Kingston Forest & Nature School

🔨We’ve got a few little projects in mind… any guesses?

Prep week is in full swing and we can’t wait for our Fall Session to start on Monday!

A big thanks to Better Baths By Design for being so generous with their pallets! They’ve supplied us with many for projects in the past ♻️💚

❓What do YOU want to know about KFNS or about Forest & Nature School in general? ASK ANYTHING!

I’m working on an FAQ section for the website and an FAQ series for social media.

I’ve got a few questions already on the list but I’d love to know what you REALLY want to know!

🦗“A Praying Mantis Story” told in 8 photos and just as many (if not more) facial expressions…

1. We found a praying mantis.
2. J grabbed the praying mantis to show Shannon.
3. I asked J to let me show him a gentler way to hold the praying mantis.
4. We delighted in the experience together.
5. M wanted to hold the praying mantis.
6. She was mostly into it.
7. L wanted to hold the praying mantis.
8. She was NOT into it.

The end. But seriously, go back and check those facial expressions. 🤣

And let me know… who are you most like? “Jump in there J” or “Maybe this okay M” or “”Loud yowling’ L”?

📸From Fall 2025

A bit of a jaunt but what an incredible festival!!
https://www.mmlt.ca/event/2026-festival-of-the-wild-child

🐝 Why RISKY PLAY Matters

Climbing high. Balancing on a log. Racing down a hill. Using real tools. Exploring beyond the edge of the path. Cooking over a fire. Fighting with sticks.

These moments can look risky to adults, but they are rich opportunities for children to learn, grow and discover what they’re capable of.

Swipe to see why we make space for age-appropriate risky play in the forest. More info in the captions.

🐛 “I CAN DO THIS.”

Risky play gives children the chance to meet a challenge, make a decision, and experience the outcome.

Can I climb that? Is this branch strong enough? How can I get down?

When children are given space to assess challenges for themselves, they build confidence in their own abilities, not just confidence that an adult will keep them safe.

Research on risky outdoor play has found positive associations with self-esteem, competence and confidence.

📚Research: Ellen Sandseter; Brussoni et al.; Canadian Paediatric Society

🦊 “HOW CAN I DO THIS?”

Risky play isn’t about adults deciding “That’s too dangerous.”

It’s about helping children learn to ask:

“What do I notice?”
“What could happen?”
“What can I manage?”
“What could I do differently?”

Risky play invites children to notice, think, try, adjust and try again.

Children gradually develop the ability to recognize and evaluate challenges and make decisions based on their own abilities and experience.

They’re not just playing – they’re learning to make decisions for themselves.

That’s a skill they’ll carry far beyond the forest.

📚Research: Sandseter; Brussoni et al.; Beaulieu & Beno, Canadian Paediatric Society

🔥 RISK ≠ DANGER

One of the most important things children can learn is:

“Can I manage this?”

Instead of removing every challenge, supportive adults can help children notice hazards, assess a risk and make decisions based on their own abilities.

That’s how children gradually develop real-world risk awareness and judgement.

And recent Canadian research is adding to the picture: a 2026 BC study found that greater opportunities for risky play in the early years were associated with lower developmental vulnerability in kindergarten.

📚Research: Sandseter; Brussoni et al.; Beaulieu & Beno; Ramsden, Gill & Brussoni, 2026

🌱 FEELING A LITTLE NERVOUS… AND TRYING ANYWAY

Risky play often comes with a delicious mix of excitement, uncertainty and a little bit of fear.

“I’m nervous.”

“I’m not sure.”

“Maybe I’ll try.”

Children get opportunities to experience those feelings in manageable ways, and discover that they can pause, reassess, try again.

Sometimes courage looks like climbing higher.

Sometimes it looks like saying, “Not today.”

Both are valuable.

Experts in the field have explored how thrilling play may help children become more comfortable with experiences that initially evoke fear.

📚Research: Ellen Sandseter & Leif Kennair; Brussoni et al.

🌲 STRONG ACTIVE BODIES

The forest is full of opportunities to move in ways that a playground can’t always offer.

Climbing, balancing, scrambling, jumping, swinging, carrying and running over and navigating uneven ground help children develop strength, coordination, balance and motor skills, while keeping them active.

📚Research: Brussoni et al.; Beaulieu & Beno, Canadian Paediatric Society

🪵 LEARNING TO PLAY TOGETHER

Risky play isn’t always about physical challenges.

It’s also about navigating challenges with other people.

Children negotiate rules, take turns, encourage one another, solve disagreements and learn to read their friends’ boundaries.

This could look like negotiating guidelines and boundaries during rough-and-tumble games, or encouraging one another on a climb. It could look like deciding to play with new friends or taking on a leadership role with a group project. They learn when to keep going, and when they or friend has had enough.

The result?

More opportunities for cooperation, friendship and positive social interaction.

Research has linked risky outdoor play with positive social health and social interactions, while Canadian research suggests that risky-play-supportive environments can foster social interaction and social competence.

📚Research: Brussoni et al.; Beaulieu & Beno, Canadian Paediatric Society

🌿 NATURE MAKES ROOM FOR RISKY PLAY

A forest doesn’t have one “right” way to play.

Children can climb, balance, dig, build, hide, explore, invent and challenge themselves at their own level.

Natural environments offer variety, uncertainty and open-ended possibilities – exactly the kinds of experiences that make risky play so rich.

Canadian research has consistently highlighted the physical, mental, emotional, social and developmental benefits of outdoor play, and the importance of giving children meaningful opportunities to play outdoors.

📚Research: Brussoni et al.; Brussoni, Ishikawa, Brunelle & Herrington; Beaulieu & Beno

🍄 COME PLAY, LEARN & GROW WITH US THIS FALL

At Kingston Forest & Nature School, we don’t believe in eliminating every challenge.

We believe in creating spaces where children can take age-appropriate, supported risks with caring adults nearby.

Because childhood isn’t about keeping children from every bump, wobble or moment of uncertainty.

It’s about giving them opportunities to discover:

I can try.
I can figure it out.
I can ask for help.
I can try again.
I can do hard things. 🌲

Come play, learn, grow, and take healthy risks with us this fall.

🍂 Reach out if you're interested in registering for one of our weekly programs this fall!

📣Parent Testimonial

“Dear Monica,

It’s hard to believe we’re here, but it allows time to reflect on what an amazing program you’ve built and how much it has meant to [our child] and us.

You have always been so accepting, flexible, and enthusiastic. It takes a special person to both build something from the ground up but also maintain connection with those involved and celebrate spontaneity and risk.

[Our child] is not always easy to connect with nor does she open up easily but KFNS has offered her a safe place to be herself and play and be so comfortable in the outdoors. For all of those reasons it has been the greatest gift. We are SO grateful for you and KFNS and look forward to seeing it continue to flourish and celebrate each individual that is lucky enough to walk the forest school trail.”

– Seedlings Parent (after 7 years with us)

(Copied from a card given to me at the end of our Spring 2026 Session)

🍂 Fall is just around the corner, and we can’t wait to head back into the woods for another season of playing, learning and growing in nature!

There are only a few spots left for our fall Forest & Nature School session. If you’ve been thinking about joining us, reach out soon — we’d love to share the magic of fall with your family. 🌲✨

Visit our website or reach out for more information.

Some fun crawly creatures spotted around KFNS over the years 🐛🦋🕷️🐌

Forget their real names – what would *YOU* name them? Drop your best, weirdest, most creative critter names in the comments! Get the kids involved!

🌿 GET TO KNOW MONICA 💜

🙋🏻‍♀️ It’s time for a (re)introduction.

You may know me as the founder of KFNS or a person who spends a suspicious amount of time outside with a gaggle of muddy kids…

But there are probably some things you don’t know. 🤪

So, here are a few tidbits about me: some silly, some that might help you understand more about the person your child will spend their days with.

🌿 My forest school superpower:
I’m pretty good at making just the right joke to get a smile or laugh out of a tearful kiddo – my sarcasm doesn’t always land, but when it does, the giggle or smirk I get is such a treat!

🪵 My completely unnecessary outdoor obsession:
Mushrooms 🍄. Or s**t 💩. I probably have an equal number of photos of each on my phone.

🌧️ My unpopular opinion about weather:
While I firmly believe in the whole “There’s not such thing as bad weather…” adage – I really do love a good downpour or a gusty day – I absolutely HATE sideways rain! Rain + wind = no fun at all.

😂 Something I will never get tired of hearing a child say:
“Come look at this s**t!” (Or mushroom, or cool stick, or feather, or new talent… I’m here for it all!)

🌲 One thing I hope kids remember about their time with us:
We all belong in nature and we are all part of nature. I think we get stuck feeling too separate from it all. Oh, and getting outside ends just about every bad mood! (Except on those sideways rain days!)

🧭 Something I believe strongly about children:
They are wildly capable when we give them the time and the tools to figure things out on their own!

💚 Something I want parents to know about me:
I care deeply about the kids at KFNS and about giving them what they need to thrive. I know we aren’t going to be a perfect fit for everyone, but that won’t stop me from trying!

🤫 And finally… something you might not guess about me:
As a kid, I never could figure out how to jump Double Dutch (and oh how I tried!) BUT I taught myself to jump rope WHILE on a pogo stick – where does that go on a résumé?

So now you know a little more about me!

And because I’m nosy too…

Tell me something about YOU! 👇

📸 Silly Goose Photography