Why Forest School?
There’s something magical that happens when children are given space — real space — to explore. No walls, no bells, no rows of desks. Just a forest, a creek, and time.
That’s the heart of forest school. And for me, it’s not a trend or an activity — it’s a way of remembering.
The Classroom Without Walls
I was a child who didn’t fit into the “normal” classroom. The one who climbed trees instead of sitting still. Who made rope from bark. Who built hideouts in the woods and learned to listen deeply — to birds, wind, and silence.
Years later, life brought me to Canada as an immigrant, searching again for belonging. I found it under the cedar canopy, among salmon streams and mossy trails. I realized this kind of learning — wild, grounded, sensory — is essential. Especially now.
The Kind of Learning That Stays
Forest school builds more than knowledge. It builds self-awareness, resilience, and compassion.
When kids slip on a muddy trail and get back up, they’re learning grit.
When they identify a plant and remember its name, they’re learning attention.
When they leave berries for the birds and explain why, they’re learning empathy.
And they don’t forget. These aren’t facts from a textbook — these are memories woven into their bodies.
Salmon, Seasons, and Stewardship
At Salmon Forest, learning follows the land. We begin with salmon — the lifeblood of our ecosystem — and we branch into watersheds, native plants, animal tracking, and Indigenous teachings. I use tools like our Tree Lens or Animal Tracking Lens, but the most powerful tool is always: curiosity.
Children aren’t just playing. They’re becoming stewards. They learn that nature is not something “out there,” it’s something they are part of.
A Safe Place to Be Themselves
What I’ve learned is that when children feel safe — really safe — to take risks, express wonder, and be messy, they grow in ways that are hard to measure but impossible to miss.
Forest school is a yes space. Yes to climbing, yes to asking questions, yes to trying again. Yes to big feelings. Yes to calm moments, focused rope-making, or just sitting with the moss when you need to breathe.
A Path Back to What Matters
For parents, this isn’t just a childcare option. It’s a conscious choice to give your child a connection to the land. To their senses. To others. And most of all, to themselves.
That’s why forest school.
Because these early years shape everything.
Because our children deserve to know where they come from — and how to care for it.
Because learning in nature is real, rooted, and lifelong.
