At a time when more and more children spend most of their day indoors and contact with nature is often limited to weekend walks, forest education has become a response to a deep need for movement, freedom, and connection with the natural world. For children, it’s not just a “preschool in the forest” – it’s a space where they can breathe, experience, and grow in harmony with themselves.

At Szumi Szum, we see every day how nature becomes the best teacher – without whiteboards, textbooks, or screens.

What is forest education?

Forest schooling is a form of preschool or school where children spend most of the day outdoors – regardless of the weather. The idea is that natural environments support physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development.

In practice, it means:

• free play in open spaces,
• experiencing the world through all senses,
• working with natural materials like mud, stones, and leaves,
• solving problems independently and developing resourcefulness.

What does daily contact with nature give children?

🧠 Brain development through movement and experience
Preschool-aged children learn primarily through their bodies. Running, climbing, digging, jumping in puddles – all these aren’t just fun, they’re active ways of building neural connections. Natural surroundings stimulate development far more than sitting at a table ever could.

🤝 Social skills
In the forest, there are no ready-made toys. Children learn to cooperate: they build together, create rules, and resolve conflicts. Every stick can become something different, every leaf the start of a story. It’s an environment where creativity and teamwork naturally flourish.

🌬️ Immunity and physical fitness
Children who spend time outdoors regularly are healthier, stronger, and more resilient. Natural exposure to rain, snow, sun, and wind strengthens the body and boosts the immune system.

🧘‍♂️ Emotional regulation and calm
Contact with nature soothes the nervous system. Children relax more easily, are less irritable, and handle sensory input better. Emotional balance and stress resilience start forming in early childhood – and the forest provides ideal conditions for that.

Education through a child’s eyes

For a child, forest education isn’t an “alternative” – it’s everyday life that:

• doesn’t limit,
• doesn’t punish curiosity,
• doesn’t demand stillness or silence.

Instead, it allows them to touch, see, test, and feel – at their own pace. At Szumi Szum, we see it every day: children choose what they want to explore, while adults accompany them instead of directing.

What about “formal” learning?

Many parents ask, “But do children actually learn anything?”
Yes – and much more than you might think.

In the forest, children:

• learn counting by measuring sticks or steps,
• explore cause and effect by experimenting with water, sand, and mud,
• develop language in real contexts rather than at a desk,
• practice pre-writing skills by tracing lines on soil, bark, or sand.

These natural activities prepare them for school in ways that worksheets never could.

Why does the forest teach better than the classroom?

It’s not that traditional classrooms are “bad” – they’re simply too limiting for many children. The forest doesn’t judge, rush, or compare. It gives space where a child can:

• move freely,
• make their own choices,
• build relationships when they feel ready.

It’s learning through presence, not pressure.

Forest education in action – every day at Szumi Szum

At Szumi Szum Preschool, forest education isn’t an add-on – it’s the heart of what we do. Whether in Kabaty, Wawer, or Wesoła, children spend time outdoors every day. We have designated forest areas, gardens, and clearings – but most importantly, we nurture a mindset that values childhood without hurry, grounded in nature.

Give your child the forest – and your trust

If you’re looking for a place where your child doesn’t just play but truly grows, forest education might be the answer. The forest builds resilience, independence, and mindfulness – no textbooks required.

At Szumi Szum, we believe children don’t need acceleration.
They need space.
And the forest gives it to them.