Walking Kindergarten'. By the late 1950's it had blossomed into a veritable movement across Scandinavia, and quickly spread to the rest of Europe, Australia, Aotearoa (New Zealand), China and the United States.
It has been gaining steam in Canada with huge popularity on the West Coast and in Ontario especially. Manitoba is picking it up as well.
We acknowledge that Forest and Nature School pedagogy actually goes back further than the 1950's, and elements of it have been in the educational systems of Indigenous people here on this land for a very long time as well. Horizontal/non-hierarchical, learner-centered, emergent and inquiry-driven learning, as well as land-based, place-based, contextual learning that embraces the teachings in risky play and the nuances of the realities of living in the natural world has always been a part of the many diverse education systems of Turtle Island.