Forest School
What is a Forest School in Early Years?
“The best classroom is roofed only by the sky.”
– Margaret McMillan (1919)
Forest School is an innovative educational approach to outdoor play and learning. It offers children regular opportunities to explore and learn in a natural woodland environment, fostering curiosity, confidence, and independence through child-led hands-on experiences.
Forest School at Rainbows
At Forest School, children might:
- Scoop mud into buckets and transport it across the site
- Mix natural materials with sticks and water
- Watch tiny creatures in the soil
- Climb trees, swing on ropes, or build dens to hide in
The forest becomes a rich learning space where children follow their own interests through unstructured play. Repeated exposure allows them to return to their discoveries, test ideas, and build deeper understanding at their own pace.
At Rainbows, we are lucky to have our own on-site meadow, where Forest School sessions are led by a qualified Forest School Leader. Sessions take place within safe, well-defined boundaries but offer plenty of freedom for child-initiated learning.
Our children love the outdoors. Whether it’s getting mucky, hunting for minibeasts, or crafting with natural resources, they’re developing essential life skills while having fun.
In Forest School, children develop important life skills such as:
- Problem-solving and creativity
- Teamwork and cooperation
- Respect for nature and wildlife
- Physical development and resilience
- A sense of joy, adventure, and well-being
Children attend Forest School sessions regularly, allowing them to build familiarity and confidence over time. The focus is on exploration, discovery, laughter and have lots of fun!
Benefits of Forest School
Every child is unique and is learning to be capable, resilient, confident and self-assured.
Forest school activities are child-led allowing children to build confidence by informed decisions and trying new things. The flexibility and no time constraints allow children to achieve with a degree of challenge and encourages the perseverance that will help to build resilience.
At Rainbows we use our forest school throughout the whole year in all weathers so children can experience seasonal change and be resilient in cold and wet weather. They learn in a safe environment by taking small risks. Usually after several sessions children are more confident negotiating uneven grounds. They all love our “busy bee” game where they must watch out for each other and run away from the bee.
How Forest School Supports Children
Forest school helps to increase balance and physical activity.
Forest school environment gives children the space and freedom to experiment with their strength. Our children love balancing on ropes and climbing the trees and have all shown increased confidence in this area.
Children who take part in regular forest school sessions can show greater emotional maturity.
Our children show empathy for the living environment. They respect other living things and plants, take great care not to disturb slugs, spiders and bugs.
Activities such as games and sharing tools teaches the children to work together, strengthening their bonds. They start showing concern for each other.
Forest school experience helps promote communication skills through sensory activities.
Natural environment promotes the development of children’s learning through their senses. The children have the freedom to see, listen, touch and smell and are encouraged to talk about their experiences.
Some children don’t like putting their hands into mud. Ours love to have mud not just on their hands but feet as well. They use it to build funny faces on the trees or drawing on the ground.
Forest school activities create excitement and happiness.
Rich natural environment fascinates children which develops a strong will to participate and concentrate over longer period. Turville forest school is fun. It is educational but allows children to play, explore and discover at their own pace, creating positive emotions. All our children and staff are happy and friendly. The secret to our happiness and friendliness is lots of fresh air, excitement and getting mucky!
