ForestKids Approach

Nature experiences help kids make sense of the universe and their place in it. Studies show that direct and regular exposure to nature is essential for a child’s physical, emotional and intellectual development. My approach is to create space for guided but child-led collaborative and creative play in the woods. Can we balance on a felled tree? Shall we collect leaves and then together inspect what we have gathered? Can we look up and find the tree where these leaves came from? What do we know about how they grow? Can we investigate the water’s edge for bugs? Stones? Where do the stones come from and how heavy are they? Are there vines to swing on? Trees to climb? Where do the fish go when the river freezes over? Can we find a special spot and build a forest fort?

Being comfortable and feeling ownership in the outdoors helps children see themselves as an integral part of the natural world. Most importantly it builds wonder, confidence and leadership. In my guided forest classes, children can touch, smell, investigate, observe, explore and most of all PLAY. We’ll empower risk-taking and allow significant periods of unstructured play; see where the kids go with their passion and interests on that day, in that moment. ForestKids will enjoy collaborative learning but also have space for daydreaming and getting dirty! Dirt is great for a developing immune system.

Older students will keep a daily journal on forest experiences, thoughts, questions and weather. Each class will include structured, science-based lessons like sketching, learning about mushrooms,  tree identification, bird watching, animal and insect behavior and effective storytelling. There will also be time for creative and collaborative play and times each child gets a turn at being the group “leader”.

The outdoors offers vast benefits, igniting both the brain and the body AND meaningful friendships. When allowed to follow their interests and wonders, kids get insight into who they are and discover that the world around them is literally filled with possibility. Courage, independence, problem solving and building trust are fundamentals of all classes!