Welcome to
The Practical Forest School
We provide forest school programmes and events to schools as well as independent afterschool clubs and birthday parties in and around Horsham, West Sussex.
We believe in the power of being outdoors. We believe that children should be free to play because play is learning. We believe that a stick can be anything, and that life skills like risk taking can be developed in a child-led environment.
We offer both forest school sessions and curriculum-led outdoor learning where children can get away from their desks. Let’s bring the National Curriculum to life and help kids understand their natural world.
We love the lightbulb moments when a child suddenly realises they can light a fire, or jump a stream, or walk a slackline… when they’re proud of the stick man, the carving, the leaf art that they’ve made.
We can bring those experiences to your school, either through curriculum-based sessions (think: meteorology, the natural world, habitats, history, science, biology) or through child-led free play sessions through afterschool clubs.
Afterschool Clubs
Our blog
Find out what’s happening in the forest school world, get ideas for outdoor activities to use with your own groups, download printables and learning resources and follow along with our journey as we create outdoor learning experiences for children in Sussex!
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How to Choose a Forest School: Questions Worth Asking Before You Sign Up
Practical questions to ask before choosing a forest school for your child, from qualifications and group size to what a typical session looks like.
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What Is Outdoor Education? Forest School, Bushcraft and Everything In Between
Outdoor education covers a lot more than forest school. Here’s how the different approaches compare, and where forest school fits in.
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Forest School Equipment: What’s Actually in Our Kit Bag
A real look at the forest school equipment to use, from tools for children to what leaders carry for safety.
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7 Five-Minute Forest School Warm-Up Games
Seven simple, no-kit warm-up games we use at forest school to get children moving, noticing their surroundings, and ready for the session ahead.
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Forest School Training: What the Levels Actually Involve (For Grown-Ups, Not Kids)
A plain-English guide to forest school training levels 1 to 3, who they’re for, and why children never “do” a level themselves.
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Global Nature Awareness Days (Free Printable)
Download our free printable of dates to remember in the environmental calendar!
