About
Established in 2017
West Coast Forest School follows the Forest School educational philosophy which emphasizes child-led inquiry and free play in nature. Our leaders are dedicated to making the children’s experience in the forest as inspiring, fun and safe as possible.
We provide Spring Break and Summer Break camps in Southern Vancouver Island in partnership with Saanich Parks and Recreation and Westshore Parks and Recreation.
We also publish original children’s books and, new in 2020, we opened an online store with our merchandise, nature themed gifts and educational resources.
West Coast Forest School follows the Forest School ethos. Forest School is an educational philosophy that stems from traditional indigenous ways of learning and being. It is founded on the belief that all children have a right to self-guided outdoor play – to muddy hands, to making forts, and to overcoming the inevitable bumps and bruises of time spent outside. Through this kind of regular, repeated outdoor play and healthy risk-taking, children build essential life skills: self-esteem, resiliency, and a sense of interdependence with each other and with the natural world.
The role of the educator at Forest School is much more akin to that of a mentor than to that of a typical teacher. Forest School educators observe and interact with children in order to discern the edges of their comforts and knowledge. When needed, we are there to offer a pathway to deepen the learning experience. We ask questions to draw out what the child already knows and what they want to know. We may offer guidance in the form of a field guide, knot, or tool. Our most important role as educators is to trust children to follow their own train of thought.
Kids Say The Darnedest Things – Forest School Style
“That’s my dead beetle.” This is the kind of quote that makes you wonder whether that sentence has ever been said before. Outside of a small niche group of very
Top 10 Highlights of Summer 2018 at Forest School Camp
Now that summer is winding down and we are turning to the season of back to school, let’s take a look back on the four weeks West Coast Forest School
Learning: The Forest School Way
Learning: The Forest School Way
Forest School for Self-Esteem and Emotional Intelligence
Forest School for Self-Esteem and Emotional Intelligence