Can a child do both forest school and traditional school?

Yes — and this is the most common pattern at The Bush Base. Many children attend a mainstream primary school four days a week and come to a bush programme on the fifth day. They get the structure, peer group, and curriculum coverage of school, plus a regular day of outdoor, child-led, real-world learning that classrooms cannot replicate. Schools are generally supportive of this arrangement when families discuss it in advance.

Does forest school prepare children for traditional schooling?

Research generally shows that children who experience nature-based and play-based learning develop strong foundations for later academic success — including better self-regulation, resilience, curiosity, and social skills. These are qualities that support learning in any environment, including traditional school.

Is forest school or nature-based learning recognised in New Zealand?

New Zealand's early childhood curriculum Te Whāriki emphasises nature, community, and holistic development, which aligns closely with forest school principles. Nature-based programmes for school-age children are growing in New Zealand, reflecting increasing recognition of their value.

Forest School vs Traditional Schooling in NZ

Children cooking over the fire bowl at The Bush Base

Two Real Options, Not One Right Answer

Traditional schooling provides structure, peer groups, and a sequential curriculum. For many children, it works well. Forest school and nature-based programmes offer something different — not necessarily better or worse, but genuinely different in what they ask of a child and what they build in return.

This page is the comparison most parents tell us they wish they'd seen earlier: a side-by-side of how the two approaches actually differ in daily experience, plus what the research currently shows about outcomes.

It's not an argument for picking one. It's a tool for picking deliberately.

Side by Side

Aspect	Traditional School	Forest School / Nature-Based
Who leads the learning	Teacher-directed; curriculum pre-planned	Child-led; emergent curriculum follows children's interests
Setting	Indoors, primarily seated	Outdoors, active, all weathers
Assessment	Grades, tests, formal reporting	Observation-based, qualitative; focuses on the whole child
Social structure	Same-age peers, large group	Mixed ages, small group, community-based
Risk and challenge	Largely managed out; safety focus	Managed risk encouraged; builds resilience and judgement
Pace	Set schedule; subjects in blocks	Unhurried; children follow their own rhythm
Physical activity	Limited; mainly at interval/PE	Continuous; movement is integral to the day

What the Research Says

The evidence for nature-based learning has grown substantially in recent years. Key findings include:

Improved self-regulation — Children who spend regular time in unstructured outdoor play demonstrate better emotional regulation and impulse control.
Increased resilience — Exposure to manageable risk builds confidence, problem-solving ability, and the capacity to handle setbacks.
Better physical health — Regular outdoor activity supports motor development, immune function, and reduced rates of anxiety and depression.
Stronger curiosity — Child-led learning sustains intrinsic motivation; children who learn by following their own questions tend to remain curious learners into adulthood.
Social skills — Mixed-age, small-group environments develop empathy, collaboration, and communication in ways that same-age large-group settings often don't.

This doesn't mean traditional schooling lacks value — it doesn't. But for many children, a regular dose of nature-based learning alongside school (or instead of it) provides something important that they're not getting elsewhere.

It Doesn't Have to Be Either/Or

One of the things we're most proud of at The Bush Base is that we don't ask families to choose. Many of our tamariki attend school during the week and come to us on Mondays or Wednesdays. They get the structure, peer group, and curriculum of traditional schooling — and they get one day a week to move, create, and breathe in the bush.

For homeschooling families, The Bush Base provides the community, peer connection, and specialist environment that can be hard to replicate at home. It supplements, rather than replaces, whatever learning approach the family uses.

You don't have to commit to a philosophy. You just have to find what works for your child.

Forest School vs Traditional School: What's Right for Your Child?

Two Real Options, Not One Right Answer

Side by Side

What the Research Says

It Doesn't Have to Be Either/Or

Want to See It in Action?