July 10; Ages 5-10 Class at Utah's Forest School

New Friends, Tiny Discoveries, and Growing Confidence: A Day at Forest Friday

Some days at Forest School are full of big adventures. Others are filled with quieter moments that remind us just how much children grow when they're given the freedom to explore, create, and solve problems together.

This week was one of those days.

We began our morning in our opening circle, welcoming several new faces and reviewing our Forest School agreements. Whether it's your first day or your fiftieth, starting together helps create a sense of belonging and reminds us how we care for each other and the places we explore.

From there, we headed up the trail to our home base for the day. After setting up hammocks and spreading out our picnic blanket, it didn't take long for the children to transform the area into something entirely their own. Before long, a "secret house" had appeared, complete with an imaginative new name: The Buried Fairy Treasure Spot.

Moments like these are one of our favorite parts of Forest School. Give children a beautiful outdoor space, and they'll create worlds adults never would have imagined.

Learning Through Curiosity

A small stream winding through our site quickly became the center of exploration.

Throughout the day, children worked together to build dams, stack rocks into bridges, and experiment with changing the flow of the water. They tested ideas, made adjustments, and celebrated when their designs worked—or laughed together when they didn't.

Without even realizing it, they were practicing engineering, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving, all through play.

Looking Closer at Nature

This week also gave us several opportunities to slow down and really observe the natural world.

Using our microscope, we examined giant leaves the children had collected after pretending they were umbrellas. Looking closely, we noticed that the tops and bottoms of the leaves looked surprisingly different. Together we talked about why plants might be designed that way and how those tiny details help them survive.

We also took a close look at a dead beetle we found along the trail. Under the microscope, even something small became fascinating. The children noticed details they would never have seen otherwise, asking thoughtful questions and making careful observations.

It's amazing what children discover when they're simply given permission to be curious.

Building Skills Safely

For many of our students, this week marked their very first experience with whittling.

Before anyone picked up a knife, we spent time learning our three most important safety rules:

• Stay at least an arm's length away from others.

• Always keep the blade pointed away from your body.

• Sit down while using your knife.

  
  

To help everyone practice safely, we started by carving bars of soap instead of wood. This allows children to focus on proper technique and knife control while building confidence in a safe, encouraging environment.

Watching the pride on their faces as they created their first carvings was a highlight of the day.

New Faces Becoming Friends

This group included several children who were brand new to Forest School. For some, it was also their first time attending without an older sibling or parent nearby.

As the day unfolded, it was wonderful to watch friendships naturally form. Children drifted between different groups, invited one another into games, and gradually became more comfortable exploring independently.

One of the beautiful things about outdoor education is that friendships often grow naturally through shared adventures rather than structured activities.

Caring for Each Other

Partway through the afternoon, one of our students, fell on a rock and their hand needed some extra attention.

While one instructor stayed with him, Miss Katelyn gathered the rest of the group for a fun river bandana activity to help everyone cool down while waiting. The children handled the unexpected change with maturity and patience.

When it became clear that we needed to head back, the group packed up quickly, helped each other carry supplies, and made their way down the trail with remarkably positive attitudes.

One moment especially stood out.

Finn quietly offered to carry the injured student's backpack for the rest of the hike.

Simple acts of kindness like this are difficult to teach through a lesson. They grow naturally in communities where children spend meaningful time caring for one another.

Ending the Day Together

Back at the river, we slowed down with a little more exploring, a few rounds of Hands Up, Stand Up and Red Light, Green Light, and some quiet time reading together before closing our day.

Looking back, what stands out most isn't just the crafts we made or the skills we practiced.

It's the confidence we saw growing.

Children who started the morning feeling uncertain were climbing trees, making new friends, trying new skills, and exploring independently by the afternoon.

Those small moments of courage often become the biggest victories.

At Forest School, we're certainly teaching outdoor skills—but just as importantly, we're helping children discover that they are capable, resilient, creative, and kind.

And that's a lesson worth taking home.

🌲 Parent Resources: Continue the Adventure at Home

Learning doesn't have to stop when Forest Friday ends. Here are a few ways to continue this week's discoveries together.

Explore Nature Up Close

Bring along a magnifying glass or inexpensive handheld microscope on your next family walk. Look closely at:

• Leaves (compare the top and bottom)

• Tree bark

• Moss

• Flowers

• Feathers

• Insects (observe without disturbing them)

Ask:

• What do you notice that you couldn't see before?

• Why do you think this part of the plant or insect looks that way?

Learn more:

• The National Wildlife Federation has excellent family-friendly nature activities.

  
  

www.nwf.org

Kids and Family | National Wildlife Federation

The National Wildlife Federation has programs, tools, and resources to help parents find new ways to engage their children outside.

Build a Mini Stream Challenge

If you visit a shallow creek (where permitted), encourage your child to experiment with:

• Building a small dam

• Creating a tiny bridge

• Redirecting water through a channel

Talk about:

• What makes water move faster?

• What happens when you block the flow?

• Which rocks worked best?

Practice Observation with iNaturalist

Help your child identify plants, fungi, insects, and animals you find outdoors.

https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/seek_app?utm_source=chatgpt.com

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www.inaturalist.org

iNaturalist

iNaturalist is a social network for naturalists! Record your observations of plants and animals, share them with friends and researchers, and learn about the natural world.

Continue Safe Whittling Skills

If your child is interested in carving, continue emphasizing safe habits before working with wood:

• Sit while carving.

• Keep the blade pointed away.

• Maintain a "safety circle" around yourself.

• Always work with adult supervision.

Soap carving is still a wonderful way to practice technique before moving to soft wood.

Encourage Imaginative Play

The next time you're outside, ask your child:

• What would you name this place?

• Who might live here?

• If this became a tiny village, what would happen?

You'll be amazed how quickly an ordinary patch of woods becomes a kingdom, a fairy village, or an explorer's camp.

Read Together

Books that celebrate curiosity and nature can keep the adventure going long after the hike.

Some family favorites include:

• The Lost Words

• We Are Water Protectors

• Last Child in the Woods (especially for parents interested in the benefits of outdoor play)

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