How to Bring Forest School Home: Simple Activities for Families
Forest School offers children a unique opportunity to explore, experiment, and learn in nature, developing independence, creativity, and problem-solving skills. But what if you could bring some of that magic home?
Incorporating Forest School principles into your everyday routine doesn’t require a backyard the size of a forest - it just takes curiosity, imagination, and a willingness to get a little messy.
At Footprints on the Moon, we love helping parents extend their child’s Forest School experience beyond the woods. Here are some simple, practical ways to bring its benefits home and continue nurturing your child’s natural sense of wonder.
Encourage child-led exploration
One of the core principles of Forest School is child-led learning. Children are free to follow their interests, make choices, and explore at their own pace. At home, this could be as simple as setting up a nature corner with leaves, pinecones, stones, or sticks and letting your child investigate freely.
Ask open-ended questions like: “What can you build with these sticks?” or “How do you think this rock got here?” This approach encourages curiosity, decision-making, and problem-solving without pressure or a ‘right’ answer.
Make outdoor play a habit
You don’t need a forest to bring Forest School to life. Daily outdoor time (whether it’s a park, garden, or even a balcony) helps children connect with nature and develop physical skills. Activities like climbing safely on play structures, digging in soil, or observing insects can all foster confidence, coordination, and creativity.
Simple scavenger hunts, nature walks, or “tree spotting” games help children practice observation, attention to detail, and independent thinking. They’re all key elements of Forest School learning!
Introduce hands-on science and maths
Forest School integrates STEM learning in playful, meaningful ways. At home, you can create similar experiences with simple materials. Count petals, compare leaf sizes, sort stones by colour, or measure how far a pinecone rolls.
You could also experiment with water: filling containers, observing how it flows, or mixing it with soil to explore mud textures. These activities naturally teach concepts of science, measurement, and problem-solving while keeping play at the heart of learning.
Build creative challenges
Problem-solving is at the centre of Forest School, and you can nurture this skill through creative challenges. Encourage your child to build a small den with blankets and sticks, design an obstacle course in the yard, or make a “nature sculpture” from leaves, stones, and twigs.
These activities allow children to plan, experiment, and adapt their ideas, learning perseverance, critical thinking, and resilience in a fun and safe way.
Reflect and connect
A simple but powerful Forest School practice is reflection. At the end of playtime, ask your child to talk about what they did, what they discovered, or how they felt. Reflection helps children process experiences, develop language skills, and recognise their own accomplishments.
Encourage gratitude for nature as well, whether it’s noticing a bird, a flower, or the sound of the wind. These small moments build mindfulness, empathy, and a sense of belonging in the world around them.
Embrace risk in a safe way
Part of the Forest School ethos is learning to assess risk and try new things. At home, this could mean climbing slightly higher on a playground structure, using small tools for creative projects, or experimenting with balancing activities under supervision. Learning to take calculated risks helps children develop independence and confidence in their abilities.
Creating meaningful outdoor time
Bringing Forest School principles into daily life doesn’t have to be complicated. With curiosity, creativity, and a little outdoor time, parents can help children develop independence, problem-solving skills, and a lifelong love of nature.
At Footprints on the Moon, trained educators guide children in meaningful outdoor learning, exploration, and play. When you’re home you can continue that adventure, turning everyday moments into opportunities for discovery, growth, and joy.
Ready to see Forest School in action? Visit Footprints on the Moon and explore how your child can thrive through outdoor learning, curiosity, and creative play.