Outdoor Learning Part 3: Forest Nature Schools and Emotional Wellbeing

This multi-part series of blog posts on Outdoor Learning has been adapted from a Final Academic Paper for one of my Early Childhood Development courses at the University of Winnipeg.

The Medicine Wheel is a First Nations teaching that considers a person’s wellbeing to include “mental, emotional, physical and spiritual aspects of the self” (Jagger, p. 7). The next few blog posts in this series use these four domains of wellbeing to review how outdoor learning can support children’s overall wellbeing leading to positive outcomes and increased capacity to thrive. This post, Part 3, focuses on emotional wellbeing. 

“A growing body of research shows that forest school, compared to indoor educational programs, has a positive influence on various health and wellbeing domains,” particularly in early years (Sella et al., p. 4).

Outdoor Learning & Emotional Regulation 

Aligned with a holistic approach, emotional wellbeing and development is critical to a child’s learning process. Outdoor learning offers children an abundance of physical space that can also provide emotional space for them to be themselves. When children are encouraged to learn at their own pace, this means understanding that learning does not function in isolation from a child’s emotional skills and capacities, such as emotional regulation. In an outdoor environment, there are many tools to support self-regulation while still expressing a full-range of emotions. A FNS educator demonstrates how children use self-regulation techniques to move in and out of an emotional experience without disrupting the learning environment for others: 

“Children in an FS can often walk away from situations; [they can] take a breath or take time away if they are getting overwhelmed. With four walls, they can’t do that as easily because [learners walking out of a classroom] are harder to supervise. People think it would be harder to supervise [learners] outdoors, but I think it is easier [outdoors] to manage those behaviours” (MacEachren, p. 224)

Research also affirms this connection, with findings showing that “children in forest preschools, compared to indoor preschools, showed positive development in their psychological resilience as reported by both teachers and parents, specifically in the resilience dimensions of initiative and self-regulation” (Sella et al., p. 17). By developing emotional regulation skills at a young age, children can experience less stress in their bodies. Movement can be “channeled in ways that [support] a child’s and the group’s wellbeing” (Jagger, p. 313). Whether a child is in need of emotional regulation through big body movements to burn off energy or a quiet space away from the other children, an outdoor learning environment can help. 

Outdoor Learning & Social Skills 

Research consistently confirms that developing social skills and relationships with others is a common theme in FNS. Outdoor environments are conducive to peer-supported learning as children participate in new experiences together. “Children learn social skills through turn taking, sharing, and teamwork, and language skills as the range of new activities and experiences increases their vocabulary” (Harris, p. 7). Other social skills emerge as children work together in close groups, such as an increased sense of empathy and cooperation. In one study, preschool children in nature school scored higher than indoor students in their cooperation skills. This could be a result of their ability to overcome social conflicts through emotional regulation. Beyond peer relationships, FNS also encourages children to develop positive relationships with educators, parents, and community members, further supporting their social wellbeing. 

Outdoor Learning & Confidence 

Children in outdoor learning programs consistently present as socially confident learners, with research demonstrating that confidence was both “improved and was maintained” during their time at FNS (McCree et al., p. 989). “Forest pedagogy motivates children to step out of the comfort of the classroom, face challenges and develop skills they must accomplish” (Karavida et al., p. 118). Children are encouraged to take calculated risks and move out of their comfort zone as they try new experiences. Developing a familiarity with new experiences and uncertainty in an ever-changing outdoor environment, children also become more experienced at asking for help when they need it.

“Children who need support ask for it. Children who are keen independent learners are able to do so. The self-directed learning pace engages many, and meets the needs of several groups at the same time” (Harris, p. 4).  

Sources:

Abdelnour, E. et al. (2022), ADHD Diagnostic Trends: Increased Recognition or Overdiagnosis?, Science of Medicine, 119(5), 467-473. 

Blenkinsop, S. et al. (2016). A surprising discovery: five pedagogical skills outdoor and experiential educators might offer more mainstream educators in this time of change, Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 16(4), 346-358. https://doi.org/10.1080/14729679.2016.1163272. 

Boileau, E. & Dabaja, Z. (July 2020). Forest School practice in Canada: a survey study, Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education, 23, 225-240. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42322-020-00057-4. 

Bowra, A. et al. (2020). Indigenous learning on Turtle Island: A review of the literature on land-based learning, The Canadian Geographer, 65(2), 132-140. https://doi.org/10.1111/cag.12659. 

Fjørtoft, I. (2001). The Natural Environment as a Playground for Children: The Impact of Outdoor Play Activities in Pre-Primary School Children, Early Childhood Education Journal, 29(2), 111-117. 

Forest School Canada. (June, 2014). Forest and Nature School in Canada: A Head, Heart, Hands Approach to Outdoor Learning. https://assets.ctfassets.net/e09p19lzfrfe/5RyDjPIySeoIFEJIpdzrdQ/c5933ef778e930792a3e80792d841457/FSC-Guide_web.pdf. 

Harris, F. (August, 2025). Journeys through forest school: a model for understanding diverse educational experiences of children, Environmental Education Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2025.2529544. 

Jagger, S. (Ed.). (2025). Early years education and care in Canada: Engaging with the past,

the present, and future possibilities (2nd ed.). Canadian Scholars.

Karavida, V. et al. (December, 2020), Forest Schools: An Alternative Learning Approach at the Preschool Age, Journal of Education & Social Policy, 7(4), 116-120. http://dx.doi.org/10.30845/jesp.v7n4p12. 

MacEachren, Z. (2013). The Canadian Forest School Movement, LEARNing Landscapes, 7(1), 219-233. 

McCree, M. et al. (2018). The Hare and the Tortoise go to Forest School: taking the scenic route to academic attainment via emotional wellbeing outdoors, Early Child Development and Care, 188(7), 980-996. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2018.1446430. 

M’Lot, C & Ferguson, K. (Eds.) (2025). Renewal: Indigenous Perspectives on Land-Based Education In and Beyond the Classroom. Portage & Main Press.

Outdoor Play Canada. (May, 2024). Appendix C - Outdoor ECE Database. https://www.outdoorplaycanada.ca/portfolio_page/outdoor-ece-database/. 

Parsons, K.J. & Traunter, J. (2020). Muddy knees and muddy needs: parents perceptions of outdoor learning, Children’s Geographies, 18(6), 699-711, https://doi.org/10.1080/14733285.2019.1694637. 

Sella, E. et al. (March, 2023). Psychological Benefits of Attending Forest School for Preschool Children: a Systematic Review, Educational Psychology Review, 35(29). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09750-4. 

Van Schijndel, T. & Jansen, B. (2025). Integrating lines of research on children’s curiosity-driven learning, Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 252.