Awesome Outdoor Play & Forest School Programmes in Singapore

If you want your child to grow in confidence and resilience and benefit from the great outdoors, check out these outdoor learning concepts and forest schools in Singapore!

Looking for a forest school in Singapore to get your kids in touch with nature? The Forest School movement has become really popular in Singapore and offers kiddos a chance to go climbing, trekking in the wild, learn ‘survival skills’ and do woodwork all under the guidance of specially trained Forest School Leaders.

It’s an outdoor-style learning concept that is holistic and learner-led with loads of benefits for your child’s physical and mental well-being. A few schools offer Forest School programmes or extended outdoor learning. Plus, there are lots of after-school programmes/enrichment centres offering forest school programmes too.

Read more: Preschools with outdoor spaces in Singapore

Jump to:
What is a Forest School?
What is an FSA-recognised Forest School Provider?
Outdoor Play & Forest School programmes in Singapore

What is a Forest School?

Forest Schools can be defined as nature-based communities where trained Forest School practitioners nurture child-led exploration and discovery. Teachers prioritise children’s well-being and recognise that every child’s social, emotional and physical needs can lead them to provide the best guidance in nature.

The aim is to create child-led experiences to mentor holistic growth and nurture kids into becoming confident, risk-taking individuals who value and care for the environment. The Forest School Association (the professional body and UK-wide voice for Forest Schools) defines Forest Schools as any setting, from nursery, to school or organisation (including sole-trading freelancers), but the key to being an official Forest School is having at least one Level 3 trained FS practitioner on staff.

The history of Forest Schools goes way back to the early 19th Century in Scandinavia. The open-air culture (a Nordic concept often referred to as ‘friluftsliv’) has always been seen as a way of life in Scandinavia and even influenced early years education methods. Eventually, the pedagogical practice was established in countries like Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway, before becoming more popular in the UK by the 1990s.

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What is an FSA-recognised Forest School Provider?

The Forest School Association has a list of FSA-recognised providers that undergo a regular evaluation process to ensure that they meet the minimum benchmarks of a quality Forest School. One of the main requirements of an FSA recognised Forest School of any nursery, school or organisation is to have at least one Level 3 trained Forest School practitioner on staff, so always ask to be sure.

Other FSA-recognised requirements include rigorous safety policies, risk assessments, and first aid training among many other criteria – find out more here.

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Outdoor Play & Forest Schools in Singapore

Forest School programmes within preschools or international schools offer plenty of outdoor play and forest exploration. Some are weekly drop-off Forest School enrichment programmes. Some schools may not be Forest School accredited but offer significant outdoor learning as part of their curriculum. If you want to get your kids into nature, why not consider one of these outdoor play programmes or Forest Schools in Singapore?

Tanglin Trust School: Forest School Programme

Not-for-profit Tanglin Trust School celebrates its centenary this school year. Dedicated to fostering an environment where children’s natural curiosity can thrive through play, Tanglin Trust School has an established on-site Forest School Programme led by Level 3 Forest School teachers and facilitators.

Introduced from Nursery, this programme provides children with opportunities to explore and play in a natural environment. Tanglin believes that fostering an interest in nature helps each child develop essential social, physical, and learning skills, which are crucial for early development.

This year, Tanglin Trust School is excited to launch The Highlands Programme in Tanglin’s new 15-acre Gippsland campus in Australia. The 5-week experiential learning programme for Year 9 students promotes well-being and active participation in outdoor activities, underscoring Tanglin’s commitment to providing a holistic education for students of all ages.

Learn more about the Tanglin Forest School and The Highlands Programme on their website below.

Tanglin Trust School, 95 Portsdown Road, Singapore 139299, Tel: (+65) 6778 0771, www.tts.edu.sg

Canadian International School (CIS): Outdoor Discovery Centre

Learning outdoors is a critical part of student life at Canadian International School (CIS), as it encourages children to engage with the world in an experiential manner. Living up to its name as a “discovery centre”, CIS’s 2,600 square-metre Outdoor Discover Centre features a bike track, a nature trail, sandpits, a waterfall pond, a mud kitchen, art and music gardens, open lawns, multi-level decks and even a treehouse.

All of these spaces have been purposefully designed to support their inquiry and purposeful play-based approach to learning. Kindergarten students learn fundamental concepts like volume and measurements by playing in the mud kitchen, enhance their gross-motor skills riding along the bike tracks and learn phonics by spelling out their names with paint in the art garden.

Other experiential learning opportunities include CIS’s Open Minds programme, where students can spend up to four days investigating topics or conducting research in real-world settings such as the Botanic Gardens and Sungei Buloh.

Canadian International School, 7 Jurong West Street 41 Singapore 649414, Tel: (+65) 6467 1732, www.cis.edu.sg

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Dulwich College (Singapore): Forest School Programme

Dulwich College (Singapore) is the first Private Education Institution in Singapore to be accredited by the UK’s Forest School Learning Initiative (FSLI). Their Forest School programme is built into the curriculum to be enjoyed by every child across the kindergarten.

Every child participates in a full season at Forest School each year, allowing them to build on their skills and experiences as they develop and grow from Toddler to Year 2. Their programme enables students to step outside the classroom to spend time in the natural environment, engaging with nature and learning about the abundant flora and fauna on campus.

As they encounter various challenges at Forest School, students build decision making and problem-solving skills through the medium of nature. Through outdoor exploration, Forest School encourages tenacity, self-belief and a sense of self from an early age. This personalised, child-led experience develops confident global citizens, who are empowered to create positive change and to be ready to step in as future custodians of our planet.

Dulwich College (Singapore), 71 Bukit Batok West Avenue 8, Singapore 658966, Tel: (+65) 6890 1003, www.singapore.dulwich.org

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Forest Adventure Club: Forest school with holiday nature camps

Forest Adventure Club is a Forest School in Singapore led by trained and experienced Forest School Coaches who are passionate about the Forest School ethos. Children will learn how to identify plants, animals, and insects and role-model different activities such as putting up a rope swing, tying knots, den building and more. Forest Adventure Club also runs school holiday camps.

Forest Adventure Club, multiple locations in Sentosa, Wessex Heritage Area, Tampines Eco Green, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Keppel Hill, and Fort Canning Park www.forestadventureclub.com

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Forest School Singapore (FSS): Child-led Forest School programme

Forest School Singapore offers outdoor Forest School programmes with the aim of empowering children and challenging them when they are ready. There is minimal structure, and sessions are almost fully child-led. Forest School Singapore conducts its fun outdoor programmes at the Bukit Timah Forest Basin campus. Sadly, Forest School Singapore will be closing on 5 November 2024.

Forest School Singapore, Mayfair Park, Clementi Forest, www.forestschoolsingapore.com

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The Grange Institution: Sustainable development education

The award-winning Green Granger initiative, part of The Grange Institution’s efforts to champion education for sustainable development, caters to children aged 3 to 12. Children take part in sustainable practices such as recycling and organic gardening in the Eco-Garden and Urban Farming areas. There is also plenty of outdoor play for learning experiences learning along Singapore’s green belt.

The Grange Institution, 449 Yio Chu Kang Road, Singapore 805946, Tel: (+65) 6817 3630, www.thegrange.edu.sg

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Nature Explorers School: Forest School in Singapore

This Forest School programme, led by a Level 3 certified Forest School leader, adopts a holistic teaching approach, imparting knowledge of flora, fauna, survival skills and the science of how things work. Safety assessments are completed before each lesson to minimise risks. Forest School coaches are also first aid-certified. Weekly sessions take place at Mount Faber, Clementi Forest and Pasir Ris Park.

Nature Explorers School, Mount Faber, Clementi Forest, and Pasir Ris Park, www.natureexplorersschool.com

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Nurtured Nest: Outdoor play programme

This Reggio-inspired preschool offers Forest School initiatives that encourage sustainability and plenty of outdoor play. Students use lots of natural materials in their projects and fulfil the Forest School part of the curriculum with weekly forest visits with certified Level 3 Forest School leaders. Their Natural Playscapes at the preschool include an eco-pond, sand pit, outdoor atelier, gravel pit and butterfly trail, as well as logs and rocks for children to climb.

Nurtured Nest, 644 Dunearn Road, Singapore 289627, www.nurtured-nest.com

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Outdoor School Singapore: Short-term outdoor adventure programmes

Outdoor School Singapore (OSS) by NTUC First Campus is known for hosting day adventures and camps for children 4 to 9 years old in various schools, allowing them to discover the red dot’s nature parks and reserves. In turn, kids develop their ecological awareness, empathy and intelligence, in order to become risk-takers and responsible, resilient citizens.

Outdoor School Singapore, 229 Mountbatten Road, #02-08, Singapore 398007, www.outdoorschool.sg

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Roots and Boots: Outdoor learning and exploration

This urban Forest School runs drop-off programmes for 3 to 8-year-olds to teach children through outdoor learning activities. Their two-hour Forest School-inspired programme features exploratory activities within the natural environment. Children enjoy meaningful interactions that encourage self-discovery and character development with their peers and the Forest School guides.

Roots and Boots, www.rootsandboots.sg

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Shaws Preschool: Preschool with outdoor play

Shaws Preschool prioritises outdoor play and nature for kids aged 18 months to 6 years. There’s tons of space for outdoor play at all five of their centres with butterfly gardens and even vegetable patches! The Shaws Preschool Lorong Chuan Campus has a pool so kids can get water confidence lessons, while Shaws Little League Coaches come to the schools twice a week to teach children age-appropriate sports.

Shaws Preschool, multiple locations in Singapore including Braddel Heights, Lorong Chuan and Katong, www.shaws.com.sg