Friday Sept 4; Ages 5-11 Forest School Recap; Finding Our Place in the Web of Life 🌲
Finding Our Place in the Web of Life 🌲
What a wonderful first day of the new Forest School semester!
There is something special about the first day back
Some friendships are already there, some kids are meeting for the first time, and everyone is figuring out what this new group is going to become.
This week, we had returning students from last year, students who joined us over the summer, and one brand-new Forest School student. By the end of the day, we were already seeing friendships reconnect, new friendships begin, older kids include younger ones, and children confidently find their own place in the group.
And that ended up being a pretty fitting theme for the day.
Because just like every plant, animal, fungus, insect, and microorganism has a place in the forest, each of us has a place in the community around us.
A Strong Start to the Semester
We began our day with a hike to one of our farther-away Forest School spots.
And we were honestly impressed with how strong the kids were!
It was a good hike, and although we stopped for a couple of water breaks, the group handled it really well. There was plenty of conversation along the way, and it was exciting to see everyone settling into the rhythm of being outside together again.
One of the best parts of the hike wasn't even the hiking itself.
It was watching the group begin to become a new group.
Some of the girls who had been together before immediately picked up their friendships as if they had never been apart. Even better, we saw some of our older girls naturally begin including younger girls who had been too young to really play with them last year.
Those moments matter.
At Forest School, we're not just building outdoor skills. We're building a community where kids can learn how to notice others, make room for one another, lead, follow, cooperate, and find their own place.
Finding Our Own Places to Explore
When we reached our spot, the kids quickly began finding their own adventures.
Some of the girls discovered a really cool fort underneath a tree.
Some children settled down with books.
Others began exploring the area around the stream.
One of our teachers led a nature journaling activity. For this first day, we used the journals primarily as an art project and introduced the kids to the idea that their journals could become a place to record things they notice, draw things they see, write down questions, or document their adventures.
Everyone had the opportunity to decorate their journal and put their name on it.
One student was far too busy playing to be bothered with decorating—and honestly, that's okay too! We made sure he had a journal with his name on it and sent it home with him anyway.
There's plenty of time for him to decide what he wants to do with it.
Self-Directed Play in the Forest
After our group activities, the kids naturally divided into smaller groups.
Some collected flowers.
Some created hiding places for treasures.
And one group worked together to build a bridge across the stream.
They used logs, moss, dirt, and snake grass, figuring out together how they could create something that would allow them to cross.
This was one of those moments that might not look like a formal lesson—but there was a tremendous amount of learning happening.
They were:
Solving problems together
Testing ideas
Using natural materials
Communicating with one another
Making decisions
Adjusting when something didn't work
Thinking about how materials fit together
Working toward a shared goal
This is one of the things we love most about Forest School.
We don't have to manufacture every learning opportunity.
Sometimes the forest provides the lesson.
Learning That Everything Has a Purpose
Our main lesson for the day focused on a big idea:
The forest is connected.
A forest isn't simply a collection of individual things that happen to live in the same place.
The trees, flowers, insects, birds, mammals, fungi, worms, water, soil, and microorganisms all interact with one another.
And each one has a role.
Even things that we might not notice—or might not particularly like—can be incredibly important.
We loved reading our worm book because it connected so directly with what we were learning.
Worms may not seem particularly exciting at first glance, but they play an important role in breaking down organic material and helping cycle nutrients through the soil.
The kids who chose to listen to the book came into our lesson with a great head start on understanding just how important these little creatures can be.
We also had two students who particularly loved our book about the porcupine named Fluffy.
The Web of Life
To help bring all of this together, we played the Web of Life game from the American Museum of Natural History.
The basic game helps children see how different organisms are connected.
But we added a special twist.
We included a human card.
Then, whenever we connected one organism to another, we asked the kids to think about two questions:
“What does this organism take?”
and
“What does this organism give?”
For example:
A butterfly takes nectar from a flower.
But the butterfly also gives pollination to the flower.
A fox takes energy by eating a mouse.
But the fox also gives balance to the mouse population.
A worm takes decaying organic material.
And the worm gives back by helping break that material down and return nutrients to the soil.
Suddenly, the forest starts looking a little different.
Instead of seeing individual plants and animals, we start seeing relationships.
And Where Do Humans Fit?
This is where the human card became especially important.
It's easy to think about nature as something "out there" that humans visit.
But we're part of the web, too.
Humans take things from nature.
We take food.
We use wood.
We drink water.
We gather plants.
We use natural resources to build the things we need.
But the question we really wanted the kids to think about was:
“What do humans give back?”
We can protect habitats.
We can plant and care for native plants.
We can clean up litter.
We can responsibly harvest resources.
We can care for animals.
We can teach others.
We can respect the places we visit.
And we can make choices that help keep the web healthy.
This is an important shift in thinking.
Instead of teaching kids that they need to stay completely separate from nature, we want them to understand that they are already part of it.
The goal isn't simply to be a visitor in the forest.
It's to learn how to be a good participant in it.
A Quiet Moment by the Stream
One of the moments that stood out to me most happened away from the main group.
One of our students seemed particularly comfortable moving between group play and independent play throughout the day.
At one point, she was sitting beside the stream working in her nature journal.
I sat down beside her and asked what she was doing.
She told me she was working on her goals for Forest School this year.
Her goal?
To get better at whittling.
Then she started telling me how much she likes the sound of the stream and how calm it makes her feel.
I loved that moment.
Not because she was doing something impressive or because she had completed a
particular assignment.
But because she was noticing herself.
She recognized something about the natural world that helped her feel calm.
She had identified something she wanted to improve.
And she had chosen to sit quietly beside the water and work on her own thoughts while the rest of the group played nearby.
That kind of self-awareness is something we hope Forest School helps cultivate.
Learning to Notice
It's easy to walk through a forest without really seeing it.
We can walk past a tree without wondering what lives in it.
We can cross a stream without thinking about where the water came from or where it's going.
We can see a worm on the ground without realizing what it is doing for the soil.
We can watch a butterfly fly from flower to flower without understanding that we are witnessing an important relationship.
Forest School gives kids time to slow down and notice.
And the more they notice, the more connections they begin to see.
The more connections they see, the more they begin to understand that the forest isn't just a backdrop for our adventures.
It is a living community.
And we are part of it.
One More Lesson From the Day: Everyone Has a Place
As we watched the kids throughout the day, we saw a smaller version of the same idea playing out among the students.
Some kids wanted to play in a group.
Some wanted to build.
Some wanted to read.
Some wanted to collect flowers.
Some wanted to journal.
Some wanted to teach someone else how to braid.
One of our teachers taught a student how to braid, and now he's already planning to make friendship bracelets next week!
Everyone was contributing something different.
Everyone was learning something different.
Everyone was finding their own place.
And just like the forest, that's what makes the group stronger.
A Slow Hike Home
We began packing up around 2:00 and gathered together for our group picture.
The kids actually packed up much faster than expected!
That meant our hike home ended up being a little slower than we'd planned. Next time, we'll probably let the kids enjoy the spot a little longer before beginning the cleanup process.
But even the slower hike home gave us another opportunity to talk, laugh, and enjoy being together.
After all, there isn't always a reason to hurry through the forest.
Sometimes the journey is the point.
A Strong First Day
Overall, it was a fantastic first day of the new semester.
But my favorite part wasn't any single activity.
It was watching the group become a group.
Old friendships reconnected.
New kids found their place.
Older students included younger ones.
Kids moved comfortably between group play and independent exploration.
They built bridges, collected flowers, read books, made art, journaled, braided, explored, and solved problems together.
And throughout it all, they were beginning to learn a bigger lesson:
We are all connected.
The forest needs the worms.
The flowers need the pollinators.
The trees need the soil.
The animals depend on one another.
And humans are part of that web, too.
Our choices matter.
Our presence matters.
And we have a responsibility to learn how to live well within the incredible web of life that surrounds us.
That's the kind of learning we hope stays with our students long after they leave Forest School.
Keep exploring. Keep noticing. Keep learning. Keep growing wild. 🌿
🌲 Extended Learning at Home: Finding Your Place in Nature
The lesson doesn't have to end when Forest School does.
One of the best ways to help children develop a deeper relationship with nature is simply to keep asking questions when you're outside together.
You don't need a textbook or a formal lesson.
The next time you're on a family hike, camping trip, or even walking around your neighborhood, try asking:
“What do you notice?”
Then ask:
“What do you think that is connected to?”
And finally:
“What does it give, and what does it take?”
Those three questions can turn an ordinary walk into an exploration of the web of life.
1. Play Your Own Web of Life Game
You can recreate the activity we did at Forest School at home using index cards or scraps of paper.
Write the names or draw pictures of different organisms:
🌳 Tree
🐝 Bee
🦋 Butterfly
🐛 Caterpillar
🐛 Worm
🐭 Mouse
🦊 Fox
🦅 Hawk
🍄 Mushroom
💧 Water
☀️ Sun
👨👩👧 Human
Have your child connect the cards using pieces of string or yarn.
But use our Forest School twist:
For every connection, ask:
“What does it take?”
and
“What does it give?”
For example:
Flower → Butterfly
The butterfly takes nectar.
The flower receives pollination.
Mouse → Fox
The fox takes food.
The mouse population receives balance.
Tree → Worm
The worm takes fallen organic material.
The soil receives nutrients as that material is broken down.
Then get to the human card.
Ask your child:
“What do humans take from this web?”
Then ask the harder question:
“What can humans give back?”
There may be many different answers—and that's exactly the point.
2. Explore the American Museum of Natural History Web of Life Activity
The activity we used at Forest School comes from the American Museum of Natural History's Ology educational resources.
It's a great starting point for helping kids understand biodiversity and the relationships between living things.
Try playing the activity once normally, and then play it again using our “give and take” twist.
See if your child notices more connections the second time.
3. Go on a “Who Needs Who?” Nature Walk
Take a short walk and choose one living thing you see.
Maybe it's a tree.
Then ask:
Who needs this tree?
You might discover that birds use it for shelter, insects use it for food, fungi interact with its roots, people use its shade, and fallen leaves eventually become part of the soil.
Then choose another organism.
Who does it need?
Keep going until you've created your own mental web.
The goal isn't to come up with every answer.
The goal is to start noticing relationships.
4. Ask What the Forest Gives Us
Take a few minutes as a family to make a list of everything the forest provides.
You might come up with:
Food
Clean water
Oxygen
Shade
Wood
Medicine
Homes for wildlife
Places to play
Beauty
Quiet
Inspiration
Soil and nutrients
Opportunities to learn
Then ask:
“What do we give the forest?”
This question can lead to an important conversation about stewardship.
Maybe we give back by:
Protecting habitats
Picking up trash
Staying on appropriate trails
Respecting wildlife
Planting native species
Conserving water
Avoiding unnecessary damage
Learning about the places we visit
Teaching others to care for nature
5. Start a Family Nature Journal
Our students began decorating their nature journals this week, and your family can do the same thing at home.
A nature journal doesn't have to be complicated.
Your child can:
Draw something they saw.
Write down a question.
Describe a sound.
Record the weather.
Sketch a plant.
Write about an animal.
Describe how a place made them feel.
Or simply write:
“Today I noticed...”
There are no wrong answers.
For children who enjoy art, the journal can become primarily a sketchbook. For children who enjoy science, it can become a place to record observations. For children who enjoy writing, it can become a nature diary.
And for some kids, it might simply become a place to record their adventures.
6. Learn About Biodiversity
The American Museum of Natural History has a wonderful collection of Ology activities designed to help children explore science through interactive lessons and activities.
You can browse together and let your child choose something that catches their interest.
Sometimes the best way to encourage a love of nature is to let children choose what they want to wonder about next.
7. Practice Being a Good Guest in the Forest
One of the most important ideas we can teach children is that when we enter a natural area, we are guests in someone else's home.
Ask your child:
“If you were visiting someone's house, how would you treat it?”
Then apply the same idea to the forest.
Would you:
Leave garbage on the floor?
Break things just because you could?
Chase the animals?
Take everything you found?
Shout constantly?
Destroy someone's home?
Of course not.
The forest deserves that same respect.
This is a simple way to introduce children to outdoor ethics and the idea that respecting nature isn't just about following rules.
It's about developing a relationship with the places we visit.
The Forest Is More Than a Playground
We love watching our students climb trees, build forts, make things, explore streams, swing in hammocks, and get muddy.
Those experiences are important.
But underneath all of that play is something deeper.
We want children to develop a relationship with the natural world.
We want them to notice the worm beneath the log.
The sound of the stream.
The butterfly moving between flowers.
The tree that provides shelter.
The animal tracks in the mud.
The fallen leaves becoming soil.
The connections that aren't always obvious at first.
And eventually, we hope they begin to ask a bigger question:
“Where do I fit?”
Because the answer isn't that humans are outside of nature.
We are part of the web.
We take.
We give.
We depend on the world around us.
And the world around us is affected by the choices we make.
That's a lesson worth carrying far beyond Forest School.
We can't wait to see what our Sky River Adventurers discover next. 🌲
Keep exploring. Keep noticing. Keep learning. Keep growing wild.
