The History of Forest School: A Journey Through Nature-Centered Education
Forest School is an outdoor, nature-based educational approach that has gained significant popularity across the world, especially in recent decades. Its philosophy is grounded in fostering a deep connection to nature through experiential learning, outdoor play, and self-directed activities. The origins of Forest School are both ancient and modern, blending indigenous and traditional ways of learning in nature with more recent educational theories. This article will explore the history of Forest School, tracing its roots from early nature-based learning approaches to its contemporary development and widespread adoption.
Early Origins: Nature as the Original Classroom
Learning in nature is not a new concept. For millennia, humans lived in close relationship with the land, learning directly from their natural environment. Indigenous cultures around the world have long recognized the importance of outdoor learning, integrating survival skills, ecological knowledge, and spiritual connection to the land into their teaching practices. In these communities, children and adults alike learned by observing natural cycles, tracking wildlife, harvesting food, and crafting tools, often in collaborative, intergenerational settings. Education was a holistic process embedded in everyday life and inseparable from the natural world.
In Europe, the concept of nature-based education can be traced back to philosophers and educators such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi in the 18th century. In his book Émile, Rousseau emphasized the importance of education through nature, arguing that children learn best when they are free to explore and engage with the world around them. Pestalozzi further developed these ideas, advocating for child-centred, experiential learning in natural environments. His belief that education should nurture the “head, heart, and hands” laid the groundwork for many modern educational movements, including Forest School.
Scandinavian Roots: The Rise of Forest Kindergartens
The direct precursor to modern Forest School can be found in Scandinavia, where nature-based education has a long-standing tradition. In the early 20th century, the Danish pedagogue Ella Flatau began taking groups of children into the woods to play and learn, an initiative that later evolved into what is now known as skovbørnehave (forest kindergarten) in Denmark. Flatau's work was influenced by the Friluftsliv (open-air life) philosophy, a Nordic cultural concept that emphasizes spending time outdoors for health, well-being, and connection to nature.
By the 1950s, forest kindergartens had become an integral part of early childhood education in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. These programs were based on the belief that children thrive when given the freedom to explore natural environments at their own pace. The forest kindergarten model allowed children to develop physical skills, resilience, problem-solving abilities, and emotional intelligence through hands-on experiences in nature. Activities like climbing trees, building shelters, collecting natural materials, and observing wildlife became central to the curriculum, fostering a sense of independence, creativity, and ecological awareness in young learners.
Forest kindergartens also aligned with the broader Scandinavian emphasis on outdoor play and education, which was seen as crucial for fostering a healthy balance between academic learning and physical, emotional, and social development. The popularity of these programs in the Nordic countries laid the foundation for the Forest School movement to spread internationally.
Forest School in the UK: Early Development and Growth
The development of Forest School in the United Kingdom can be traced back to the early 1990s, when a group of early years educators from Bridgewater College in Somerset visited Denmark to observe forest kindergartens in action. Inspired by what they saw, the group returned to the UK and began experimenting with outdoor learning programs for young children. This led to establishing the first Forest School program at Bridgewater College in 1993.
The early success of the Bridgewater Forest School inspired other educational institutions and practitioners to adopt similar approaches. The Forest School model in the UK evolved to include a range of outdoor activities aimed at promoting holistic development—physical, emotional, social, and intellectual—through child-led play and exploration. While the core principles remained the same as those in the Nordic tradition, the UK model also incorporated elements of progressive education, particularly the ideas of educational theorists like Maria Montessori and John Dewey, who emphasized the importance of experiential learning and the role of the teacher as a guide rather than an instructor.
By the early 2000s, Forest School had gained national recognition as an innovative and effective approach to early childhood education in the UK. Organizations such as the Forest School Association (FSA) were established to support the training and development of Forest School practitioners and to promote the benefits of outdoor learning to schools, parents, and policymakers.
Principles of Forest School: A Child-Centered Approach
The Forest School approach is grounded in several core principles that guide the philosophy and practice of outdoor learning:
Learner-Centered Education: Forest School prioritizes the needs, interests, and learning styles of individual children. It emphasizes self-directed learning, allowing children to take the lead in exploring their surroundings and engaging in activities that interest them.
Holistic Development: Forest School supports the development of the whole child, fostering physical, emotional, social, and cognitive growth. Through play and exploration, children develop resilience, confidence, independence, and self-esteem, as well as practical skills and environmental awareness.
Nature Connection: A key aim of Forest School is to cultivate a deep, meaningful connection to the natural world. By spending time in natural settings, children develop an understanding of ecosystems, biodiversity, and their place within the environment.
Regular and Long-Term Engagement: Forest School programs are typically run over an extended period, allowing children to form strong connections with the environment and to revisit and build on their learning experiences over time.
Risk and Challenge: Forest School encourages children to take appropriate risks and face challenges in a supportive environment. Activities such as climbing trees, using tools, and navigating uneven terrain help children develop problem-solving skills, resilience, and a sense of accomplishment.
Reflective Practice: Practitioners in Forest School are encouraged to engage in reflective practice, continually assessing and adapting their approaches to meet the needs of individual learners and to foster a supportive, nurturing learning environment.
The Spread of Forest School Worldwide
Following its success in the UK, the Forest School movement began to spread to other countries, particularly in Europe, North America, and Australia. In these regions, the principles of Forest School have been adapted to suit different cultural and environmental contexts.
In the United States, for example, nature-based education has roots in movements like the American transcendentalists of the 19th century, who emphasized the spiritual and educational value of nature. However, it wasn't until the 2000s that Forest School programs began to proliferate across the country, largely inspired by the Scandinavian and UK models. Today, Forest School is a growing movement in North America, with programs for children and adults focusing on outdoor play, environmental stewardship, and experiential learning.
Australia and New Zealand have also seen a rise in nature-based education programs influenced by Forest School. In these countries, the focus on indigenous knowledge and connection to the land has informed the development of outdoor learning practices that integrate cultural traditions with modern educational principles.
The Role of Forest School in the 21st Century
As global concerns about environmental degradation, climate change, and the mental health of children continue to grow, Forest School has gained recognition as a valuable educational approach for fostering a deeper connection to nature and promoting well-being. Research has shown that outdoor learning can improve mental and physical health, enhance academic achievement, and cultivate environmental awareness and stewardship.
Forest School also aligns with contemporary movements such as rewilding, sustainability education, and place-based learning, which emphasize the importance of reconnecting with nature and restoring ecosystems. In a world increasingly dominated by technology and urbanization, Forest School offers a counterbalance, encouraging children and adults alike to develop a meaningful relationship with the natural world.
Challenges and Criticisms
Despite its growing popularity, Forest School is not without its challenges. Critics argue that outdoor education programs like Forest School are often accessible only to those in affluent areas or schools with the resources to implement them. There is also concern about the safety of children engaging in risky outdoor activities, although proponents of Forest School argue that learning to assess and manage risk is an essential life skill.
Additionally, some educators question whether Forest School can be effectively integrated into traditional school systems, where standardized testing and curriculum requirements often leave little room for the kind of open-ended, exploratory learning that Forest School promotes.
Conclusion
The history of Forest School is one of reconnection—reconnection with nature, with ancestral knowledge, and with a child-centered approach to learning that values curiosity, play, and exploration. From its roots in indigenous and traditional ways of learning to its modern development in Scandinavia and the UK, Forest School represents a powerful alternative to conventional education. In a world facing environmental crises and social disconnection, the principles of Forest School offer a hopeful vision for the future: one where children are encouraged to explore the natural world, develop a sense of place, and become stewards of the earth.
