Rooted Path Forest School

24/03/2026

24/03/2026

During our wildlife walk at Forest School, the children made some fascinating discoveries! We found what appears to be a deer skull along with several other bones. The children had great fun examining them closely and working together to try and piece the skeleton back together like wildlife detectives.

We were also very excited when we spotted a deer during our walk as it darted off into the woods! It was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the wildlife that shares our Forest School space

17/03/2026

A wonderful Forest School day full of fun and discovery! 🌿 The children learned how to identify wild garlic (making sure not to confuse it with lords and ladies!) before turning it into delicious wild garlic pesto pasta. 🍃🍝

We also explored the spring equinox, thinking about the balance of day and night—and our own balance too—by walking the slack line and creating beautiful Earth spinners. 🌍✨ A perfect mix of nature, learning, and adventure

10/03/2026

Lovely day today being outside in nature playing, exploring and learning together. So much learning taking place behind a child using tools.

What might look like simple play with tools is actually a rich process of child-led learning.

The child begins with an idea. From there they start to problem solve — choosing pieces of wood, considering how they might fit together, and thinking about what tools might help them achieve their goal.

As they work, there is constant trial and error.
They measure, compare, adjust and try again. Sometimes the nails are too small, sometimes they bend, sometimes the wood shifts. Each moment becomes a learning opportunity as the child experiments with different nail sizes, hammer pressure, positioning and technique.

Tool use also introduces managed risk. Children learn to handle real tools carefully, developing coordination, concentration and responsibility while assessing their own safety and the safety of those around them.

Throughout the process there is deep internal thinking taking place:
• planning
• testing ideas
• adapting strategies
• persevering when something doesn’t work

And then comes the moment of achievement — when the pieces finally come together and the child steps back to look at something they have created themselves.

This sense of ownership and pride is incredibly powerful. It builds confidence, resilience, problem-solving skills and independence — all through a process that began simply with a child’s idea.

This is the beauty of child-led learning at Forest School: giving children the time, space and trust to explore, experiment and discover what they are capable of.

07/03/2026

We have definitely enjoyed the sunshine this week, but we were just as happy embracing the mud on Friday ! However I now have a wet tarps and lots of muddy gear to dry and clean !

02/03/2026

Spring is on its way, at Forest School recently the children experienced the magic of the season through exploring pond habitats. They thoroughly enjoyed pond dipping, carefully exploring the water and excitedly discovering fresh frogspawn – a sure sign that new life is beginning. In the woods we noticed beautiful new flowers blooming and fresh spring shoots emerging, sparking lots of curiosity and conversation. 🌼🌱

A real moment of awe and wonder came when we observed a newt eating some of the frogspawn. It was a powerful, real-life opportunity for the children to witness the food chain in action and develop a deeper understanding of nature, habitats, and life cycles. These hands-on experiences help nurture respect, curiosity, and a true connection with the natural world. 🐸💧

28/02/2026

We had the most magical time with our Home Ed group at Wilderness Wood this week 🌿

The children fully immersed themselves in woodland life — crafting their own bows and arrows, creating imaginative role play worlds, trading with their own woodland currency, and climbing, swinging, and exploring with ropes in their wild outdoor playground. There was such teamwork, creativity, and joy in every moment. We ended the session gathered around the fire, sharing pancakes and stories together — the perfect woodland ending 🥞🔥

28/02/2026

We had the most magical time with our Home Ed group at Wilderness Wood this week 🌿

The children fully immersed themselves in woodland life — crafting their own bows and arrows, creating imaginative role play worlds, trading with their own woodland currency. There was such teamwork, creativity, and joy in every moment. We ended the session gathered around the fire, sharing pancakes and stories together — the perfect woodland ending 🥞🔥

28/02/2026

We are listening and growing 🌱 Michele will be at Wilderness Wood on Wednesday morning to meet other Home Ed families, hear your ideas, and explore how we can expand and offer even more opportunities for children to learn and thrive outdoors.

If you’d like to be part of it, check out the link to register your interest:
https://www.wildernesswood.org/whatson/forest-school-home-ed-drop-in

An informal sit and chat session at the Cook House for home educating families with children from age 7 upwards. Help us sound out the future of our home ed Forest School offer at Wilderness Wood.  We want to hear from you!

17/12/2025

Lovely day with Little Horsted Primary school

03/12/2025

What a wonderful day we had at Forest school 🌲✨
Even in the colder, wetter weather, the children thrived outdoors — exploring the woods, crafting with natural materials, feeding the birds, and building friendships. Research shows that time spent outside in varied weather helps strengthen children’s resilience, boosts their immune systems, supports emotional regulation, and encourages problem-solving through real-world challenges. Today we saw all of that in action.

It was a joy to watch their confidence grow as they embraced the elements and discovered just how capable they are. A perfect way to end our sessions before the winter break.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back in January 2026 for more muddy, meaningful adventures! 💚❄️🌧️

11/11/2025

Wonderful day today thinking about hedgehogs and hibernating- playing hide and seek in the woods and making art with some magpie ink caps !