Established in 2016, Outdoor Connections Forest School is located on 60 acres of private land twelve km south of Fernie, BC. The program is modeled after the Forest School approach that has been established in Europe since the 1950s. This outdoor play-based program is for children ages 3-7 yrs. Forest School is nature-based, child-directed and experiential. Children will be given time and space to develop their interests, skills and understanding through valuable unstructured play.
““Kids can’t bounce off the walls if there are no walls to bounce off””
24/25 ENROLLMENT OPENING MONDAY, MARCH 18TH 2024 @ 9am
Fee's are listed for a 10-week program
*our increase in fees for the 24/25 year is to provide our staff with a wage increase to compensate for the increased cost of living
PM FOREST PRESCHOOL
$443
Tues + Thurs
12:30pm-3:30pm
FULL-DAY FOREST SCHOOL
$443
Wednesdays OR Fridays
9am-3pm
AM FOREST PRESCHOOL
$443
Tues + Thurs
9am-12pm
HALF-DAY FOREST PRESCHOOL
This 3 hour program is designed to foster the child's lifelong connection to the natural world and themselves. We strongly believe that free-play is essential for a child's healthy development. We promote independence, confidence, resiliency and self-awareness by climbing snowbanks, reading stories, scrambling hills, looking for bugs and letting the children decide where to engage in free-play.
Ages: 3-5
Session Dates: // Fall(15-weeks) 2024 Sept 3-Dec 12 // Winter 2025 Jan 7-March 13, // Spring 2025 April 1- June 5
FULL-DAY FOREST SCHOOL (wednesday OR friday)
Children will spend their day learning and playing in the forest, meadow, creeks or snow hills. Designed to foster a deeper connection to nature, children will be given ample opportunities to lead their learning through an inquiry play-based approach. Children's questions and ideas guide their learning and help shape the focus at Forest School. While there is still a strong focus on free-play, there are opportunities to explore their creative or artistic side through natural materials and loose parts. Children will explore the sounds of nature through silent sit-spots.
Ages: 5-7
Wednesday Session Dates: // Fall 2024 Sept 11 - Nov 13 // Winter 2025 Jan 8 - March 12 // Spring 2025 April 2 - June 4
Friday Session Dates: // Fall 2024 Sept 13 - Nov 15 // Winter 2025 Jan 10 - March 14 // Spring 2025 April 4 - June 6
* The full-day program is suitable for those who are home-schooled or those who wish to combine Forest School programming with the traditional school environment.
School Calendars: 2023/2024 school calendar
Parent Handbook: 2023/2024 parent handbook
Location: Birch Meadows Lodge
*Please read through the FAQs page for more information
Inspired by her child's experience in a forest preschool in Germany, Frances Krusekopf has developed a pilot project for kindergarten children to take their learning outdoors - and it has taken off.