What Forest School Really Does to a Child's Brain (And Why It Matters Before Age Five)

The neuroscience behind outdoor learning, and why it is one of the most powerful things we can give young children.

Forest school has become one of the most talked-about approaches in early years education. But beyond the mud kitchens and woodland walks, what is actually happening developmentally when a young child spends regular time learning outdoors?

The answer, backed by a growing body of neuroscience and developmental research, is more significant than most parents realise. This is not simply about fresh air and exercise.

Time in nature during the early years shapes the brain in ways that have a lasting impact on learning, emotional wellbeing and social development.

Here is what the science says, and why it sits at the heart of everything we do at Lucky Beans.

1. The early years brain is uniquely responsive to outdoor experience

The first five years of life represent the most rapid period of brain development a human being will ever experience.

By the age of three, a child's brain has formed around one thousand trillion synaptic connections. These connections are shaped by experience, and the richness and variety of those experiences directly influence how the brain is wired for learning, attention and emotional regulation.

Research from the University of Illinois found that children who spend regular time in natural environments show measurably stronger neural connections in areas associated with attention, memory and self-control. The early years window is not the only time these connections form, but it is when they form most readily.

What this means: Outdoor learning during the early years is not supplementary to development. For a young brain, it is one of the most fertile environments for growth.

2. Nature reduces cortisol and supports emotional regulation

Cortisol is the body's primary stress hormone. Elevated cortisol over time is known to interfere with memory consolidation, attention and emotional regulation in young children.

Multiple studies, including a landmark review published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, found that time spent in natural environments consistently reduces cortisol levels in children. Green spaces, natural light and the sensory richness of the outdoors have a measurable calming effect on the developing nervous system.

What this means: A child who spends regular time outdoors is not just happier in the moment. They are building a nervous system that is better equipped to manage stress, regulate emotion and stay calm under pressure.

3. Risky play builds the brain's capacity for challenge

One of the most misunderstood aspects of forest school is the role of risk. Research by Norwegian psychologist Ellen Sandseter identifies six categories of risky play in childhood, including climbing, speed, rough and tumble, disappearing from sight and using tools.

Her research, published in Evolutionary Psychology, found that children who engage in age-appropriate risk during play develop stronger self-regulation, greater resilience and reduced anxiety over time. When a child climbs a tree or navigates uneven ground, they are not just being adventurous. They are training the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for planning, decision-making and impulse control.

What this means: Protecting children from all risk does not keep them safer in the long run. It deprives them of the experiences their brains need to develop judgement and confidence.

Dr. Caroline Curtis, founder of Lucky Beans and a qualified psychologist, has seen this first hand:

"Parents often worry when they see children taking risks outdoors. But from a developmental perspective, that moment of wobble, of not quite knowing if they can do it, is exactly where confidence is built. We do not protect children by removing challenge. We protect them by making sure they have the right support around them when they face it."

- Dr. Caroline Curtis, Founder and CEO, Lucky Beans Childcare

4. Outdoor environments expand language and communication

Research published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology found that natural environments generate significantly more spontaneous language in young children than indoor classroom settings. The novelty, variety and sensory richness of outdoor spaces prompt children to ask questions, describe what they observe, and narrate their experiences in ways that structured indoor activities often do not.

A child spotting a beetle, watching rain collect in a puddle or feeling the texture of bark is having a sensory experience that demands words.

What this means: Time outdoors is time spent building vocabulary, practising communication and developing the language skills that underpin early literacy.

5. Physical development outdoors goes far beyond exercise

Outdoor environments challenge children's bodies in ways that indoor spaces simply cannot replicate. Uneven terrain, natural materials and open space develop gross motor skills, balance, spatial awareness and proprioception, the body's ability to sense its own position and movement.

Research from the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance found that children who play outdoors regularly have measurably stronger core strength, better coordination and more developed fine motor skills than those who spend the majority of their time indoors. These physical foundations directly support writing, reading and the ability to sit and concentrate in a classroom later on.

What this means: Physical development and cognitive development are deeply connected. Building a strong, coordinated body in the early years is also building a brain that is ready to learn.

6. Nature supports attention in a way indoor environments struggle to match

Attention Restoration Theory, developed by environmental psychologists Rachel and Stephen Kaplan, proposes that natural environments restore directed attention by engaging the brain's involuntary attention systems. Unlike screens or structured tasks, which draw on the brain's limited capacity for focused effort, nature captures attention effortlessly.

Studies applying this theory to young children have found that even short periods outdoors in natural settings improve concentration and reduce inattentiveness. A child who has spent time outside tends to come back to indoor activities more focused and more ready to engage.

What this means: Outdoor time is not a break from learning. It actively replenishes the capacity to learn.

7. Unstructured outdoor play builds social intelligence

The social landscape of outdoor play is richer and more complex than that of a structured indoor activity. Children negotiate roles, resolve disputes, manage disappointment, take turns and form alliances entirely on their own terms.

Research from the University of Cambridge found that children who experience regular unstructured outdoor play develop stronger social problem-solving skills and greater empathy than those in more heavily supervised indoor environments. These are skills that cannot be directly taught. They are learned through doing.

What this means: When we give children time and space to play outdoors without constant adult direction, we are giving them one of the most powerful social development tools available.

8. The benefits compound over time

A single session outdoors is enjoyable. Regular, consistent outdoor learning over months and years reshapes development.

The SECC study, a long-term UK research project tracking children from birth through primary school, found that children with consistent access to outdoor learning in the early years showed stronger outcomes in self-regulation, social skills and academic readiness at age seven than those without. The early years are not just important. They are compounding. The experiences children have now will echo forward.

What this means: The quality and consistency of outdoor learning in the early years is one of the most significant investments a nursery can make.

What forest school looks like at Lucky Beans

At Lucky Beans, forest school is not a weekly session. It is a daily commitment woven into the fabric of every setting.

Our nurseries are positioned near parks and green spaces for this reason, and each site has a uniquely designed outdoor space built around child-led exploration.

From our secret gardens and outdoor mud kitchens to regular nature outings and gardening activities, every child spends meaningful time outdoors every day, whatever the weather.

Find out more about our approach to outdoor learning here.

Questions worth asking any nursery about outdoor learning

How much time do children spend outdoors each day? Do children go outside in all weathers? What does your outdoor space include? How is outdoor learning planned and recorded? Do you follow a forest school approach, and what does that look like in practice? How do you balance outdoor and indoor time?

FAQ

What is forest school? 

Forest school is an educational approach that uses regular, consistent time in natural outdoor environments to support children's development. It originated in Scandinavia and emphasises child-led learning, exploration and age-appropriate risk. It is not a single programme but a philosophy that can be applied in any outdoor setting.

Is forest school safe for young children? 

Yes. Forest school involves age-appropriate risk, which is different from danger. Children are supervised throughout and activities are planned with safety in mind. Research consistently shows that managed risk in outdoor play is beneficial for development rather than harmful.

How often should young children be outdoors? 

The NHS recommends that children under five engage in at least three hours of physical activity per day, spread throughout the day. Many early years experts advocate for daily outdoor time in natural environments as a minimum standard for healthy development.

Does forest school follow the EYFS curriculum? 

Yes. Forest school activities support all seven areas of the EYFS curriculum, from physical development and communication and language to personal, social and emotional development and understanding the world. Outdoor learning is not separate from the curriculum. It delivers it in a different and often richer environment.

What if the weather is bad? 

At Lucky Beans, we go outside in all weathers. Children are dressed appropriately and rain, mud and cold are embraced as part of the learning experience. Research supports the view that exposure to varied weather conditions builds resilience and physical robustness in young children.

The outdoors is not a reward. It is a classroom.

We live in an age where children spend more time indoors than any previous generation. The evidence for what this costs developmentally is growing.

Forest school, when done consistently and thoughtfully, gives children something that no app, worksheet or structured activity can replicate: the experience of a world that is endlessly surprising, genuinely challenging and completely alive.

At Lucky Beans, that world is waiting for your child every single day. Find your nearest setting and come and see it for yourself.

References:

Ellen Sandseter's research on risky play: https://www.tandfonline.com

Attention Restoration Theory, Kaplan: https://www.researchgate.net

Education Endowment Foundation on outdoor learning: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk