Hundred Paths: Forest School Practitioners

How can our children grow up to care for and protect a place they’ve never been to? For one to protect something, they have to get to know it first. A relationship built over time. Unrushed. In their own terms.

Meeting the forest through all of their senses and felt in their body. When that connection is complete, it lives within their soul. Such that time apart feels foreign. They feel so safe and belonged. Making them want to return again and again. The forest welcomes us as we are - misfits or not.

🌿 To honour the journey of learning and connection within the group, a 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 per term is required for a Forest School experience.

🌿 Trial sessions are available the first half of the term.

We welcome both new and returning families. Head over to our bio to register for our final term for the year.

Ms Abha spent several years working with children, including volunteering with the Riding for the Disabled Association Singapore and working as a gym instructor. These experiences have given her the opportunity to work with children in diverse environments and shown her how children can thrive when they are given the freedom and space to explore and be themselves.

She holds a Masters in Disaster Risk and Resilience, as well as an undergraduate degree in Geography and Spanish. Outside of work and volunteering, she enjoys hand-building pottery, going for walks, swimming and learning Spanish.

“I wanted to work with children and spend time outdoors in nature. A friend recommended Hundred Paths because she appreciated its philosophy. After my experience, I understand why she said this. I like that the approach is centred around child-led play and that children are given opportunities to have discussions and make decisions with minimal adult intervention. Through these experiences, they learn and grow, demonstrating that children are capable.

I feel that nature and children go very well together. The forest provides a wonderful space for children to explore and develop a deeper understanding of the world around them, while also feeling safe enough to be themselves. The forest does not judge them for who they are. It also provides a space away from technology, which is particularly important in today’s world. Being in the forest gives both children and adults an opportunity to reset, reconnect, and be more present in their bodies and minds.

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to experience Forest School with Hundred Paths. I did not know much before joining and had never experienced it. Now I understand why it is so important and beneficial for everyone. Nature can do wonders for a person’s physical and mental well-being. After my first few sessions, I could already feel a difference in myself.

Each session feels like a journey of its own, and I always find myself learning from both the children and the environment. I also enjoy watching the children grow continuously, becoming more comfortable, confident and secure in who they are.”

We, the guardians of play in Singapore,
Pledge ourselves to provide our children a safe space,
Especially when those entrusted with our forests
fail to protect them,
Regardless of backgrounds,
familiarity with the outdoors or neurotype,
We’ll meet every child where they are,
honouring their strengths, voice and
relationship with the natural world,
Based on attunement, compassion,
curiosity and humility,
So as to achieve happiness, prosperity,
and progress for our nation.

MAJUlah Singapura 🌳🇸🇬

We, the guardians of play in Singapore,
Pledge ourselves to provide our children a safe space,
Especially when those entrusted with our forests fail to protect them,
Regardless of backgrounds, familiarity with the outdoors or neurotype,
We’ll meet every child where they are, honouring their strengths, voice and relationship with the natural world,
Based on attunement, compassion, curiosity and humility,
So as to achieve happiness, prosperity, and progress for our nation.

MAJUlah Singapura 🌳🇸🇬

Children intuitively find magic themselves. They don’t need us to create it. Long after the moment’s passed, the learning stays in the body because it was felt before it was explained.

Our Holiday Experience is back! We welcome all children into the forest via link in bio. 🐝

The number of times we’ve heard these words in the forest:

“What do I do now?”
“What do I do with this?”

When did play stop being instinctive?

What was once natural is now increasingly being redefined by the adults around children - and in turn, by children themselves. Through play, children understand themselves and make sense of the world.

It can no longer be pushed aside.

Our co-founder, Ms Aminah, will be speaking on “The Disappearing Age of Play” at The Play Assembly.

Join us on 15 August (via link in bio)!

Psst… DM us for a discount code. 🌿

Play is primal. It’s something we’re meant to do since birth. Teenagers, like children, need play. And real play is self-chosen and self-directed. Thank you Compassvale Sec Sch for your presence in the Forest. 🌳

Some conversations feel like a clearing in the forest.

We are grateful for this much needed meetup with Forest School leaders: Jenson natureexplorerschool and Mindy Forest School at Lower Peirce Nature Den Singapore.

Together, we reflected on the heart of the Forest School pedagogy and the quiet responsibility of preserving its true essence.

We shared personal stories. Stories from the forest and the ones that have seen us through as practitioners. We exchanged our experiences and ways that can help us sustain as Forest Schools… in Singapore.

The work of Forest School is gentle, but never light.

Advocating for Forest School often means holding on to a way of being that cannot always be measured or hurried. Conversations like these remind us that while the path can feel lonely at times, we are not walking it alone.

Here’s to building stronger connections, supporting one another and continuing to grow our practice, one conversation at a time. 🌳

Playing in parks, forests and void decks allow children to build a sense of belonging and appreciation for their home. As the Malay saying goes, “tak kenal maka tak cinta” i.e. if we don’t get to know something, we don’t come to love it.

Play is in our DNA.