Forest School
When I first began homeschooling I named our own home education environment a “forest school”. I bundled up my eldest child out to the woods as often as possible for any learning. At the time we didn’t live in the woods, so we would drive, bike, or walk to the nearest patch to learn and spend as many hours of the day there. This became a strong roots system to my learning environment for them and I always knew that if I was able to homeschool—that a natural woodland outdoor environment would be an integral aspect of our learning. It was then that I began investing my time learning about the philosophy of forest education and community.
I led a Forest School in differing communities through rain, snow, and shine for the past three years and it quickly became the highlight of our family’s week. We looked forward in eager expectation to exploring and even on below degree days, we would show up to the forest. We would climb into the van afterwards feeling so charged with nature, filled with deep gratitude—like the best type of exhaustion from playing outdoors with other families and community. It provided my children with a “classroom in the woods”, taught them compassion, emotional intelligence, empathy, risk taking, immersive learning, and amongst many other beautiful things—rhythmic consistency.
In 2020, I knew I was deeply intrigued with the Forest School ethos and decided to take my education further. In 2021, I competed my Forest School Instructor Certificate so that I could continue on learning and embracing all that the philosophy had to offer.
The History of Forest School
The origin of forest schools have deep roots in Europe and Scandinavia, when the first kindergartens were established in the 1900s where the local belief and beginning recognition was that children and adults need to spend more time outside. The original kindergartens were preschool aged, in gardens or outdoors, and play-based. This model was birthed and adopted from Denmark and Sweden, which aligned with their cultural love of the outdoors.
Ella Flatau was a simple Denmark Mom who claims the title for the birth of the oldest Forest Kindergarten. She began in 1952 when she started a “walking woods kindergarten” through the forest consistently and as regarded it as an esteemed aspect of their learning experience. Neighbors and acquaintances took interest and asked to join or send their children along. Not after long, she formalized the arrangement and it birthed the first environment in the country and possibly the world.
From there, forest schools expanded quickly across the United Kingdom in the 1990s and then in the 2000s in the United States. The Scandinavia region has a cold climate similar to ours here in Minnesota. As a result, braving the weather out in this region is a bold and courageous method to empower the body and alleviate the sense of helplessness against external conditions. The Scandinavians think that no matter how cold or hot the weather is, we should go to the heart of nature and I wholeheartedly concur. Forest schools are now being established in several nations, such as England, Wales, Hong Kong, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, New Zealand, and even countries in the Middle East, such as Iran! It is a complete and utter joy to imagine so many families across the globe experiencing nature in their own unique way.
the six principles of quality forest school
Quality Forest School is delivery which holds to all six key principles that shape and govern the Forest School ethos. There are many forms of outdoor education and all have enormous value, however, Forest School is unique in its reach, delivery and effect.
These six principles are:
Forest School is a long-term process of consistent and regular sessions, rather than one-off or infrequent visits; the cycle of planning, observation, adaptation are integral to each session.
Forest School takes place solely in a woodland or natural environment to support the development of a lifelong relationship between the learner and the natural world.
Forest School uses a range of learner-centered processes to create a community for being, development and learning. It is a child centered program rather than system centered education.
Forest School aims to promote the holistic development of all involved, fostering resilient, confident, independent and creative learners.
Forest School offers learners the opportunity to take supported risks appropriate to the environment and to themselves.
Forest School is run by qualified Forest School practitioners, who continuously maintain and develop their professional practice.
A broader curriculum is associated with forest schools. This foundation supports a no boundaries-approach to the learning process. The open-air classroom setting encourages imagination, open-ended play, and freedom. Year-long programs also enable exposure to the changing of seasons and environment.
Bring nothing to nature but an observational eye and an explorative heart.
The version of Forest School that I offer also includes the philosophy of “bring nothing to nature but an observational eye and an explorative heart!” Which more forwardly put, is that there is a gentle guideline in our Forest School towards supporting the decision for the children to bring no objects, toys, backpacks, books, binoculars, etc to the woods. It may seem a bit unique, but it is incredible what takes place week after week when a child is encouraged to separate from all objects and simply connect and engage with nature alone.
My Forest School Mission Statement
Mission Statement: Forest School is a child-centered immersive nature exploration environment for children and mothers to learn, grow, and consistently engage together in all forms of weather conditions. It has a developmental ethos shared by thousands of trained practitioners around the world with roots that reach back to the open-air culture as seen as a way of life in Scandinavia where Forest Schools began.
Forest School inspires a deep and meaningful connection to God’s Creation. Sessions will include 4 micro nature studies and 4 micro activities that further inspire and connect a lifelong relationship and observational discovery towards nature. To be ‘doing Forest School’ to its fullest capability is to follow the philosophy of Forest School, part of which is that it happens over a long period of time. It offers a safe environment to take risks and develop emotional intelligence and cognitive growth and brain development.
The mother
Our programming is unique in the sense that it is not a child drop off education, but a variation of Forest School that focuses on intentionally supporting the Mother. Specific conversations and time allotted are set to enhance, encourage and strengthen the Mother to go back to her home increasingly more stable, inspired, and whole.
Ultimately seeking to build up her home life and heart life in a long term and sustainable manner!
What makes this group unique?
Consistent, year round.
Engaging in all forms of weather. Rain, Snow, Wind, Heat.
The Mother Connection. The value placed on the built in community and nurturing both the mother and the child.
Micro lessons + Micro Activities
seasonally focused art, poems, verses, stories
“A place to belong” for homeschoolers. Mother and child connecting with community and taking part in something “greater than ourselves within nature and god’s creation”
Multi Age Learning:
Children develop a sense of family with their classmates. They become a "family of learners" who support and care for each other. Older children have the opportunity to serve as mentors and to take leadership roles. Children are more likely to cooperate than compete. Research has shown that students in multi-age classrooms were found to have higher self-esteem, more positive self-concepts, less anti-social behavior, and better attitudes and emotional regulation over time.
Mixed age grouping can provide older children with the opportunity to be helpful, patient, and tolerant of younger peers' competencies, and thus give them some of the desirable early experiences of being nurturing that underlie parenting and helping others who are different from oneself.
An Ode to Consistency: What we call “The Predictable Hike”
The developing brain thrives on repetition. Studies prove that when children experience the same thing over and over, the pathways and connections of their brain become stronger and more complex. One of the best ways to provide this is through gentle consistency in the child’s world. When a child has experienced a positive and predictable environment, their brain becomes wired to relate to others, regulate behavior, regulate emotions, and learn in a more intellectual and deeper way. By offering this environment directly in nature through each of the four seasons, it opens up a broader and more intellectual experience within them.
What this looks like in a Forest School group setting is hiking the same path each week, through all of the seasons. As the environment changes, there becomes an opportunity to rest developmentally in their brain. They will commence to engage with nature, learning, emotional intelligence, and behavioral regulation in an astounding way.
We ask that families sincerely consider their capacity and ability to show up consistently to each of the eight weeks in effort to support this larger effort and initiative.
Additionally, the consistency and loyalty to the group directly affects a homeschooled child by offering them a predictable social experience, thus increasing their ability to connect with others and themselves. There can be a struggle as homeschoolers to find a community and home.
This is a classroom in the woods! A place to belong.
Fall Term 1: 8 week session
Fall session: September 5, September 12, September 19, September 26, October 3, October 10, October 17, October 2
exchange:
$400/ 8 week session per individual family (sessions are not charged per child to support the growing family structure as much as possible. this exchange includes homeschool class photo, permitting, insurance, materials, books, supplies, instructors.
instructors:
Johnna Holmgren; mother of four, outdoorswoman, certified forest school instructor
Lindsay Kinnick; Nature passionate hobby farming mother of four who has helped lead and organize Wild and Free groups the last seven years.
Fall Term 1 is currently full with a waitlist.
Inquiries to register for Winter or Spring terms, please directly contact FoxMeetsBear@gmail.com
