Japanese Forest Schools: Learning Through Nature
How Japanese yMchien connect children to nature and teach environmental awareness through hands-on exploration of the natural world.
In the hills outside Kyoto, four-year-old Yuki carefully examines a beetle crawling across her palm. Her teacher, Tanaka-sensei, kneels beside her, asking gentle questions: "What do you notice about its legs? Where do you think it lives?" There are no worksheets here, no predetermined outcomesjust a child, a teacher, and the endless curriculum of the forest.
This is yMchienJapanese forest kindergartenwhere children spend their days outdoors regardless of weather, learning through direct contact with nature. During our month in Japan, we visited twelve forest schools and witnessed an approach to early childhood education that puts environmental connection at its core.
No Weather is Bad Weather
"There is no bad weather, only inappropriate clothing," explains Yamamoto-sensei as she watches children play in the rain. The philosophy is simple: nature doesn't stop for weather, and neither should learning.
We observed children building with fallen branches during typhoon season, making ice sculptures in winter, and collecting rainwater to study puddle formation. Each weather condition becomes a different classroom, offering unique lessons impossible to replicate indoors.
Learning Through Seasonal Rhythms
The Japanese concept of seasonal awareness runs deep. Children don't just observe the changing seasonsthey live them. In spring, they plant seeds and watch for first sprouts. Summer brings insect observation and water play. Autumn means gathering leaves and making natural art. Winter offers opportunities to study animal tracks in snow.
This cyclical learning creates what educators call "ecological literacy"an understanding of natural systems that comes from lived experience rather than textbook study.
Risk and Resilience
Perhaps most striking to Western observers is the comfort with calculated risk. Children climb real trees, use real tools, and navigate genuine challenges. Adults supervise but don't intervene unless absolutely necessary.
"Children who cannot assess risk become adults who cannot handle uncertainty," Tanaka-sensei explained as we watched children negotiate a fallen log over a stream. "The forest teaches better than any safety lesson."
This philosophy extends beyond physical risk to intellectual and emotional challenges. Children are encouraged to explore, experiment, and occasionally failall within the supportive context of nature's patient teaching.