Woods Forest School - The Story

My childhood was chaotic and ever-changing, but I always had one constant: the freedom to play in the dirt and trees, getting lost in the fields, exploring bugs, and climbing trees. Nature has always been my grounding place.

I began working with children at a young age and earned a degree in Psychology and Early Childhood Education. My goal was to understand my childhood experiences and figure out how I could better support families and children. While working at various childcare centers and schools, I noticed that the environment was often overstimulating and stressful for both teachers and children. 

I was attending a conference and remember vividly a speaker; full of passion, frustration, and profound wisdom. He asked, “Why are you having the children sit? STOP that! Why are you forcing them to sit and then feeling overwhelmed when they don’t listen?” That was the moment when everything clicked for me. I began to change the way I viewed teaching and parenting. After the conference, I returned to my classroom and told my co-teacher, “We are changing things,” and she enthusiastically allowed me to lead the implementation of a child-led, play-based curriculum. The children began playing outside, climbing trees, getting muddy, painting on their bodies, and dancing all day long. It was beautiful to witness their energy and joy. It felt right. 

My journey continued when I visited my first forest school, Acorn Village, in Santa Ynez Valley. The children said goodbye to their parents and crossed a steady stream wearing their rain boots, each equipped with a full backpack for the school day. My curiosity was ignited. We sat on a blanket, drank tea, felted, sang, and swam in the river, catching tadpoles. That day solidified my desire to teach in this way, and I started making a vision board for my future outdoor school.

I immersed myself in learning about forest schools and our local fauna and flora. I reached out to everyone I knew in the forest school community, shadowed other programs, and sought mentorships. 

My school opened in January 2024, with just three children enrolled for two days a week. During the other two days, I held a parent-and-me class, which was essential for building community and teaching the foundations of play-based, child-led outdoor education. I loved sharing this experience with parents, helping them recognize how beneficial it was for them and their children to be in nature, even for just a short two-hour class.

I have hired wonderful, caring individuals to teach alongside me. I feel an incredible rush of happiness when I watched the children running freely under the pepper tree, laughing and chasing one another in our classroom. This is what I envisioned. 

Woods Forest School is an all-outdoor (rain or shine) early years nature play program - we have just recently launched our TK/K program as well. We are play-based and child-led, meaning our curriculum emerges from the children’s exploration of the world. This school was born out of a deep love for nature and connection to it from my own childhood. I believe that connecting with nature is a fundamental need for children.

Forest school raises many questions, and to us, it’s quite simple. We are reviving a practice that has been a custom for many decades, making it accessible once again. This tradition has been shown to effectively reduce stress and anxiety and contributes to children's physical, mental, and academic development.

Our environment is designed to facilitate growth by providing an open space where children can discover themselves and the world around them. Our teachers are always present to listen and understand the children. Whenever a child has an idea or a question, we encourage them by providing the necessary support.