What is Forest School?

Holistic education via nature connection…

Forest School follows a holistic approach that nurtures all aspects of a child’s development in the very place where we evolved to develop for thousands of years: the natural world.

We believe children thrive when they’re allowed to run and jump on uneven ground, feel raindrops run down their cheeks, and discover for themselves the bright blue belly of a lizard they just caught in their palm for the first time. At Wild Kin children will touch stink bugs and tadpoles and feathers.  They’ll get wet and muddy in the creek.  They’ll learn the calls of scrub jays and woodpeckers and start anticipating their movements.  They’ll learn the smells of different wild plants and drink teas from leaves they identify and harvest.  They’ll shape ceramics with wild clay they dig up themselves.

One of the most important gifts we can give our children is a foundation for a lifelong relationship with nature, because it’s all here: physical challenges, hands-on learning, resilience building, community care, creativity, curiosity, and more…

These experiences add up to knowledge that cannot be taught in books—to feel belonging, to see the plants and animals and rocks as extended family, as our ‘wild kin’.  We believe this is a strong foundation for an interconnected, meaningful life.

What Happens at Forest School?

  • Nature Connection

    Nature Connection is the container that holds our program. Magical interactions happen everyday when we notice the nest of Hummingbird, the slow crawl of Stinkbug on the trail, the fluffy catkins on Willow Tree.

  • Storytelling

    storytelling is the backbone of our program. We use oral stories and folktales to teach lessons and connect children with their local plants, animals, and seasonal rhythms. We often see the stories we tell the children come alive in their play throughout the day!

  • Hiking and Exploring

    An outdoor classroom offers ample space to run, climb, swing, and explore, challenging and supporting childrens natural development.

  • Sensory Awareness

    Regular practice and modeling the use of all of our senses to promote physical awareness and presence in the world.

  • Wildcrafting

    foraging + acorn processing, wild bead making, whittling, weaving, natural clays and more, support a deep connection to nature and promote creativity.

  • Wilderness Skills

    Things like navigation, animal tracking, plant + animal ID, shelter building, friction fire, and more. These skills promote resilience, common sense, creativity and confidence outdoors.

  • Seasonal Rhythms

    we experience all types of weather at forest school! We splash in puddles, dip our hands in mud, cool ourselves in creeks, and build rain shelters as needed!

  • Community

    We forge bonds not just with each other, but with the plants and animals around us as. Our wild kin!

  • Free Play

    Plenty of time to explore, splash, climb, and drop into make-believe games.