What is Forest School?
Forest schools as an approach to outdoor learning began in Scandinavia more than fifty years ago and arrived in Canada in the last decade. Since its beginnings at the Ottawa Forest and Nature School in 2014, it has grown into a nation-wide movement.
Key Features
play and learning that are child-led and adult supported
long blocks of outdoor time regardless of the weather
carefully monitored opportunities for children to experience age-appropriate risks
including tree climbing, tool and rope use, and campfiresencouraging a connection to nature and the land in order to help children want to protect it
low child-adult ratio
Why Forest School?
The lives of children have changed dramatically in the last fifty years, but their physical and emotional needs have not. They still need active outdoor play. They still need to to use their hands to build, to climb, to experiment, to create and to experience the world. They still need physical play where they can feel the magic of experiencing the world with all their senses, and where they learn to take care of themselves, each other and the environment.
In this age of smartphones, tablets and social media, Forest School offers what we once took for granted, and what children and adults still need.
Some parents may wonder if missing regular school to attend our programs will negatively effect their child’s learning. Generally, both families and teachers have found the opposite to be true! The opportunity to be outside, away from the busy classroom and immersed in nature helps children to be more ready to learn when they return to school. For many children, especially those with sensory needs, time in forest school is restorative.
