You’re here because you’ve heard of Forest School, but maybe you’re still not quite sure what it actually is? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s explore the concept, the benefits and, of course, the science behind it. At its core, Forest School is about giving children regular, sustained opportunities to learn through play and exploration in a natural environment. But it’s not simply a muddy playgroup, and it’s not about taking a traditional classroom and putting it outside. Forest School gives children the freedom to follow their own interests, get hands-on and learn through experience. And although we call it Forest School, it doesn’t necessarily have to happen in a forest. Woodlands are wonderful, but parks, fields, gardens and other natural spaces can all provide opportunities for Forest School.
So, what makes it different?
It’s hands-on….At Forest School, children learn by doing. They might build a den, make a fire, use tools, climb, collect, investigate or create. Rather than being told how something works, they get the opportunity to discover it for themselves. Learning doesn’t always have to look like sitting down and being taught. A child figuring out how to balance a branch across two logs is problem-solving. Working together to build a den is communication and teamwork. Collecting leaves and noticing how they differ is observation and classification. They might just think they’re playing, but they’re learning too.
Children are allowed to be curious
Another key principle of Forest School is child-led learning. That doesn’t mean adults simply stand back and let children run wild. Practitioners observe what children are interested in and respond to it, supporting their exploration rather than directing every activity. If a child discovers a snail, for example, that might lead to questions about where it lives, what it eats, why its shell is shaped the way it is, or why it has appeared after the rain. One question can become an entire learning experience. And perhaps that’s one of the things I love most about Forest School: the learning can start with the child’s curiosity.
Learning to take risks
Forest School also gives children opportunities to experience managed risk. Climbing a tree, balancing on a log, using tools or learning to safely build and tend a fire all involve an element of risk. But rather than removing every possible hazard, Forest School practitioners help children understand and manage appropriate risks for themselves. It’s an opportunity to try, assess, sometimes fail, and then try again. That process can help children develop confidence, independence and resilience.
It’s about the whole child
Forest School isn’t just concerned with what a child can learn academically. It’s about physical, emotional, social and cognitive development too. Children are moving, balancing and climbing. They’re communicating, negotiating and cooperating. They’re making decisions, solving problems and discovering what they’re capable of. A 2023 systematic review specifically examining Forest School for preschool children brought together 16 studies involving 1,560 children. It found benefits associated with Forest School across several areas, including cognitive function, motor coordination and balance, connection with nature, and health and wellbeing. That’s pretty impressive. But if you’re thinking this all sounds great in theory, but in practice it’s just children running wild in the woods while the adults have a nice cup of coffee… you might be surprised.
So, what does the science actually say?
Over the last few years, there has been an increasing amount of research into what happens when children are given opportunities to learn in natural environments. A 2022 systematic review looked at 147 studies investigating nature-specific outdoor learning across different educational settings. The researchers found evidence of increased engagement and ownership of learning, improvements in social and collaborative skills, and improvements in aspects of self-concept, alongside some evidence of academic benefits. But (this is important) we shouldn’t take this research as proof that simply putting children outside automatically makes them happier, healthier or cleverer. The quality of the evidence varied, and the researchers highlighted the need for better-quality research to understand exactly which types of outdoor learning work best, for whom, and under what circumstances. The same caution applies to the Forest School-specific research. The 2023 review found promising evidence but also highlighted limitations in the existing evidence base. So, we’re not at the point where we can say “Forest School definitely causes all of these benefits.” But the evidence is certainly interesting.
Why might nature have these effects?
One possible explanation comes from Attention Restoration Theory. The basic idea is that our attention can become fatigued when we’re constantly having to concentrate, filter information and respond to things around us. Natural environments can work differently. Instead of demanding our attention, nature tends to capture it gently. The movement of leaves, birdsong, clouds or insects can hold our attention without requiring the same sustained effort as many of the things we encounter in everyday life.
Spending time in nature may therefore give our attention a chance to recover.
And the wider research supports the idea that being outdoors can benefit more than just our attention. A 2024 systematic review of school-led nature interventions in children and young people found evidence of improvements in areas including positive mood, physical activity and social relationships. So perhaps there is something to that feeling we get after spending time outside. The benefit that is hardest to measure is the one I care about most. Our relationship with nature. This is where I think Forest School is particularly special. When children return to the same natural environment again and again, they don’t just visit it. They get to know it. They learn which trees are which. They notice the first spring flowers appear. They recognise the birds they hear. They discover creatures hiding beneath logs. They see how the same place changes throughout the seasons. Slowly, a collection of trees, plants and muddy paths becomes somewhere familiar. Somewhere that belongs to them. And I think that connection matters. Because if children grow up feeling connected to the natural world, hopefully they’ll grow into adults who feel that it’s worth protecting.
Will Forest School save the world? Probably not.
But if it can help raise a generation of children who understand, appreciate and feel connected to the natural world, perhaps it can help make the future a little brighter.