Forest Schools: Where Kids Grow Brighter and Nature Thrives

Forest Schools

Nature creates a sense of awe and curiosity for kids that no other environment can rival. That’s why forest schools are educational marvels that come with some amazing benefits for children.

Forest schools—or “skogsmulle,” as it is known in Swedish pedagogy—provide a transformative way to educate kids. These schools aim to encourage learning and independence by nurturing play, exploration, and supported risk-taking in an outdoor environment. 

These schools can help address the addictive screen-scrolling that many children have with their phones and tablets. By fostering a balance between time spent outdoors and using technology, children can have productive experiences that benefit them greatly as they grow.

What are Forest Schools?

Forest schools are an experiential approach to education that allows children access to outdoor environments with the intention of provoking curiosity, action, and creativity. They typically run full-year, and the outdoor education inherent in forest schools creates an environment that gives children the opportunities to explore, absorb, and have fun as they interact with nature.

Children interact with grass, leaves, frogs, insects, rain, sunshine, and seashells, and we can’t forget the good old pinecones. The environment spikes the children’s curiosity, allowing them to ask questions, and the learning process continues.

Where did Forest Schools Originate From?

Forest schools come from Swedish pedagogy. Skogsmulle or Mulle is a Swedish fictional forest creature that introduces kids to nature. He’s the central figure in the concept of forest schools, depicted as a happy-go-lucky forest gnome that accompanies kids in the woods, singing with them and telling them stories about the forests. 

Gösta Frohm, developed the concept of forest schools in the late 1950s while he was working with Sweden’s Association for Promotion of Outdoor Life. Frohm molded the educational concept around Skogsmulle, making it synonymous with forest schools.

Seven decades later, forest schools have been developed and improved by early education stakeholders in Sweden and beyond. Today, we have forest schools in the UK, Finland, Norway, Latvia, Russia, Japan, and the US. Some have “imported” the concept of Mulle, while others like Japan and Latvia have incorporated their own culture and system into forest schools.

Why are Forest Schools Important?

Forest schools act as a buffer from the endless scrolling done on tablets and phones. Kids can spend the entire day scrolling through their tablets, and we have yet to fully understand how this affects them. Children have an exorbitant amount of energy, and it used to be that they would spend all of that energy outdoors. However, with the advent of technology, incentives must now be created for them. Since children have to be educated, forest schools make it so that those incentives are inherently part of the educational process.

Supported Approach to Risk

Forest schools provide learners with an environment that constantly expands children’s ability to solve real-world problems, building confidence and self-esteem. One of the main philosophies of Skogsmulle is that children should be risk-aware, not risk-averse.

If you would like to know how much of a risk taker you are, then read our article, Taking Risks: Why It’s Hard to Take Risks But Why You Should.

The educational nature of forest schools goes beyond learning the risk of physical harm. Besides knowing the potential dangers of sharp tools or campfires, learners take emotional and social risks. They are encouraged to try something new, ask questions, and apply leadership skills.

For instance, Terra Moyo International School in Nairobi focuses on fostering children’s life skills by helping children learn by taking action and “reflecting on the experience.”

These unstructured but carefully watched environments introduce kids to the benefits of taking risks, trying new things out, and developing decision-making skills while interacting with other children and receiving lessons from teachers.  

Holistic Development

Outdoor learning is not just about imparting knowledge. Forest schools prioritize holistic, well-rounded learning by addressing physical, emotional, and social aspects involved while being out in nature. Children can take centerstage since these programs place emphasis on their interests and talents.

Guiding kids while they drive their own learning process can have a more profound effect on their academics, health, and overall well-being.

This is a different approach than traditional classroom environments where a set curriculum is followed, and where tablets, phones, and computers are an integral part of the education process.

Learning that is Limitless

Close your eyes and visualize any natural setting for a second. If a child visited your mind’s nature vista, how many questions would they ask? How much would they learn?

As you can see the possibilities are endless. In nature, kids can learn about colors, numbers, animals, plants, geographical features, seasons, and more. 

Spending time outdoors provides a more imaginative and active experience than passive screen time. 

Connection with Nature

Research shows that early experiences associated with nature foster a lifelong connection with it. According to the studies, adults who had positive experiences with nature are more likely to take care of nature as adults. With the overwhelming presence of plastic pollution, the drive for a healthier environment is more important now than ever before.

Melati Wijsen started a movement that banned the use of plastic bags in the entire province of Bali when she was just a teenager; ridding beaches and shores of plastic that had once covered entire areas.

Health and Well-Being

Spending time in nature may improve children’s physical, emotional, and mental well-being. The benefits of forest schools may be difficult to measure scientifically, but most parents and educators know that children would spend their entire day outdoors given the chance.

Since nature schools allow children to be active, they can improve their stamina, balance, physical fitness, and gross motor skills. Skogsmulle practitioners have also reported that children have reduced stress levels, improved sleeping patterns, and better concentration.

There is Nothing Like the Outdoors

The concept of forest schools is relatively new, and some people may still view it as an “exotic” thing. For years, claims supporting the benefits of nature schools were mostly anecdotal, but recent studies support holistic learning and outdoor exploration for young minds.

There are still some challenges faced by forest schools. In some urban areas, for instance, forest schools may not be accessible to every child, especially those coming from low-income families. They may lack the funds for transport, food, high-quality outdoor kit, or exposure to outdoor knowledge. 

However, forest schools can nurture meaningful experiences that can have a lifelong positive impact on a child’s social, mental, and physical development.