🌿 Forest School Daily Rhythm
Children have uninterrupted time to follow their interests, experiment, and explore. They learn through projects, movement, and spontaneous discovery.
9:00 – 9:30 | Arrival & Morning Greeting
- Children and families arrive.
- Unstructured play while teachers welcome and connect.
- Parents can "drop and go" in less than 3 minutes! (We know you're busy.) Or you can stay a few minutes and connect.
9:30 – 10:00 | Morning Circle
- Songs, finger plays, story, or movement games.
- Sharing of intentions for the day (child-led).
10:00 – 11:30 | Forest Exploration & Project Block (Flow time)
Activities rotate but stay child-led:
- Creek & water play
- Mud kitchen cooking
- Shelter building
- Nature journaling or sketching
- Seasonal foraging + observation
- Hiking & tracking animals
- Building with logs, crates, ropes
- Science invitations (magnets, balancing, ramps)
Weekly Project Themes may include:
- Fire & Heat: sunlight, cooking, warmth, safety
- Water: streams, puddles, ice, rain cycles
- Earth: soil, gardening, decomposers
- Air: wind, feathers, bubbles, seeds
- Animals: foxes, birds, bugs, animal tracks
- Forest Care: stewardship, sustainability, chores
11:30–12:00 | Lunch
- Picnic-style meal.
- Children participate in setup/cleanup.
ALT: 12:00-12:30 | Parent pick-up for 3hr-day students
- Upper-level Closing Circle: Reflections on the day & closing song
- Parent pick-up
12:00 – 2:00 | Intentional Stations & Free Play
Intentional Stations are choice play centers, or rotating invitations, such as:
Nature Arts
- Watercolor
- Clay
- Leaf pressing
- Weaving with sticks + yarn
Practical Skills
- Hammering nails into stumps
- Sanding wood
- Pouring, transferring, sorting
- Whittling (older 5–6s with supervision)
STEM Invitations
- Ramps & rolling
- Balancing scales
- Measuring sticks
- Nature puzzles
2:00 – 2:30 | Closing Circle
- Reflection on the day (what they saw, made, or felt).
- Gratitude practice or song.
2:30 – 3:00 | Dismissal
- Parents pick up.
- Calm transitions with teacher updates to families.
- Quick pick-ups always an option too!
⚖️ Notes:
- Rhythm is more important than rigid timing—flex with weather, group energy, and seasonal changes.
- Snack/lunch/rest times anchor the day, but much is child-led and outdoors.
- Daily rituals (greetings, songs, closing reflections) provide security and structure.
Become a Part of Our Forest School Community:
Child-Led & Play-Based
Cleverly planted tools & Intentional Stations give inspiration.
Children follow their own curiosity and imagination. They learn problem-solving, teamwork, independence, and resilience.
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