Education
Without Walls

Our Programs
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Springwood Forest School is a licensed, full-day, year-round outdoor early learning program proudly serving families in Camano Island, Washington. We provide children with high-quality early education rooted in nature, because we aspire to live in a world where all children are students and stewards of the outdoors.

What is Forest School?
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It’s more than simply bringing school outside. Forest school is a time-tested, multicultural approach to teaching and learning with nature. Led by children’s innate curiosity, shaped by the seasons, and nurtured by trained teachers, forest school promotes whole-child development through experiential learning. Supported by an overwhelming body of research, outdoor access and nature-based education are essential to a healthy childhood and a hopeful future.

Even in the Rain

As the saying goes, there is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes. Children embrace the elements and we view the weather as a privilege of learning outdoors. Research tells us that skills like grit prepare children for success, and inclement weather presents opportunities for our students to build resilience. Simply put, some of our best days are in the rain.

Our Classroom

Children enjoy essential, but minimal, accommodations including nutritionally dense snacks, a warm water hand-washing station and a pop-up privacy tent for toileting. We eat meals, take naps, and enjoy numerous physical and cognitive benefits afforded through nature immersion.

We let families know what’s needed for each season, and children are welcome to borrow items from our school’s inventory. This guidance and support ensures every student is prepared to learn comfortably in all weather. Read more about our classroom here.