Forest School
Discover Forest Schools and inspire children to learn, play, and grow outdoors
Forest Schools is a child-focused outdoor learning programme that uses your local natural environment. With passion, time, and a suitable outdoor space, children can build confidence, develop new skills, and learn through play in nature.
What training is needed to become a Forest School leader?
To gain the knowledge, skills, and understanding needed to set up and run a Forest School, leaders should complete the recommended Forest School training. This training helps you:
- Understand how your Forest School should be structured
- Learn the principles and ethos of Forest School
- Plan and run long-term outdoor learning sessions across multiple seasons
Forest School leaders can also connect their outdoor sessions to school lessons and home life, helping children develop new skills and apply what they learn to different situations.
Choosing the Best Location
- Ideal site: Woodland for natural resources and biodiversity
- Alternative sites: School grounds, local grasslands, meadows, or coastal areas
- Finding space: Contact landowners, local authorities, or community boards if access is limited
Benefits of Forest Schools
- Encourages creativity, confidence, and problem-solving
- Fosters appreciation for environment, habitats, and natural resources
- Provides a calm space for health, wellbeing, and reflection
- Can be used in lessons to discuss progress, skills, and environmental impact
Getting Started in Limited Space
Even small areas can become a Forest School:
- Plant trees or create wildlife habitats in school grounds
- Integrate activities into daily lessons
- Inspire children to consider how their actions affect the environment
For additional guidance, check Forest Holidays’ educational guide on outdoor learning benefits and child development.
If done well, every individual will take away something different from Forest School. It will enable them to have agency to build relationships. To commune with human and non-human, to have agency to find that connection from within. Forest School is about connection, agency and communion.