Forest School is...
– Outdoors, year-round
– Experiential, hands-on learning
– Learner-led to develop a love of learning
– Focused on learners’ holistic needs
– A way to build confidence and resilience
– Designed so learners will grow and thrive socially, emotionally, physically, and academically
A growing body of research suggests that Forest School programs:
- Provide huge benefits to student mental health and academic performance (Rios & Brewer, 2014)
- Promote healthy development in a stimulating learning environment (Louv, 2005; Selhub & Logan, 2012; Maynard, 2007)
- Enhance opportunities for free play, such as access to ‘loose parts’ that inspire creativity (Gray, 2013; Hughes, 2009)
- Allow learners to take appropriate risks to learn risk assessment and self-regulation (Gill, 2010)
- Foster social skills and peer-group relations (Knight, 2013; Porter, 2003)
- Improve social and cooperative skills (Dabaja, 2022)
- Boost physical skills, like fine motor, gross motor, stamina/endurance, and balance (Dabaja, 2022)
- Nurture a connection to the natural world and an understanding of environmental stewardship (Chawla, 2007; O’Brien, 2009)
- Complement and enhance classroom work (Coates & Pimlott-Wilson, 2019)
What to Expect in Class
Each of our Forest School classes is planned and led by a certified Forest School Leader. This means that our trained staff has done a thorough risk/benefit assessment and ecological assessment and has customized a lesson plan before each and every class. Lesson plans follow the interests of the community of learners and emphasize a holistic approach. This provides opportunities for social, physical, intellectual, and emotional development and cultivates communication, community, and a deep connection with the natural world. We take the season and weather into account when planning lessons, and participants should be prepared to learn outdoors in all weathers aside from dangerous weather (see our FAQs to learn more about dangerous weather and cancellations).
A typical Forest School class might look something like this:
-
- Gather at the circle and begin to engage with any materials the Forest School Leader has prepared, while waiting for all to arrive. The Forest School Leader will provide any general safety reminders at this time – like watching out for guy lines if there are tarps, or pointing out a new patch of poison ivy.
- Any skills needed for the day’s activities will be demonstrated and learners will be given a chance to experientially practice these skills with guidance from the Forest School Leader. This could be anything from knot tying to using a new tool to how to gather dry firewood.
- Once prepared, students will take the lead in engaging with the day’s project. This might be building a shelter, learning more about the ecology of the site, or figuring out how to get water from a collection point into a pool in the pouring rain.
- Students will be given an opportunity to recharge with a brought snack and communicate about the day’s experiences. This communication could be in the form of discussion, storytelling, journaling, etc.
- To end class and prepare us all mentally to leave the magic of Forest School and go back to everyday life, we ring a singing bowl, which is passed to each learner so everyone can participate in this small ceremony.
- Participants head back down the trail towards their vehicles with a prompt to think about and bring with them into the rest of their week – this could be something like noticing animal homes, or noticing how water flows on the road versus in the forest.
- Gather at the circle and begin to engage with any materials the Forest School Leader has prepared, while waiting for all to arrive. The Forest School Leader will provide any general safety reminders at this time – like watching out for guy lines if there are tarps, or pointing out a new patch of poison ivy.
What to Bring & Wear
For each class, please bring water and a snack for yourselves, appropriate clothing for the weather (you may also wish to bring a change of clothes), and sunblock / bug spray as needed depending on the season.
Because we are in the forest and ticks are of concern here in Rhode Island, we recommend that all participants wear long pants, socks, and shoes all year round. If you opt to wear shorts or sandals, please consider using skin-safe insect repellant (such as DEET) and do an extra-thorough tick check after class. Learn more about tick safety in our FAQs.
Everybody (and every body) is different, but here are some general guidelines for how to dress for Forest School:
IN RAIN – dress a little warmer than usual and wear waterproof outerwear – rain coat and rain paints or a rainsuit, with a hood or rain hat.
65°F+ – long pants, short sleeves, socks, shoes, sun hat
55-65°F – long pants, long sleeves, socks, shoes, sun hat
45-55°F – long pants, long sleeves, socks, shoes, sweatshirt/sweater/fleece jacket, winter hat
35-45°F – long pants, long sleeves, wool socks, shoes or boots, gloves, winter coat, winter hat
25-35° – baselayers (we like merino wool) long pants, long sleeves, wool socks, winter boots, insulated gloves, winter coat, winter hat
Below 25°F – baselayers (we like merino wool), long pants, long sleeves, sweater/sweatshirt, sock liners, wool socks, winter boots, glove liners, insulated gloves, snow pants, winter coat, winter hat
Our Classroom
We have partnered with the Smithfield Land Trust to create a nature classroom at the Wolf Hill Forest Preserve off of Waterview Drive in Smithfield, Rhode Island. Our classroom can be found along the Mary Mowry Trail, about a quarter-mile in from either trailhead. Access from the Mary Mowry (green) trailhead is steeper but more direct, simply walk along the trail until you see the nature classroom sign on the right. Access from the Leo Bouchard (white) trailhead has more gentle terrain, and signs will be posted before each class to direct you to the nature classroom. Parking is along Waterview Drive – please be sure to abide by all parking signs.
Additional Information
As this is not a drop-off program, a parent or guardian must accompany their child to each class. Our program is designed to enrich both the adult’s and child’s appreciation for nature while fostering a sense of community rooted in caregiver-child relationships.
All adult participants in our programs are required to obtain a state background (BCI/CORI) check and submit this documentation to Northern Rhode Island Forest School.
How to get a background check – Rhode Island (BCI) | Massachusetts (CORI)
A brief History of Forest School
