Education + Experiences

Northwoods Forest School offers seasonal, nature-based educational experiences that invite children and families into meaningful time outdoors. These offerings are rooted in forest school values and inspired by Waldorf principles and Scandinavian tradition.

While Northwoods no longer operates as a full-time school program, our educational work continues through stand-alone experiences that honor childhood, support family connection, and nurture a relationship with the natural world.

All offerings are shared publicly and vary by season.

Family Nature Workshops

Family Nature Workshops are designed for children and caregivers to explore the forest together.

These guided experiences may include:

Nature exploration and observation
Storytelling inspired by seasonal themes
Simple handwork and artistic expression
Opportunities for shared reflection and connection

Workshops are intentionally low-pressure and welcoming, allowing families to slow down, engage their senses, and experience the forest as a place of learning and wonder.

Seasonal Festivals & Gatherings

Throughout the year, Northwoods offers a small number of seasonal gatherings aligned with the rhythms of nature.

These gatherings may include:

Spring celebrations of renewal and growth
Summer forest afternoons or outdoor community events
Autumn gatherings centered on harvest, light, or gratitude

Seasonal festivals provide families with opportunities to mark the turning of the year through simple rituals, shared experiences, and time spent together outdoors.

Occasional Forest School Afternoons

At select times, Northwoods may offer stand-alone forest school afternoons for children and families.

These experiences are:

Outdoor and place-based
Guided by forest school principles
Focused on exploration, play, and creativity
Offered without ongoing enrollment or weekly commitments

Forest school afternoons offer a gentle introduction to nature-based learning in a flexible, seasonal format.

Educational Values

All Northwoods educational experiences are guided by shared values:

Respect for childhood and developmental rhythms
Learning through direct experience and play
Connection to seasonal cycles and place
Creativity, imagination, and curiosity
Care for the land and the wider community

These values shape every gathering, workshop, and experience offered at Northwoods.

Participation + Availability

Northwoods does not operate on a weekly schedule or enrollment model.

Educational experiences are:

Offered seasonally
Shared publicly through our website and social channels
Designed as stand-alone opportunities

Families are welcome to join when offerings align with their interests and availability.

Learning Rooted in Nature

Education at Northwoods is not defined by a classroom or curriculum, but by time spent outdoors—listening, observing, creating, and connecting.

Through these experiences, Northwoods continues its mission of supporting families in cultivating a lifelong relationship with nature, imagination, and one another.