Thursday Sept 10; ages 5-11; Forest School Recap: Hikes, Hammocks, Birthday Surprises & Growing Wild
What a great day at Sky River Forest School! 🌲
Some Forest School days are packed with big adventures, while others are filled with the little moments that remind us why we love learning outdoors so much. This week’s Forest School day had a little bit of everything—hiking, jokes, hammocks, crafts, bows and arrows, storytelling, outdoor learning, and even a very special birthday celebration.
And perhaps best of all, the kids spent the day simply enjoying being together outside.
A Hike Full of Jokes and Riddles
We started the day with a good hike, and this group was completely up for it!
As we made our way along the trail, we shared jokes and riddles at each of the bridges we crossed. The kids quickly got into the rhythm of hiking, talking, laughing, and looking forward to the next bridge—and the next riddle.
One of our favorites was:
“Twenty people were in a shipwreck, but twenty-four heads bobbed up in the water. How is this possible?”
The answer?
They were still just 20 people... they all had foreheads! 😂
It was exactly the kind of silly humor that makes a Forest School hike so much fun.
Rather than rushing to get from one place to another, we get to enjoy the journey. The trail becomes part of the experience, and conversation, laughter, curiosity, and friendship naturally happen along the way.
Finding Our Own Adventures
Once we reached our spot, the kids were quick to figure out what they wanted to do.
Some headed toward the trees to climb.
Others settled near the water with a snack.
Some began making cornhusk dolls, while others got busy setting up hammocks.
This is one of our favorite things about Forest School: there isn't just one way to have an adventure.
Kids can explore their own interests, challenge themselves at their own pace, and spend time practicing skills that naturally capture their attention.
Some children want to climb as high as they can. Others would rather sit quietly by the water. Some love creating things with their hands, while others immediately start figuring out how to build the perfect hammock setup.
There is room for all of it.
Learning to Leave No Trace
As the group split into our younger and older/more advanced groups, the younger students got focused on an important outdoor skill: Leave No Trace.
We talked about what it means to take care of the places we visit and how our choices in nature can have an impact long after we've gone home.
The kids especially loved an activity where they matched different types of garbage with the number of years it can take for that material to decompose.
It was a great way to make the lesson concrete. Suddenly, a piece of trash isn't just something you see on the ground—it becomes something that could remain in the environment for years, decades, or even much longer.
We also learned the Leave No Trace Seven Principles, along with hand gestures to help us remember each one.
You can learn along with us here: Seven Principles of Leave No Trace.
These are lessons we hope become second nature for our students. When children learn to appreciate wild places and understand how to care for them, they become stewards of those places.
Hammocks, Songs & Storytelling
After our lesson, it was time to get back to exploring.
One of the highlights was a game of Create the Story, where the kids worked together to create a story one word at a time while sitting in one of the hammocks.
As you can imagine, the stories got pretty funny!
There were lots of laughs as everyone tried to figure out what word should come next and where the story might be going.
We also made up songs, spent plenty of time swinging in hammocks, and simply enjoyed being outside together.
These moments may look like "just playing," but there is so much happening underneath them—communication, creativity, cooperation, problem-solving, imagination, and the confidence to contribute an idea to a group.
Bows, Arrows & Giant Leaf Targets
The kids also spent time making bows and arrows and practicing their shooting skills.
They got creative with their targets, too!
Rather than using something we brought from home, they found giant leaves and hung them from fallen trees to create their own targets.
This is exactly the kind of creativity we love seeing at Forest School.
Give kids a place, some natural materials, and a little freedom, and they will often come up with ideas we never would have thought of ourselves.
A Very Special Birthday Celebration 🎂
As the day began to wind down, everyone gathered together for some storybook time.
But there was one more special surprise before the day was over.
We had a birthday girl celebrating with us!
The kids decided to make her a birthday cake—but this wasn't an ordinary cake.
They made a mud birthday cake and decorated it with flowers, leaves, and candles made from snake grass.
Then everyone gathered around and sang Happy Birthday to her.
It was such a sweet highlight of the day.
But the kids weren't finished.
Some of the children had secretly been working on a birthday gift for her. Using snake grass, they carefully wove it together and tied it off with cornhusks to make a little bed for her cornhusk dolls.
Then they gathered big leaves to serve as the dolls' sheets and blankets.
Finally, they wrapped the entire present in giant leaves.
When it was time to give her the gift, the kids presented it to her while everyone sang Happy Birthday.
She got to unwrap her special Forest School present—and she was so excited.
What made the moment especially meaningful wasn't the gift itself. It was the thoughtfulness behind it.
The kids noticed someone in their group was celebrating a special day, and they decided to use the materials around them, their creativity, and their time to make something just for her.
Those are the moments we treasure at Forest School.
The Hike Home
After a full day of exploring, creating, learning, and playing, it was finally time to head back.
And these kids were fantastic!
The group made the hike home with plenty of laughs and conversation—and not a single complaint.
That is saying something after a full day outside!
By the time we made it back, everyone had spent hours moving, exploring, creating, and enjoying the outdoors.
Ending the Day With Something New
We finished our day in the grass with our giant parachute, getting to know and play with our fun new teachers.
It was the perfect way to end an already fantastic Forest School day.
From the first hike of the morning to the final parachute game, this day was full of the things we hope our students experience at Sky River:
Adventure.
Friendship.
Creativity.
Confidence.
Outdoor skills.
Curiosity.
Kindness.
And, of course, plenty of time to grow wild. 🌿
🌲 Extended Learning at Home: Become a Better Camper
One of the best things you can do after a Forest School day is keep the conversation going at home.
You don't need to create another school lesson or sit your kids down for a long lecture. Some of the best outdoor education happens around the dinner table, on a family hike, or while you're getting ready for your next camping trip.
This week, we focused on Leave No Trace, outdoor responsibility, and camping skills, so here are a few resources and activities your family can use to continue learning together.
1. Learn the Leave No Trace Seven Principles
The Leave No Trace Seven Principles give families a simple framework for making good decisions outdoors.
They include ideas such as planning ahead, traveling and camping responsibly, disposing of waste properly, leaving natural objects where you find them, minimizing campfire impacts, respecting wildlife, and being considerate of other visitors.
The official Leave No Trace organization has a great overview of the principles here:
Try this at home:
Pick one principle each day and ask your child:
“What would this look like on our next camping trip?”
For example:
What would it mean to Leave What You Find?
How could we Respect Wildlife?
What could we do to Be Considerate of Other Visitors?
What would we need to do before starting a campfire?
What happens if everyone leaves just one piece of trash behind?
These questions can lead to some surprisingly good conversations.
2. Watch Leave No Trace Videos for Kids
The Leave No Trace organization has an excellent Youth Educator Video Library with short activities and videos designed specifically for teaching kids outdoor ethics.
One particularly fun resource is the Seven Principles Hand Signals activity, which is similar to the hand signals we practiced at Forest School.
They also have activities such as Camp Oh No!, Would You Drink It?, and How to Camp at Home.
3. Try the Trash Timeline Challenge
This is especially relevant because we did a version of this activity at Forest School!
Have your child collect pictures—or safely use clean examples—of several common items such as:
Banana peel
Paper
Cardboard
Plastic bottle
Aluminum can
Glass bottle
Have everyone guess:
“How long do you think this would take to break down if someone left it outside?”
Then compare your guesses with the actual information.
The Leave No Trace organization has a Trash Timeline activity specifically designed to get kids thinking about how long different objects can remain in the environment.
4. Let Your Child Become the Camping Safety Expert
Before your next family camping trip, let your child help make the safety plan.
The National Park Service has a fantastic collection of resources covering everything from preparing for a camping trip to staying safe during the trip and cleaning up afterward.
You can turn this into a game:
“What Would You Do?”
Ask your child questions like:
You're getting ready to go camping and the weather forecast suddenly changes. What should you do?
You see a wild animal near your campsite. What should you do?
Someone accidentally drops food near the tent. What should you do?
Your family is getting ready to leave the campsite. What should you check before you go?
The campfire looks like it's almost out. Is that good enough?
These kinds of questions help kids practice making decisions instead of simply memorizing rules.
The National Park Service recommends planning ahead, understanding local regulations and conditions, preparing appropriate gear, and knowing what to do in an emergency before heading out.
5. Practice Campfire Safety
Campfires are one of the most memorable parts of camping—but they also require respect.
Teach children that a campfire is never something to play around with and that adults should be responsible for starting, maintaining, and completely extinguishing the fire.
The National Park Service recommends checking current fire restrictions, using designated fire areas when fires are allowed, never leaving a fire unattended, and making sure the fire is completely extinguished before leaving.
Family challenge:
The next time you have a campfire, have your child be the “Fire Safety Inspector.”
Their job can be to remind the family to check:
Is a fire allowed here?
Is the fire in the correct location?
Is someone watching it?
Do we have enough water nearby?
Is the fire completely cold before we leave?
That last question is especially important. A fire that looks out may still contain hot coals.
6. Practice Good Camping Etiquette
Camping isn't just about taking care of nature. It's also about taking care of other people who are enjoying the outdoors.
Good camping etiquette includes things like:
Keeping noise at a reasonable level
Respecting quiet hours
Staying within your designated campsite
Keeping pets under control
Cleaning up your entire campsite
Respecting other campers' privacy
Keeping food and trash secured
Leaving the campsite clean—or even cleaner than you found it
The National Park Service has a dedicated section on camp etiquette as part of its camping education resources.
You can also look at the rules for the specific campground where you're staying. Quiet hours, fire restrictions, food storage requirements, pets, and other rules can vary from one location to another.
7. Become a Leave No Trace Family
If your child really enjoys this topic, Leave No Trace has an especially fun resource called PEAK Online, designed for kids approximately ages 7–12.
It uses videos and activities to help kids understand the Seven Principles and how their choices affect the places they visit. Kids can even earn a digital certificate after completing the course.
There are also additional free activities for families, including Bigfoot & Friends, What Principle Am I?, Trash Timeline, 7 Principles Hand Signals, and other interactive activities.
The Goal Isn't Just to Know the Rules
At Sky River, we don't want our students to simply memorize a list of outdoor rules.
We want them to understand why those practices matter.
Why shouldn't we leave trash behind?
Why shouldn't we feed wildlife?
Why do we need to be careful with fire?
Why should we leave flowers, rocks, plants, and other natural objects where we find them?
Why should we be considerate of other people enjoying the outdoors?
When kids understand the "why," they begin to develop something much more valuable than a list of rules:
an outdoor ethic.
And that is something they can carry with them for the rest of their lives.
So on your next family hike, camping trip, or afternoon outside, give your child a chance to be the expert.
Ask them:
“What would a Sky River Adventurer do?” 🌲
Then let them show you.
Because we're not just raising kids who know how to enjoy the outdoors.
We're helping raise the next generation of people who will take care of it.
Keep exploring. Keep learning. Keep growing wild. 🌿
