Children are happier outside. Give a little one an hour in the sun to enjoy some fresh air and they will be more regulated, creative, and content. Allow a child to spend multiple hours outside, enjoying unstructured play and exploration - and you will have a forest school student. A child who is not just regulated - but has a strong sense of autonomy, agency, and understanding of the natural world (Sella et al., 2023). Our school structure allows for significant time outside,

By Ashley Hummert The changing seasons are a large part of experiencing forest school. Our students and teachers welcome the elements as they are, gearing up in waterproof pants on rainy days and layering up in thick snow pants during the winter. We get a front row seat to the magic: watching the setting and weather morph each time we go outside to play, bringing us new experiences, play themes, and fascination. There is a special song that each class sings at Raintree when

By Melanie Rodenbeck As a preschool teacher who works at a non traditional, Reggio-Emilia inspired forest school, I am frequently asked about our unique approach to academics. I enthusiastically describe our project work process as a response to these inquiries about Raintree’s philosophy. Oftentimes, people are left wondering, “How do you pick a project topic for such young children?” The answer is simple: I don't necessarily choose anything, the children lead the way. My

“ As long as materials can be moved, redesigned, put together, and taken apart in a variety of ways, they are classified as loose...