Hamilton Forest School

Slow, child-led forest school 🌿

Following their pace, their questions, their curiosity.
In nature, there’s no need to rush—learning unfolds in its own time.

Climbing, running, digging, imagining…Moving their bodies, building friendships, discovering the world together 🤍

Here, nature is the teacher.

We just listen, observe, and let the magic happen.

Slowing down has become one of the most powerful shifts in my teaching 🌿

In the forest, there is no rush. No bell. No rigid timeline. Just space to notice, to wonder, to ask questions that actually matter.

This is where place-based learning comes alive.
This is where inquiry begins.

A child pauses to watch an ant carry a leaf…
Another notices how the ground feels different after the rain…
Someone asks, “Why do these trees grow this way?”

And just like that, learning unfolds—naturally, relationally, meaningfully.

Forest school reminds me that we don’t always need to speed things up to make learning happen. Sometimes, we need to slow down enough to truly see.

To listen.
To connect.
To be in relation with the land and with each other.

This is the kind of learning that stays 🌱

SlowPedagogy EarlyChildhoodEducation LearningInNature

🌿 Join us for nature-filled adventures every Saturday morning! 🌳

🗓 Date: Starting on Saturday, April 4th
📍 Location: West Hamilton Mountain
🕙 Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 noon
👦👧 Ages: 3.5-7
*Younger children must attend with a parent.
🌐 Languages: Bilingual program (French and English).
💰 Cost: Pay-what-you-can.

To sign up & for more info, visit our website or send us a DM: www.forestschooledu.com

📧 Email: [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram:

Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity for your child to connect with nature!

🌲🌞 hamont naturelearning hamiltonnature hamiltonkids

Forest Summer Camp 2026 Registration is Open! ✨🌿

Looking for an unforgettable summer adventure for your child? 🏕️🌳

📅 Dates: July 27-31
⏰ Time: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
📍 Location: West Hamilton Mountain
👶 Ages: 4-10
💲 Cost: $500/week

🎒 What’s in store?
🌲 Hiking through beautiful trails
💦 Playing in the water
🍃 Exploring the wonders of the forest
🗣️ Socializing and learning in French!

Spots are limited, so don’t wait! DM us or email to secure your child’s spot today! 📨

🌿 Join us for nature-filled adventures every Saturday morning! 🌳

🗓 Date: Starting on Saturday, October 4th
📍 Location: West Hamilton Mountain
🕙 Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 noon
👦👧 Ages: 3.5-7
*Younger children must attend with a parent.
🌐 Languages: Bilingual program (French and English).
💰 Cost: Pay-what-you-can.

To sign up & for more info, visit our website or send us a DM: www.forestschooledu.com

📧 Email: [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram:

Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity for your child to connect with nature!

🌲🌞

🌿✨ Learning with Place ✨🌿

At Hamilton Forest School, we return to the same little forest each week. Over time, this place becomes more than a backdrop — it becomes part of our learning. Children notice how the leaves change, how the paths shift, how squirrels, birds, and even the wind greet us differently with each visit.

This is the heart of place-based learning: building relationships with land, not just passing through it. Through repetition and care, children come to know the forest as a living teacher — one that invites curiosity, responsibility, and belonging.

💡 Did you know? Our founder and director, Catherine Hughes, is currently doing her PhD in early childhood education with a focus on outdoor education. Her research explores how Ontario Kindergarten teachers understand and practice outdoor learning — how they shift their teaching to create meaningful experiences outside, and how relationships with place and community shape these practices.

Her work asks: What helps teachers bring children outdoors more often? What barriers do they face? And how can schools build stronger connections to the land they’re on?

🍂 It’s in these everyday moments — climbing a fallen tree, noticing a chickadee, or watching clouds roll in — that place becomes pedagogy.

At forest school, climbing is more than a physical skill—it’s a way for children (and adults!) to build confidence, resilience, and trust in themselves. When we climb trees, boulders, or natural structures, we’re not only strengthening our bodies but also learning how to take safe risks, solve problems, and tune into the world around us.

Every climb becomes a lesson in mindfulness: focusing on the next step, breathing deeply, and feeling supported by nature. The forest itself is our teacher, guiding us toward balance, curiosity, and joy.

✨ Benefits of Climbing at Forest School:
✔️ Builds strength, balance & coordination
✔️ Supports confidence & problem-solving
✔️ Reduces stress through playful movement
✔️ Deepens connection to place & community
✔️ Encourages stewardship and care for nature

🌎💚 At forest school, climbing is never just about reaching the top—it’s about connecting with the land, with others, and with ourselves.

🌿✨ One of the best parts of Forest School? Seeing the world through the eyes of children. They notice the tiny mushroom on the log, the way the wind moves the leaves, the beetle crawling across the path. 🍄🍂🐞

Slowing down with them reminds us: there is magic everywhere if we take the time to look. 🌳💚

🌿 Join us for nature-filled adventures every Saturday morning! 🌳

🗓 Date: Starting on Saturday, September 6th
📍 Location: West Hamilton Mountain
🕙 Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 noon
👦👧 Ages: 3.5-7
*Younger children must attend with a parent.
🌐 Languages: Bilingual program (French and English).
💰 Cost: Pay-what-you-can.

To sign up & for more info, visit our website or send us a DM: www.forestschooledu.com

📧 Email: [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram:

Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity for your child to connect with nature!

🌲🌞

🌿✨ Wild imaginations. Muddy hands. New friendships.

Out here in the forest, creativity is the curriculum.

We build with sticks, solve problems with laughter, and learn from the land — together. Whether it’s a collaborative fairy village or a spontaneous game under the trees, kids are free to be themselves and connect deeply with nature and each other.

This isn’t just play — it’s relationship-building. With place. With peers. With possibility.

📍Hamilton, Ontario
🪵 Check out our pay-what-you-can Weekend Forest School
💚 Rooted in care. Grown through community.

Tag someone who would love this kind of learning 🌱