Why is a forest School a good choice for my child?

Forest Schools give children the opportunity to develop essential social-emotional and school-readiness skills in a unique, supportive, and inspiring environment. In our increasingly digital and indoor world, forest schools give their students the chance of a lifetime—the opportunity to develop a deep and meaningful connection with the natural world at an early age.

There is an abundance of research that supports the benefits of a forest school program. Students enrolled in forest school programs are more physically active, building healthy habits to last a lifetime. Extended time in nature has a wide range of social, emotional, and physical benefits for children, from helping to ease anxiety and ADHD symptoms to increasing feelings of confidence and self-efficacy. The open-ended experiences that children have at forest school programs allow them to develop creative problem-solving skills that are essential in our modern world. And, best of all, getting messy and playing outside is just plain FUN!

What if the weather is bad?

We are firm believers in the adage “there’s no bad weather, only bad clothing (choices).” As an all-outdoor nature program, we will be outside and celebrating all of the beautiful seasons that Michigan has to offer, including rain and snow. If it is unsafe to be outside for some reason (high winds, extreme cold, lightning, ice storms), we will hold school at an indoor location and families will be notified via text of a location change.

What about safety/accidents?

The health and safety of our students is our number one priority at all times. Our teachers are trained in First Aid and CPR, carry cell phones and first aid kits, and our low teacher-to-student ratio allows our teachers to keep a close eye on students at all times. If there is an accident of any kind, a full report will be taken and caregivers will be notified at the end of the day, if not sooner.

Generally, children who have experience playing outside injure themselves much less frequently than children who don’t have the privilege of extended outside time. This is because they are given the space and time to practice real-life risk assessment, gain essential gross motor skills, and understand their physical limits. These are skills that, when developed early in life, can help foster a lifetime of self-awareness and safety in the outdoors!

What does my child need to bring to school?

For all programs, students need to come to Forest School with:
- weather-appropriate clothing and a change of clothes (more information in Family Guide)
- water bottle with child’s name on it
- small backpack to carry supplies
- bug spray and/or sunblock, based on weather
- snack

Where will my child go to the bathroom?

We will have a small, private, portable toileting location for children to use. Our teachers are happy to help children learn to use this system, and have extra clothes in case of an accident! All Firefly Forest School students, for all programs, must be potty trained. For us, that means that they must be able to let a teacher know that they have to go to the bathroom, AND hold it until a teacher can help them get to the bathroom. If your child needs regular reminders to go to the bathroom to prevent an accident, they are not quite ready for forest school just yet!

What are your class sizes/ratios?

Our student to teacher ratio is quite low! Our Fox, Chickadee, and Coyote classes (for kids ages 3-6) have between 8 and 12 students and 2 to 3 teachers, and our ratio never exceeds 1:5. Our Red Tailed Hawks class has between 8 and 14 students and 2 teachers, with the ratio never exceeding 1:7.