Our 2.5 yo daughter has been at Little Forest Explorers for 3 months now, and it is easily the best decision we've made as parents so far. The amount of development we've seen in her over such a short period of time is incredible, particularly in terms of sharing, communicating, and mobility. Laura and the team of teachers are all amazing, our daughter constantly asks about them when she's home and tells us she misses them. We get a photo dump at the end of every school day and it's so exciting to see what incredible adventures they go on. Couldn't recommend this school any stronger. read more

See all

It's difficult to be concise when describing the magic of LFE, but I'll try: - I believe LFE maximizes the benefits of the forest school format. Laura, with her years of experience, well-articulated philosophy, and deep love for children, drives the intentionality of everything the school does. - After a year at LFE, my son is resilient, communicates his emotional needs, and needs nothing except the environment around him to entertain himself. - LFE is truly a family. We moved to the Bay Area recently, and I often say our school and the community that comes with it is one of my favorite things about San Francisco. read more

We really lucked out when we found LFE, I can't say enough good things about it. We had our kiddo at home with us but she was starting to need more stimulation than we could give her, and we trialed this for one week and we all fell in love with it! read more

Laura and her whole team are gold. Attentive, kind, and caring are a few of the words that come to mind when I think of how amazing this school is. Communication is always transparent and open. Our daughter has loved every minute of the last 2 years at LFE. Her day is full of fun, exploration, adventure, hands on learning, confidence building, beautiful friendships all in a safe, loving, and thoughtful environment. Laura has created a beautiful learning place for these kids. Questions are encouraged, answered, and explained, silliness is a way of life, and every kid is given the attention they need. Our daughters first week she learned more about plants and animals than most adults. Whenever we go on a trip, she asks if it's still a forest school day. I have never met someone as in tune with small children and their emotional and developmental needs than Laura. It's a beautiful community. read more

LFE has been such a game changer for us: truly transformed our son in the most positive way and helped us understand him better, too. We started our then 4 year old in summer of 2023 in what was supposed to be a quick 2-week camp. However, in those two weeks we watched our son *blossom* into the happiest, most calm child who had no separation anxiety for the first time in his life. We canceled the rest of our summer plans and put him in LFE for the rest of the summer. As we watched him thrive and his confidence grow, we decided to pull him out of his traditional school so he could learn and grow at LFE. It was the best decision. He has so much self-confidence now and is independent in a very healthy way. I credit a huge amount of this to Teacher Laura, how she makes the children feel so at ease, and the culture she brings to this school, including the excellent teachers who are part of the program. Openness, kindness, open exploration--there is nothing like it! I wanted to add that at his traditional school, teachers would sometimes complain about our son for not listening, for not being able to sit, etc. But at LFE? Teacher Laura said she noticed our son, "listens differently" and because they are outside exploring so much, he was happy to sit and eat lunch and listen to a story. LFE is an amazing fit for kids who are or who you might suspect are neurodivergent. Again, it completely changed his confidence levels and I am so, so grateful. read more

If you're looking for the best early childhood experience in San Francisco -- this is it. I'm writing this review with a full heart -- both grateful for our time at the school and honest about our experience from start to finish. I hope it will offer a balanced perspective for families considering this very special place. A True Child-Led, Outdoor Education The school's approach is exactly what young children need: * free play, deep connection to nature; * outdoor-based learning with gentle teacher guidance; * hands-on experiences like puddle jumping, digging for worms, identifying plants, building, exploring; * self-regulation and emotional growth prioritized over academics; * shorter school days (and regular breaks) show a deep understanding of children's true needs -- even when it's less convenient for adults. I recognize how rare and precious this is: a program truly designed around kids' best interests. Protecting Teachers' Wellbeing -- A Hidden Strength The school's shorter hours and frequent school breaks are not a flaw -- they are an intentional protection for the teachers' emotional health. When teachers are given time to rest and recover, they can return present, joyful, patient, and fully attuned to the children. This matters more than we often realize. Because when teachers are burnt out, children feel the difference deeply -- and no curriculum can compensate for the absence of a calm, caring adult. This school truly honors not just the children's humanity, but the teachers' humanity too -- and that's a sign of real wisdom. Magical Location and Open Door Culture Every drop-off felt like stepping into a world of magic -- park, beach, open air. The "no walls" philosophy extended to parents too: visiting and participating was always welcome. An Exceptional Team Laura has done an incredible job assembling a team of teachers who are deeply attuned to children -- full of patience, love, and professionalism in the way they guide, listen, and support each child's journey. Monthly family gatherings helped weave a beautiful sense of community. A School that Serves Children First One of the things I admire most is Laura's commitment to truly serving the children -- not bending to every parental expectation, but standing strong for what's right for kids. It takes bravery to lead this way, and I deeply respect her for it. At the same time, like all humans, we all bring our personalities into our work. Laura, being a strong introvert, naturally built a close circle around herself for her own sense of safety and control -- and this sometimes led to favoritism dynamics. I was aware of it, and chose to use it as an opportunity to teach my son about navigating imperfect systems with grace and resilience. A Very Personal Commitment Choosing this school was not just a logistical decision for us -- it was a deeply personal one. I am an immigrant, still learning how to navigate a new country, a new culture, and a new language. Building a new life here with two small children has been full of challenges and discomfort. But I wanted THIS experience for my son (and later for my daughter) -- a childhood filled with freedom, nature, and real connection -- so much that I chose the hard path. I began driving across the city every day with my two young kids, even though driving was new and intimidating for me. My very first independent drive -- with my baby screaming desperately in the backseat -- is something I will never forget. It was stressful. It was scary. It was overwhelming. But giving my children this magical, grounded early childhood was that important to me. I chose this path despite the discomfort, despite the unfamiliarity, despite all the practical challenges -- because I believed in the gift this school offered. And it was worth it. Our Departure: A Painful but Human Ending Ultimately, we were asked to leave -- not because of my son (who thrived), but due to adult emotional dynamics. Instead of curiosity and dialogue, there was a choice to separate -- a decision that deeply disappointed me, especially knowing how much children trust the adults they are placed with. Still, I understand that fear and hurt often lead to protective decisions. I hold no anger, only sadness that things ended this way. And despite the way it ended, I remain deeply grateful for the good: * my son learned so much -- especially about local plants and ecosystem; * he built wonderful friendships that have continued beyond the school; * we made beautiful memories; * and we got to experience a school that truly honor the rhythm of childhood. The school is not perfect -- no place is. But it's rare, precious, and built with so much heart. If you are looking for a place where children are free to be themselves, connected to the earth, and supported with kindness -- this is a beautiful place to begin. I wish LFE continued growth, and I hope more families will experience the magic here. read more

We're so thankful for Little Forest Explorers. Our son absolutely loves Laura's school. He's always excited for his daily adventures and has made his best friends at LFE. We have even made good friends with other parents here that we will cherish beyond our time with LFE. We started in June '23 for Summer Camp and decided to join full time. Prior to LFE, our sensitive son struggled going to his Montessori preschool everyday with lots of separation anxiety. Now he goes to sleep at night saying he can't wait to go to school. He's excited to leave the house each morning and misses school on the weekend. LFE is the best fit for our family. After recent changes and needing to rethink the school's framework, Laura currently has 5 great teachers and she's committed to low ratios. Forest School in general comes with inherent concerns in San Francisco, but we are 100% confident that our son is safe, well cared for, and is continuing to learn & grow. The teachers and Laura have been communicative to us about behavior and minor kid mishaps. Every business goes through trials and recalibrates, so we're so grateful we continue to choose this program everyday. Our boy never been happier! Please feel free to message me if you would like to chat more about our experience. Happy to chat. We'll be graduating to go to Kindergarten in the Fall, and we will miss Laura and LFE. We'll definitely be back in the summers. read more

See all

LFE is an exception school run by an extraordinarily talented and loving team of teachers. My wife passed away recently from cancer. When we realized she wasn't going to make it, we went on a mission to create stability for our daughter. Finding the right preschool was obviously central to that. But we wanted more than just a school, we wanted a community of caregivers who could truly love our daughter, and give her that sense of safety that her mother would not be able to provide. Laura, the Director of LFE, understood what we needed -- perhaps even more than we did -- and stepped directly and without hesitation into that role. Laura and her community wrapped themselves around us when Aubrie did finally die, and my little one was cared for in exactly the way she needed. I simply couldn't have made it without this school, and I am deeply and forever grateful. LFE isn't just a school, it's the community of love that you're looking for. read more

When I started the search for a daycare/preschool provider, my requirements were outdoors only and pro-masking. Finding both with LFE felt like I won the lottery. After our son started, we started noticing that he could play with anything anywhere! LFE has really expanded his play world in ways we didn't expect. We are no longer limited to a playground. We are so grateful for Laura, Leah, and Maddie for their kindness and protection of our little guy. The parent group during the school year is also really amazing. During the summer, they rotate a lot so it's different but during the school year, they have regular get togethers in the park and it's really wonderful. We had forgotten how important it was to meet the fellow parents and it's great that LFE fosters that connection as well. They are a genuinely fun, down-to-earth, brilliant group of people. read more

Little Forest Explorers - The wilderness must be explored! - Preschools Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is BY FAR THE BEST forest school in San Francisco. You will not be disappointed in any way. I started looking into preschools when my daughter was three months old because I had heard that the waiting lists were very long. I looked into a couple forest schools and found Little Forest Explorers. Instantly, I knew this school was very different than all the other ones. Laura was extremely kind, warm, thoughtful, respectful, open, and reassuring. As someone who is extremely anxious about my child and her wellbeing, I was very nervous about trusting a preschool. She had only been with my nanny and myself. Laura talked to me about how they create safety every morning by having a safety meeting; she instantly soothed my concerns about other children being mean to my daughter. I was also worried about potty training; she assured me that they did not need to be potty trained, and that they would follow my child's lead. Laura is an absolutely amazing person and teacher. She has created an amazing school. They change locations every day in the park and ocean beach; the school is creative and innovative; they always have wonderful activities for the children to learn. I have NEVER doubted my child's safety. My child looks forward to going to school and is always well taken care of. Laura instantly responds to any questions or concerns that I have, no matter the time. She deeply cares about each student and has created an amazing team of teachers. I trust all of them. Teacher Frank is a kind and empathetic soul and is so gentle with the children. Lauren and Jackie are amazing. Jackie sings my daughter to sleep with the other nappers in their beautiful cribs made out of their wagons with beautiful sheepskin sherpa blankets. My daughter is warm and fed, changed. She is always in clean clothes. Laura also respects the autonomy of each child and takes their lead. She has been a tremendous support to me both as a parent and personally. She brings a wealth of experience as a teacher but also of early childhood development. I learn so much about how to parent. My daughter loves their beach days where they get to play in the creeks at ocean beach; she loves getting to go in the lakes and get muddy and dirty; she comes overjoyed from school, raving about teacher Jackie and teacher snacks. She asks to FaceTime with the teachers in the evenings. If there is ever anything that requires my attention, Laura brings it up to me. They are also creative when it comes to rain, building huge tents and taking refuge in the beautiful tunnels in GG park during heavy rain. My daughter loves playing in the puddles. Laura and her team are organized, kind, patient and flexible. I love that they allow children and families to do a trial before committing to the school. Laura creates exceptional parties for the children for Halloween, Christmas, and Thanksgiving. I could not ask for a better environment for my daughter. She is absolutely thriving, and it is because of Laura and the school she has created. If you have any doubts about trying Little Forest Explorers, please do try it... you will not be disappointed in any way. read more

See all

My son went to LFE from January to March 2024. We had heard wonderful things. It seems there was a point in time when things took a major turn for the worst. We saw 7 teachers leave during our time, and 14 kids leave over just 2 weeks due to some safety concerns. The drama and allegations were overwhelming - Multiple occasions of lost kids, questionable background check practices, etc. Big concerns over ratios, and accepting v young kids who require much more focus, especially in an open space (18months. Most other programs won't take kids under3yrs). The final straw for us was a message from the director which said, "we have replaced the teachers who had become routine at emotionally harming the children in a daily basis..." No action/behavior deemed as harmful on children should have been allowed to happen daily or routinely. read more

Our daughter started at 2y 3m old and it's been a wonderful experience for our family! We appreciate and feel a sense of trust with all 5 of the teachers. After a short transition period, our daughter grew comfortable and now loves going to school. There is a vibrant parent community. Going to Golden Gate Park daily is beautiful. Turns out, the hardest part of joining a forest school is watching my daughter get comfortable with things that make me uncomfortable (ie. climbing, getting dirty, picking up things off the ground). So in a way, this school is teaching me too. To connect with nature more, to let go a bit. My daughter loves it, she is safe, and she is learning so much not just academically but about nature, friendship, her bodily limits, etc. We are so happy with our choice to enroll at LFE and consider it a very special opportunity for not just our daughter but our family as a whole. read more

See all

Teacher Laura and her very dedicated team are amazing. They balance letting the kids play and explore while also guiding learning and new experiences. It is truly a play camp and both my three and six year old loved their days in GG park with Little Forrest Explorers. read more

My son has been at LFE for eight months and has been thriving in the outdoor environment. His language has exploded, he has become so confident in his abilities (running, climbing, etc.), his imaginative play is off the charts (every log is a pirate boat these days), and he looks forward to his week days (especially beach days!). Lastly, teacher Laura, the founder of the school, is so special. All of the kids adore her, my son especially! We look forward to learning how each day unfolds and are amazed at the crafts and variety that she brings to a fully outdoor environment. We trust that she keeps our son safe and appreciate her knowledge on child development. read more

My Headline: This school is so wonderful, we have delayed moving back East not once, but TWICE, so that our daughter could continue attending. There are many different 'outdoor' preschools in San Francisco, but LFE is truly special. I love that my daughter is growing up learning how to climb tall trees, identify (and try) sour grass, discover what makes an owl pellet, and explore everything the beach has to offer (including crabs, jellyfish, caverns, and tidal pools). Not only is she outdoors exploring, running, playing, and rolling down hills every day - but she also gets lesson time each afternoon. The mix of exposure to nature AND art, science, writing, math, music, and language means she is always learning something new. What's more, we (as parents) are always learning too. Laura keeps a well-organized Facebook page as a home base, where we can get glimpses of what the children were up to each day, and what developmental skills or lessons they worked on. These are not only progress updates, they're also mini-lessons for parents on things we can practice with our own children, as well as new ways to think about play and learning. In addition to all this, Laura and her staff are excellent communicators - they go above and beyond when it comes to mini-updates (ex: by sending bonus photos and notes when I had to take an unexpected trip for a death in the family, and was missing my daughter), keeping track of things like lunches/snacks (is my daughter eating enough?), letting us know what essential items to pack/bring (rain gear? sunscreen? extra socks?), COVID and other health/safety precautions (clarity and consistency on guidelines, testing, masks) ... AND in creating an excellent community and culture (holiday parties/celebrations, happy hours). For us, LFE has been a wonderful little family that we are so fortunate to be a part of. I could not recommend this program enough! read more

TLDR: Very happy parent witnessing the development of my three toddlers thanks to Little Forest Explorers. It was raining all morning and I did the drop off at school. When I saw the rain shelter put up by Laura, it was so cool I had to film it, and in a short conversation I had with Lucas (my son) about what he was going to do at school today, he lit up in a way that touched my heart and inner child so deeply, validating why my wife and I love this school so much. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "This type of challenge (learning to thrive in an outdoor environment) teaches the children how to self-care, push past their comfort zones, and practice defining their limits while sharpening their self regulation skills." - Laura from the school website If you had seen Lucas' face at the end of my video -- as a parent, it's everything. Pure wonder and excitement. The executive functions of his mind firing on all cylinders at the most critical time for brain development, powering imagination and problem solving skills. His executive decision? "LET'S DO IT!" A risk-taking mindset rooted in curiosity I hope never fades away for him. No fear of failure. No complaints about the rain or cold by anyone, just figuring it out and having fun given the situation, guided and surrounded by a community with the same mindset. It's not often I get to bring the kids to school or pick them up, but every time I do, it's a new adventure -- for ME!! Whether it's finding 3yr-old Lucas 40ft up a redwood tree, hearing that he helped a scared friend get down safely earlier that day from that same tree, observing our twins socialize and discover their autonomy, or seeing their rain shelter (today) set up to learn WITH the elements vs. "battling" them... I am reminded that doing our best to give our children the self-regulation tools and opportunities to "get a head start" (whatever the approach may be) means WE get the opportunity to learn from THEM if we are open to it. Our approach has been to put them in Laura's hands and watch her do wonders. Our kids our developing, and my wife and I are developing right along with them. read more

Little Forest Explorers - Our three toddlers (4,2,2) - Preschools Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

My 3.5 year old son spent some time with Little Forest Explorers and absolutely loved it! My son is a very shy, cautious and reserved child when he is in a new environment. I wanted him to spend his summers outdoors. I was worried about him and asked Laura, the director of LFE, if I can accommodate my son since he has never been in this type of environment. Within 10 mins of his first day, he waves and said "bye bye mama." He was excited to go back everyday and thrived outdoors which is to my surprise. Laura and the LFE teachers were amazing. I felt so safe leaving my son to explore with them. My son's gained so much confidence and loves to learn about bugs and the outdoors now! I highly recommend and cannot wait to be back next summer! read more

We are so grateful for teacher Laura. Our son thrived through her care during one of the most difficult times, covid-19/2020. He was able to explore and learn kindergarten material through the outdoors. Our son was excited to tell us about his day and share the treasures that he had found (sticks, pine cones). I appreciated the small class size/pod and community-feel between the parents. Initially, I had many reservations about sending my child to a forest school; safety and cleanliness. But teacher Laura instilled amazing hygiene habits for my son and always had his safety in mind. I would highly recommend teacher Laura and her program. read more

Little Forest Explorers - Preschools Near Me - San Francisco, California

Our child loved her time with Laura! Our child spent the 2020-2021 school year and summer with Laura. We feel she got the best of both worlds: the physical and emotional benefits of being outdoors, plus a guided curriculum that included math, science, writing, and more. Our child's confidence is sky high as she prepares to enter kindergarten, and her stamina is as well. Case in point: she recently led a family member on a 10 mile all-day hike around Golden Gate Park! We are grateful for Laura's unflappable and heart centered leadership through a year that included a rollercoaster of circumstances from orange skies to mask mandates. Laura always operated with the kids' best interests and well-being at heart. Thank you, Laura, for everything! read more

My son has been attending for a few weeks now and he is loving it! He is a learning a ton, getting tons of sun, and now wants to spend more time outdoors even outside of school. He also loves teacher Laura, Alex and Frank! read more

After taking some time to think, I do not write this review lightly. Especially with childcare and knowing how unique each child and family is and so something that may not work for us does not necessarily mean it doesn't work for another family. With that being said, I feel a moral obligation to inform other parents of the recent events at this school. I do this at the risk of being publicly slandered (as that is her MO) but it has come to my attention that she sent out deceptive messaging and is not taking any accountability for the events that have recently occurred. I am leaving my original review up so you can see how I came into this school and what my original impressions were. I believe we were fortunate to have joined when there were two amazing leads that held everything together. In the last few months, there has been a clear shift in the dynamic of this school and I have since pulled my child due to significant safety concerns. I strongly believe this school is no longer safe due to the following reasons: *⁠ ⁠Revolving door of caregivers that have not been vetted. She claimed to do fingerprinting but we have confirmed with 5 teachers that they were not fingerprinted and do not believe they were even background checked. There has been 100% turnover of the teaching staff year after year. In the past year we were there, she ran through 10 teachers. Four who left on their own and the others have been fired due to "safety concerns", "emotional abuse", and "inappropriate conduct with a child". I can understand a hiring mistake here and there but when 60% of your hiring decisions end up putting children in danger, then something is WRONG. *⁠ ⁠Laura will not inform you if something happened to your child. Several children have been unaccounted for at least 20 minutes on multiple occasions. We have third party confirmation that children were found and returned to the school. Parents were not informed. *⁠ ⁠Bullying in the school is condoned. Kids have gone home with injuries that drew blood and the parents have been misinformed of what actually happened to them. *⁠ ⁠Using school parties and events to promote private companies and record promotional material without explicit consent from parents. Things may have changed since the time of this review and maybe things have gotten better. Of course, you must use your own judgement when making a decision of whether or not to trust your child with anyone. As with any place that is looking after your child, PLEASE get to know the teachers and other families and not having one person as your sole source of truth. We still truly believe in a forest program and thanks to the other teachers that were there during our time, we have seen our son grow and develop into such a sweet, caring, and capable human. read more

It's challenging to quantify the impact an individual, activity, or in this case a preschool has on your child. Over the last year of enrollment our Son has grown tremendously with his language, social skills, physical ability, and confidence. I recently observed him at a preschool event strutting across the lawn to a table of snacks. He had so much swagger and sass in his walk that I teased about it to other parents, whom pointed out that it's an LFE walk. The children here are empowered with so much positive feedback and guidance that it's visible in their posture! If you think a Forest School might be appropriate for your family, I would strongly recommend giving LFE a closer look. read more

Our son LOVED Miss Laura and her forest school program! She is very loving and fosters the children's curiosity while maintaining necessary safety boundaries with their surroundings. We loved how she incorporated science and art activities with the exploring each day. My son's love for nature was nurtured and he confidence with climbing and trusting his body and movements blossomed. Miss Laura sent pictures daily of all the fun things they did that day which was a real treat to see. She even allowed me tag along my 16 month old. I also appreciated Laura's no nonsense attitude toward "mean" behavior or exclusion. She is all about guiding the children toward compassion, social etiquettes, inclusion, and empathy. Our family HIGHLY recommends this school for any child! read more

See all

Not sure where to even start. I can't express what an amazing school Little Forest Explorers has been for my son. Laura has put together an amazing team behind her, and everyday is full of learning and new adventures. I've enjoyed sitting sidelines while Laura and team are helping mold my son to become his best self. My son started school a few months from turning 3, and has grown in so many ways. It amazes me how aware of the outside world he's become. LFE is a wonderful little community and we are so happy we found Laura! And the best parent treat is being able to enjoy their adventures with so many photos documented from their day read more

We loved Little Forest Explorers! My almost 6 year old son just had the most incredible 3 weeks at this camp, and I highly recommend either the camp (there are 3 weeks left) and/or her year long Forest School! Laura, the director, truly LOVES children and is masterful at giving them the freedom to safely play, explore, discover and just be themselves. And, she is truly passionate about the magic and beauty of nature. My son came home super happy and super peaceful at the end of each day (and super dirty lol), having discovered SO many new things. Highly recommend! read more

This was our 5-year-old daughter's first 'forest camp' experience and she absolutely loved it! Laura is an amazing teacher, she encouraged kids to explore things on their own time which was so awesome for our little one. Laura arranged for new and engaging activities in different locations every single day, and very interesting ones too :) it was the beach one day or a beautiful big green meadow the other, tree climbing or crossing little streams! Our daughter loved to tell us about all the fun she had! I would definitely enroll my kids in Laura's camp again! Thank you, Laura! Our daughter had a great time and I am looking forward to more in the future :) read more

I can't praise enough for the loving and caring environment, Laura and her teachers create. Everyday I wish I could stay and spend all day with them outside, whether it being in the park, on the beach or a museum excursion day. We came in without any forest school experience and Laura made sure she explained all the logistics before the start day and we felt very comfortable with it since day 1. She knows what she is going! As a first time mom, I look up to Laura for parenting advice and I truly appreciate the open communication. The parent community is also great! We relocated from out of state and these parents are our first friendship made here. Most important of all, my kid enjoys the school very much. He is more adventurous and has made good friends that last beyond the school days. read more

Where do I even begin?! I cannot give enough praise to Little Forest Explorers and Teachers Laura, Leah and Maddy. Our almost 4 year old daughter LOVES going to school every day and we have watched her grow and evolve so much during her time with LFE. I wasn't initially very familiar with the Forest school concept, but I am now a firm believer that every child should get this opportunity to learn in nature. The kids are allowed to do what kids are meant to do- play, explore and learn so much in the process! Laura is such a wealth of knowledge when it comes to our little ones, we as parents often come to her for advice. She, Leah and Maddy just give the kids so much love and warmth and the kids in turn show that love toward each other. It is such a sweet community and amazing group of fun, caring and involved parents. We are so lucky to have found such an amazing pod!! read more

We enrolled our 5 y.o. in Little Forest Explorers during their first year (2020 pandemic 2020). Spring turned to Summer and the pandemic rolled on - our hopes for a normal Kindergarten year were dashed.  I desperately wanted Caleb to interact with other children and it was serendipity that Miss Laura was his preschool teacher and decided to start a TK/K forest school program that same year.  I never thought I'd be the Forest School kind of guy and I don't think I would have considered it, but for our trust in Miss Laura and a little nudging from the pandemic.  Even with the history and trust, I recall going through this last school year with my wife, constantly worrying about Caleb's academic exposure and his preparedness for 1st grade.  With forest school we were also equally worried about cleanliness and structure/reverting back to traditional classroom settings.  While the worry about his educational preparedness will never fade in any context, we were comforted by his palpable and growing excitement for specific topics and lesson days.  He never talked much about preschool other than to say who he played with - getting information from him was like pulling teeth - but every night home from forest school, he regaled us with his adventures and discoveries of the day.  Sometimes on the weekends he wanted to get us back to the park to share those adventures and lessons with us.  I never had to worry about the cleanliness with Miss Laura and she inspired great habits in Caleb since before the pandemic.  And lastly, I feel Caleb is well prepared to reenter traditional academic settings because of the structure Miss Laura provided and the rules that were upheld consistently.  I think it's hard to qualify with words the perfect balance that I saw implemented with letting the children benefit from the outdoor experience of forest school while simultaneously providing a framework that kept them safe and also ready to reenter a traditional classroom setting. read more

During a stressful COVID period, knowing my child was outdoors (off of technology), learning in all kinds of weather, safely socializing, and playing in the beauty of Golden Gate Park was extremely comforting. Laura's daily communication, patience, photo updates, and attention to safety were highly valued. I wish Laura could run the entire elementary school/summer experience for all of our children. It's truly a gift that they deserve. And the bonus - the kids are so dirty and wiped out at the end of the day, they happily go to bed! THANK YOU to teacher Laura and her amazing colleagues! read more

Our son went to forest school with teacher Laura for an entire year. It's been one of the best experiences of his young life, and also for us as a family. Laura is a loving, caring teacher that has managed to merge the outdoor environment with a great kindergarten curriculum. We will send your second son to Laura, too. read more

Laura's program was awesome for my son , and his emotional development. He blossomed under her carful guidance. Laura was amazing with him. I highly recommend Her Forest school program. read more