In the Ann Arbor Forest School, children spend four days a week, five hours a day learning outdoors, regardless of the weather, including the chilly Michigan winters. The philosophy of the school emphasizes “learning in the natural environment,” allowing students to breathe fresh air, explore freely, and engage with their surroundings while forming connections with fellow classmates.
While the school aims to prepare children for kindergarten, the approach differs significantly from traditional preschool settings, where kids typically spend only 8% of their time in outdoor play, as reported by The New York Times. By eliminating the confines of a traditional classroom, forest schools foster significant developmental benefits.
What Exactly is a Forest School?
Generally designed for children aged 3 to 6, although some programs may cater to different age groups, forest schools prioritize outdoor time and encourage child-led, unstructured learning over rigid lesson plans. As the Times explains, children might observe how rain affects stream levels, enhancing their understanding of cause and effect. They can learn to identify bird calls, a skill linked to pre-reading development. Activities like “rolling down a hill” turn into practical physics lessons, and children are often encouraged to engage in risky play, such as climbing trees or using tools like knives. No matter the weather—rain, sleet, or snow—students remain outside, truly taking the roof off traditional schooling.
Crucially, forest schools embrace a play-based learning model. Rather than sitting at desks and memorizing facts, kids interact with nature, learning through hands-on experiences—like using pine cones to identify patterns or developing fine motor skills with sticks. This stands in stark contrast to the typical preschool experience, which often resembles an outdated version of kindergarten.
“My aunt, who dedicated years to teaching traditional preschool, successfully guided her students through structured lessons—growing beans sent to space and ensuring they left with a strong foundation in letters and numbers,” shares Sarah, a keen observer of educational trends. In comparison, forest school students relish in activities that might involve getting muddy, picking wild blackberries, and exploring the outdoors in creative ways.
According to the Novak Djokovic Foundation, a leading authority in forest education, these schools operate on the belief that children are equal, unique, and valuable. They should have opportunities to face appropriate risks, experience regular successes, and cultivate positive relationships, all while driving their own learning processes.
The Benefits of Forest Schools
The advantages of outdoor learning are profound. Research from Harvard University highlights that outdoor time enhances vitamin D levels, strengthens executive functioning skills (which aid in planning, prioritizing, and multitasking), and encourages social interactions. The Child Mind Institute notes that outdoor play boosts children’s confidence, fosters creativity, nurtures responsibility, and offers a necessary break from the digital world, all of which can aid in reducing stress and fatigue. Some studies even suggest that time spent outdoors can benefit children with ADHD.
Forbes points out that regular outdoor activity can effectively combat obesity, lower blood pressure, improve mental health conditions, and aid in treating various physical ailments. Interestingly, engaging in risky play can also lead to fewer injuries later in life by helping children understand their limits. The Times mentions a small British study where disadvantaged children who participated in a forest school program for three years demonstrated improved reading, writing, and math scores, increased attendance, and greater resilience.
Challenges and Accessibility
However, forest schools do face challenges, primarily concerning accessibility. They can be costly due to higher staff-to-student ratios, making them less feasible for working parents. Additionally, programs like The Free Forest School require caregiver participation, which can limit access for many families. While these schools can be established in any green space, they are often more common in areas with ample natural resources, leaving urban regions with fewer options. The expense of outdoor gear for children, which tends to be quickly outgrown or damaged, also adds to the barriers.
Yet, it’s essential to recognize that incorporating forest school principles into existing curricula doesn’t require a complete overhaul. Schools can integrate outdoor play and child-centered learning in any natural setting. As noted by the Times, there are nature-based preschools in urban gardens and even deserts, demonstrating that outdoor learning can happen without a traditional forest.
Ultimately, when considering preschool for your child, reflect on this: Will they come home brandishing a meticulously crafted “art project” assembled step-by-step according to a teacher’s directives, or will they arrive muddy, with berry stains on their face, excitedly sharing stories of the forts they built and the songs they created with friends? Both experiences foster learning, yet we must ask ourselves what kind of environment we want for our children: one of structure or one of exploration and freedom.
While the forest school model might not be an option for everyone, we can advocate for our traditional schools to embrace outdoor learning at least some of the time—because every child deserves the chance to explore and thrive in nature.
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Summary
Forest schools provide a unique alternative to traditional education by emphasizing outdoor play and child-led learning, which can lead to numerous developmental benefits. While challenges exist, such as accessibility and cost, integrating outdoor experiences into existing educational frameworks can enhance children’s learning and well-being.
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