The Forest School concept appeared in Scandinavia, in the 1950s. The first record, at least, goes back to this decade, when Ella Flatau created a "Walking Kindergarten" in Denmark, where children went for daily walks in the forest. After a few years, it became common to find schools that took children to the countryside and in the 1970s and 1980s, it was commonplace to find forest kindergartens all over Denmark, mostly to deal with the lack of facilities for preschool education.
The current Forest School methodology is based on nature-based learning sessions focused on the individuality of the child and the importance of play, based on observation and collaboration between adults and children, in a natural environment (woods, forest) that promotes exploration and discovery.
When investing in the comprehensive development of children, one can get them to become resilient, confident, independent and active adults, with strong physical, social, cognitive, linguistic, emotional and social development. Besides, the creation of opportunities so that children can assume risks enables the development of their innate motivation and positive attitudes, using appropriate tools.
Forest School projects are assured by professionals who maintain their continued professional development, using a high ratio of adults:children, always in compliance with the applicable legislation.
For more information, we think these videos illustrate very well what is being done in other countries in the domain of Forest School.