Forest School Vs Nursery

Choosing where your children go to early years childcare is a big choice.

There’s nursery, forest schools, childminders, Montessori nursery preschools, a nanny. The list probably goes on.

Much of the decision might depend on your budget, but if you have the funds, or funding, then you may be stuck between forest school vs nursery.

What is forest school?

Forest school is an outdoor learning environment. Children are encouraged to lead the way. They nap outside, eat outside, play outside, and even go to the toilet outside.

Children go out in all weathers, too. Sometimes, if it’s windy or stormy there might be an alternative arrangement. For example, at my forest school the kids all go into a village hall if the weather is very rainy, extremely cold or stormy. Although, the general ethos is, there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes.

Often, children won’t be able to start at a forest school until they are two.

What is nursery

Nursery is a traditional setting, inside. I can only speak of the amazing nursery I know of where the girls get three meals a day, plenty of garden time, outside visitors (football skills), reading, writing, and plenty of child-led activities.

Babies can usually go to nursery from three months.

Benefits of forest school

I do feel guilty when it’s raining or freezing cold and I’m sending the girls out in it all day, but to be honest, they don’t notice. I bundle them up in decent layers and waterproof shoes. They have gloves, hats, snoods, wooly socks, thermals, waterproofs.

They’re warm, comfortable and free to play.

Here are my favourite things about forest school.

• They sleep in hamocks
• They eat food cooked on the campfire and learn fire safety
• They’re free to explore with supervision. Ida once scaled a fence panel just using her fingertips and toes under the watch of forest school teachers. I was impressed! I’d never have thought to do that with her.
• They learn resilience
• They experience nature – animals, the elements, plants. Once they made nettle tea at our forest school.
• The setting is on a working farm surrounded by sheep, lambs, cows, calves, and two donkeys
• They do things I wouldn’t even think of doing!
• Feels like fewer germs as they’re outside
• Forest school is cheaper (where we are!)
• They take trips out, to the park and even on the bus to town!

Benefits of nursery

Nursery is inside, and in the winter I’m glad the girls are happily in a warm space. But I do know this warmth breeds winter bugs!

I can only speak about the nursery I know here, but here are the things I think are great benefits of nursery.

• Three meals a day
• Warm and dry on days when it’s less than outside
• They follow a more traditional curriculum
• They allow the child to lead, not all nursery’s do this. Some get everyone to do the same thing – like make a Mother’s Day card, even if they’re not interested
• They have a lovely garden with wooden park equipment and spend lots of time outside in good weather
• The days are longer, ours are 8am-6pm

Cons of forest school

• If the weather is very, very bad – usually windy – they may cancel it.
• You get through lots of washing, two days back to back would mean you need double the kit.
• The day is shorter than nursery. Ours is 8:30-4:15

Cons of nursery

• It’s more expensive
• They don’t tend to leave nursery – which for some people might be a pro
• It’s more formal than forest school

Forest school vs nursery

I never could commit fully to one. I decided it’s good for the girls to have a mix of both. I think too much forest school would be tiring, and maybe too much nursery would be boring.

That’s why we did nursery 2 days a week until they were 2, then added a forest school day as an extra. This means that they have a nice mix of both. I considered moving fully to forest school at one point, but felt that they needed something that was a little more ‘school like’ so it was less of a shock when school does start!

I’d suggest looking around nurseries. You’ll be surprised how different they are. Some, like ours, offer lots of outside time. You might find that nursery ticks enough of the boxes for you.

Ultimately you have to think about what would suit your child. Are they outdoorsy? Do they like nature? Are they happy out in all weathers?

I wanted my girls to experience something a little wilder before the formalities of school, but I didn’t want it to be purely wild. That’s why we’ve always kept a mix of the two.