What is Forest School? A Guide To Outdoor Learning In Early Years: Everything Parents Need to Know in 2025

Welcome, lovely parents! If you're curious about Forest School, you're about to discover one of early education's most brilliant gems. Here at GroWild Kindergarten, we've seen countless children flourish in our woodland setting. Pop on your wellies and let's explore this wonderful approach that's taking Britain by storm.

What Happens at Forest School?

Picture your little one splashing in puddles, building dens from branches, and learning their numbers with pinecones. That's Forest School, but it's far more than outdoor play.

Forest School is child-led learning where qualified practitioners support children's natural exploration in woodland settings. Unlike traditional nurseries, we embrace all weather (yes, even our famous British drizzle!).

A typical day includes:

  • Exploration in nature and the seasons, such as watching the metamorphosis of tadpoles during spring or the collecting of fallen autumn leaves to make leaf identifiers and works of art!

  • Supported risk adventures like climbing trees and using real tools to make our own toys!

  • Building resilience through challenging activities, from creating shelter in wet weather to learning fire safety around the camp kitchen

  • Developing social skills through collaborative projects like building bug hotels or creating natural obstacle courses (trains and fire engines are a favourite in our woods!)

Benefits of Forest School

Like a mighty oak, the benefits of outdoor learning grow stronger over time. We've witnessed remarkable transformations in children who attend our sessions, and research backs up what we see every day.

Physical Development

Those muddy knees tell a wonderful story! Children at Forest School develop:

  • Superior gross motor skills from navigating natural terrain

  • Enhanced fine motor control/coordination through activities like weaving with natural materials

  • Better balance and spatial awareness

  • Stronger immune systems from regular outdoor exposure

Emotional Wellbeing

In our busy modern world, Forest School offers essential breathing space, needed for emotional health and development:

  • Reduced anxiety and stress levels (nature is brilliant for this)

  • Improved self-esteem and confidence

  • Greater emotional resilience

  • Better risk assessment skills (our GroWild children explore and test their own boundaries and we love seeing the pride on their faces when they surprise themselves!)

Cognitive Development

Would you believe that climbing trees helps with maths? In our years of experience at GroWild, we've seen how Forest School supports:

  • Natural problem-solving (How do we build a den that won't collapse?)

  • Critical thinking skills

  • Enhanced creativity and imagination

  • Improved concentration and attention span


Social Skills

Our woodland setting creates natural opportunities for utterly essential life skills such as:

  • Teamwork and cooperation

  • Communication skills

  • Leadership development

  • Empathy and understanding of others

Is Forest School Right for Your Child?

The brilliant thing about Forest School is its inclusivity, outdoor learning supports every child. We've seen it work brilliantly for:

  • Active children who learn best through movement and exploration

  • Quieter children who benefit from space to observe and process

  • Children who find traditional classroom settings challenging

  • Those who need support building confidence or social skills

Common Questions

"Won't they catch cold?"

Not likely! At GroWild, we ensure children are properly kitted out in weather-appropriate gear, and all that movement keeps them wonderfully warm. As we often say, "There's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing!"

"What about academic learning?"

We weave traditional learning into natural contexts brilliantly. Children learn counting through collecting, literacy through storytelling, and science through hands-on exploration of the natural world.

"Is it safe?"

Absolutely! While we encourage supported risk-taking, all activities are carefully risk-assessed by our qualified practitioners. Children learn to manage risk safely – a vital life skill.

Getting Started

If you feel ready to choose Forest School and outdoor learning, like the GroWild ethos, here are some tips to get started:

  • Visit local Forest School/Outdoor nurseries (we'd love to show you GroWild)

  • Arrange a visit to observe a session

  • Chat with other parents

  • Check credentials such as Ofsted and policies

  • Join our seasonal newsletter community for guidance and inspiration for exploring nature with your children as a parent/carer.

  • Sort out practical bits (appropriate clothing, etc.)

Remember, every child's Forest School journey is unique. Some dive in, others paddle first – both approaches are perfectly splendid.

Forest School isn't just an educational choice; it's a gift of 360 degree childhood growth and natural curiosity. In our tech-heavy, screen obsessed, short attention span world, it offers children precious connections with nature while building crucial life skills.

Fancy giving your child this gift? As we say at GroWild, the best view comes after the hardest climb – and what a view it is!

Want to learn more? We'd love to show you around. Book a space on our next Open Day (we pack it with fun activities for the children and the adults!) or give us a ring for a friendly chat about your child's outdoor learning journey.

GroWildGroWild Kindergarten Ltd