Nature & Forest Schooling with
Open Education

For generations, "school" has meant four walls, fluorescent lights, and staying in your seat until the bell rings. Children learned about trees from textbooks, studied weather from inside climate-controlled rooms, and charted complex ecosystems through simplified worksheets.

But a growing number of parents and educators have begun asking: Why not put the classroom outside?

Nature school enrollment has exploded 200% since 2017. Over 800 programs now serve 25,600 children across America—and 70% maintain waitlists. This isn't a fringe movement anymore. It is parents recognizing what research increasingly confirms: children who spend significant time learning outdoors show measurably better attention spans, physical health, creativity, and academic performance than their indoor-only peers.

Through OpenEd, families can now access nature-based programs without choosing between outdoor learning and everything else. You don't have to abandon structure to embrace the wild. Instead, nature becomes a powerful component you blend with academics, technology, and other learning approaches.

Understanding Nature Schooling

Nature schooling refers to any form of education where a substantial portion of learning takes place outdoors, through child-led exploration in natural environments. Unlike traditional "outdoor education" field trips that treat nature as an occasional add-on, nature schools make the outdoors the organizing principle around which everything else revolves.

The philosophy emerged from the Scandinavian tradition of friluftsliv (pronounced free-loofts-liv). Translating to "free air life," it is the cultural concept that being outdoors is essential to human well-being, regardless of the activity. It’s not about "exercising outside"; it is simply being outside.

This concept traveled to the U.S. via pioneers like Erin Kenny and was culturally cemented by Richard Louv’s book Last Child in the Woods, which coined the term "nature-deficit disorder." Louv argued that the disconnection from nature was creating a fundamental developmental gap.

"Unlike television, nature does not steal time; it amplifies it," Louv wrote.

The impact is measurable. Studies consistently show that green outdoor settings significantly reduce ADHD symptoms and improve focus. Teachers report that they can teach uninterrupted for twice as long after an outdoor lesson compared to an indoor one. Children spending significant time outdoors also show lower rates of myopia (nearsightedness).

In a nature school, there is no "bad weather," only bad clothing. Children learn resilience by navigating rain, snow, and heat. They develop risk-assessment skills by climbing trees and handling tools. They learn that they are part of the ecosystem, not separate from it.

Understanding Forest Schooling

While often used interchangeably with "nature schooling," Forest Schooling typically refers to a more structured approach, often tied to specific certifications or pedagogical traditions like the "Cedarsong Way" or European forest kindergarten models.

A typical forest school day follows a predictable rhythm rather than a rigid clock. It might begin with an opening circle or gratitude ritual, followed by a hike to a consistent location—the same patch of woods visited repeatedly across seasons. This consistency allows children to notice subtle changes: a new bird's nest, shifting moss patterns, or the changing flow of a creek.

The goal of this rhythm is to shift the child from passive recipient to active participant.

Tyler Thigpen, founder of The Forest School in Georgia and the Institute for Self-Directed Learning, argues that this shift is critical. His work—which blends outdoor learning with Socratic methods—is a response to what he calls "an epidemic of dependent learners."

"You’ve got a learner in a classroom for 12 years, having to follow rules they didn’t make and answer questions they didn’t ask," Thigpen explains. "If you do that for enough time, what does it do to your spirit? It trains you to wait for permission."

In a forest school, there is no permission to wait for. The environment demands agency. When a child finds a beetle, the lesson becomes about insects. When the group discovers animal tracks, the lesson becomes about biology. Adults facilitate rather than direct, asking questions that deepen the inquiry rather than providing instant answers.

The spectrum of these schools is vast. It ranges from therapeutic programs like BreakOut School in Utah, which serves children with ADHD and autism by utilizing the calming effects of nature, to full-immersion programs like The Forest School of Minnesota, where children are outside all day, year-round.

Nature + Forest Schooling and Open Education

Perhaps the biggest misconception about nature schooling is that it must be "all or nothing." Many parents believe they have to choose between a full-time forest program (often worrying about academic rigor) or a traditional indoor school.

Open Education changes the equation.

The core insight of OpenEd is that no single approach serves every child every day. You can unbundle education, taking the best parts of different philosophies and blending them.

This allows you to design a week that honors both the need for academic progress and the need for wild, unstructured time.

The Hybrid Model

The explosion of 2-3 day weekly forest school programs means families can now use nature as a "app" in their operating system to combat this dependency while maintaining academic progress and rigor.

  • Tuesday & Thursday: Your child attends a forest school for immersion, social connection, and sensory integration.
  • Monday & Wednesday: They focus on efficient, high-quality academics using adaptive software, tutors, or classical curricula.
  • Friday: A family adventure, project-based learning, or “deschooling.”

This hybrid model solves the academic anxiety many homeschool parents feel. If a student can complete their math practice in 30 focused minutes using adaptive software (rather than dragging through 90 minutes of classroom worksheets), that creates an hour for hiking. Efficient academics create the margin for outdoor wonder.

Technology in the Wild

Nature and technology are not enemies; they can be partners. A prime example is the Daylight Computer DC-1. Unlike iPads that wash out in sunlight, this tablet uses a unique display that becomes more visible in bright light. It allows a student to read a history textbook, write a report, or study biology diagrams while sitting under an oak tree. It bridges the gap, proving that serious study doesn't require being chained to a desk.

Finding Nature Schooling through OpenEd

OpenEd operates in nine states (Utah, Oregon, Indiana, Minnesota, Arkansas, Kansas, Montana, Iowa, and Nevada), allowing families to access funding for educational resources—including nature-based programs.

What Qualifies?

To work within the OpenEd framework, programs generally need to be:

  1. Secular: Educational, not religious.
  2. Part-time/Enrichment: Programs that operate as co-ops, enrichment clubs, or part-time supplemental schools often fit perfectly.

State-by-State Program Highlights

While new programs launch constantly, these examples highlight the depth of options available in OpenEd states.

Utah

  • Nature Kids Connect: Operating in the Sandy/Draper area, this Friday enrichment program uses the Coyote Mentoring model. Activities include sit spots, nature journaling, and unstructured exploration.
  • BreakOut School: A specialized program with multiple locations for students with ADHD and autism, utilizing outdoor learning as a therapeutic and educational tool.
  • Wasatch Nature School: Serving hundreds of families across the Wasatch Front, offering everything from preschool to elementary enrichment.
  • Wonderbloom Nature School: Utah’s first licensed nature-based preschool, featuring a Nature Explore Certified outdoor classroom.

Oregon

  • Earthwise Forest School: Located near Grants Pass on 420+ acres, integrating permaculture, Waldorf methods, and mindfulness.
  • Wildwood Nature School: A Portland-based program offering parent-child classes and preschool immersion.
  • Bend Forest School: Serving Central Oregon with programs for preschool through primary grades.
  • Rewild Portland: Focuses on ancestral skills and nature immersion for homeschoolers in the Portland area.

Indiana

Minnesota

Arkansas

  • Ferncliff Nature Preschool: A forest kindergarten model where children spend 75% of their day immersed in the natural environment on a 1200-acre site.
  • Evergreen Academy: A modern "one-room schoolhouse" microschool with a strong nature component.

Kansas

Montana, Iowa, & Nevada

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What Qualifies?

To work within the OpenEd framework, programs generally need to be:

  1. Secular: Educational, not religious.
  2. Part-time/Enrichment: Programs that operate as co-ops, enrichment clubs, or part-time supplemental schools often fit perfectly.

Building Your Own Culture

If a formal program isn't available, frameworks like 1000 Hours Outside and Wild + Free provide the structure for families to build their own nature-based routines.

For many, this DIY approach is not a compromise, but a philosophy. As Wild + Free founder Ainsley Arment writes, "A magical childhood isn't about having the best toys, gadgets, and vacations.” 

(Nor is it about belonging to the fanciest private nature school.)

“It's actually the opposite,” Arment continues, “It's about simplicity. A magical childhood is about freedom—freedom to explore, discover, and play."

This aligns with the goal of Ginny Yurich, founder of 1000 Hours Outside, whose grassroots movement isn't about rigid tracking, but about counteracting the “digital drift” of modern life. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What if there's no forest school near me?

Start independently using the 1000 Hours Outside framework. Connect with Wild + Free to find or start a local group. Many families create their own "forest school" simply by committing to meet other families at the same park, at the same time, every week.

How do I balance outdoor time with academic requirements?

Efficiency is key. Use adaptive learning apps for math and reading to cover core skills quickly. This frees up hours for outdoor exploration. Many families "frontload" academics in the morning (8 am – 11 am) and spend the rest of the day outside.

What about the weather? Do programs really go out in winter?

Yes. As the saying goes, "There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing." Children adapt quickly when dressed in layers. The experience of navigating rain, snow, and cold builds resilience and adaptability that a climate-controlled room cannot teach.

Is nature school reimbursable through OpenEd?

In many cases, yes. Part-time nature programs, forest school co-ops, and outdoor educational equipment (like field guides or the Daylight Computer) can often be funded through OpenEd, provided they meet state-specific criteria for secular, educational expenses.

Reclaiming Childhood

We are living in an era of "nature deficit," where children can recite detailed facts about rainforest ecosystems but cannot name the birds in their own backyard.

Nature and forest schooling offers a way back. It doesn't require rejecting technology or abandoning academic standards. It simply recognizes that the natural world is a foundational teacher.

Through OpenEd, you are the architect. You can build a childhood where trees are climbed, creeks are mapped, and learning is an adventure rather than a chore. Whether you enroll in a formal forest school or simply dedicate your Fridays to the woods, you are reclaiming space for your child to grow.

Ready to reclaim your kid's childhood?

Apply for OpenEd now.

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