Forest School Finder helps you discover outdoor learning experiences for children across the UK. Find and explore outdoor learning experiences with confidence. Connect with qualified providers, explore forest school principles, and find the perfect outdoor learning setting for your children.
Featured Providers
Explore some of our highlighted forest schools and outdoor learning providers across the UK.
What is Forest School?
Forest School is an educational approach where children learn through play and exploration in a natural woodland environment, with activities tailored to their interests and developmental needs.
Forest School sessions are led by qualified practitioners who facilitate experiences rather than direct them, allowing children to develop confidence, independence, and creativity.
Forest School involves regular visits to the same natural space over an extended period, allowing children to develop a connection with nature and observe seasonal changes.
The Forest School Association (FSA) is the professional body and UK-wide voice for Forest School, promoting best practice, cohesion, and quality Forest School for all.
Research shows that outdoor learning improves children's health, wellbeing, cognitive development, and connection to nature, creating resilient, confident learners.
Our directory helps you find qualified Forest School providers in your area, with detailed information about their facilities, qualifications, and programs.
Connect with qualified Forest School providers in your area and discover the benefits of outdoor learning for your children.
Physical Development
Forest School provides opportunities for children to be physically active in a natural environment. Climbing trees, building shelters, and navigating uneven terrain helps develop gross motor skills, coordination, and physical strength.
Social and Emotional Growth
Working together on tasks like den building or fire lighting fosters teamwork, communication, and emotional resilience. Children learn to assess risks, build confidence, and develop independence in a supportive environment.
Cognitive Development
Problem-solving in nature stimulates creativity and critical thinking. Children learn about natural processes, seasonal changes, and environmental stewardship through hands-on experiences that engage all their senses.
Connection with Nature
Regular exposure to natural environments helps children develop a lifelong connection with nature, fostering environmental awareness and a sense of responsibility for the natural world.
Principles
Understanding the key principles that guide Forest School practice
Forest School is a long-term process with regular sessions, not a one-off experience. This allows children to develop relationships with the natural environment over time.
Sessions take place in woodland or natural environments to support the development of a relationship between the learner and the natural world.
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 themselves, building confidence and decision-making skills.
Forest School is run by qualified Forest School practitioners who continuously maintain and develop their professional practice.
Forest School uses a range of learner-centered processes to create a community for development and learning, adapting to the needs and interests of participants.
Our blog provides valuable resources for parents, educators, and anyone interested in forest school and outdoor learning. Discover articles about forest school activities, benefits of outdoor education, seasonal guides, and expert insights. Stay updated with the latest research and best practices in the forest school community.
Ever feel like the best playroom for your little one isn't inside your carefully baby-proofed house, but out amongst the mud and sticks? We're diving into why outdoor learning in the early years, from messy toddler nature play to the principles of Forest School, is more than just fresh air – it's essential for their development. It’s about embracing the wilder side of learning, right beyond the nursery walls.
Everything parents need to know about Forest School and outdoor learning: what it is, its core principles, the profound benefits for children's development, and why it's more than just playing outside.
Curious about Forest School? If you're new to the idea, discover 5 key, practical benefits your child can gain, from confidence and resilience to social and physical skills.
Does Forest School offer real educational value, or is it just playing? We explore exactly how and what children learn when they are outdoors.
