Our Preschool Program

Down to Earth Forest School takes place on 128 acres of misty and magical forest land in Mary S. Young Park in West Linn, Oregon. Each day presents a new journey in the forest.

“These kids hit the childhood lottery!”

Our preschool is offered 3 days per week, (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday).

9-1pm

Preschoolers are ages 3-5 and are fully potty-trained.

Tuition is $6,500 annually for the 2025-2026 school year. We offer a variety of payment plans. There is a materials fee of $150 for each school year.

Down to Earth Forest School was founded out of pure joy. Founder Heidi McKay seeks to share her joy of nature, children and connected communities with each one of you. At Down to Earth Forest School we collaborate, support and build a wider community of connected and intentional people all with the goal of caring for the earth and caring for people.

Down to Earth Forest School does not follow one particular educational dogma but draws inspiration from a diverse mix of theories.
-Waldorf education with the emphasis on children being outside often and for extended periods as well as using nature as toys and the concept that young children cannot comprehend many adult concepts as they are still in somewhat of a dream like state.

-Permaculture principles which emphasize caring for the earth and caring for people first. Permaculture in the realm of education functions as a set of tools that can guide the children and facilitators to best practices when connecting and interacting in the forest. When challenges arise we can use the permaculture principles to guide or process. For example, if the pond water is flooding an area of the forest we use as one of our classrooms we can view this as a disappointment or respond to change creatively using the permaculture principles of design. Can we use this space now? If so, how can we use this space differently? What is happening to this space now and how does it affect other parts of the forest?

-Positive Parenting guides our interactions with children. We never want to attack your child’s ego and always seek to understand the root of the behavior.  Parents are our biggest educator about their child. Journals between the parent child and the facilitator circulate often to cultivate the healthiest growth from the child.

THE FOREST IS THEIR BEST TEACHER

Because the children are in the same forest regularly they will begin to observe changes and their sense of wonder will be stimulated. They will slowly realize the impact they personally have on the land both positive and negative.

For example, with a group of six four-year-olds we stumbled upon a dead hawk carcass on our daily path. The facilitator asked questions like, how long ago did this bird die? How do you think it died? Who will be a part of the decomposition process of this animal? Etc. We ask a lot of questions at Down to Earth Forest School, we want to encourage children to think for themselves and come up with conclusions that best meet their understanding of the world.

“The name Kindergarten signifies both a garden for children, a location where they can observe and interact with nature, and also a garden of children, where they themselves can grow and develop in freedom from arbitrary imperatives.”

BENEFITS OF FOREST SCHOOL

Supports multiple development domains. Nature is important to children’s development in every major way—intellectually, emotionally, socially, spiritually and physically (Kellert, 2005).

Supports creativity and problem solving. Studies of children in schoolyards found that children engage in more creative forms of play in the green areas. They also played more cooperatively (Bell and Dyment, 2006). Play in nature is especially important for developing capacities for creativity, problem-solving, and intellectual development (Kellert, 2005).

Enhances cognitive abilities. Proximity to, views of, and daily exposure to natural settings increases children’s ability to focus and enhances cognitive abilities (Wells, 2000).

Improves academic performance. Studies in the US show that schools that use outdoor classrooms and other forms of nature-based experiential education support significant student gains in social studies, science, language arts, and math. Students in outdoor science programs improved their science testing scores by 27% (American Institutes for Research, 2005).

Reduces Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) symptoms. Contact with the natural world can significantly reduce symptoms of attention deficit disorder in children as young as five years old (Kuo and Taylor, 2004).

Increases physical activity. Children who experience school grounds with diverse natural settings are more physically active, more aware of nutrition, more civil to one another and more creative (Bell and Dyment, 2006).

Improves nutrition. Children who grow their ownfood are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables (Bell & Dyment, 2008) and to show higher levels of knowledge about nutrition (Waliczek, & Zajicek, 2006). They are also more likely to continue healthy eating habits throughout their lives (Morris & Zidenberg-Cherr, 2002).

Improves eyesight. More time spent outdoors is related to reduced rates of nearsightedness, also known as myopia, in children and adolescents (American Academy of Ophthalmology, 2011).

Improves social relations. Children will be smarter, better able to get along with others, healthier and happier when they have regular opportunities for free and unstructured play in the out-of-doors (Burdette and Whitaker, 2005).

Improves self-discipline. Access to green spaces, and even a view of green settings, enhances peace, self- control and self-discipline within inner city youth, and particularly in girls (Taylor, Kuo and Sullivan, 2001).

Reduces stress. Green plants and vistas reduce stress among highly stressed children. Locations with greater number of plants, greener views, and access to natural play areas show more significant results (Wells and Evans, 2003).

Information by the Natural Start Alliance — naturalstart.org