URBAN FOREST SCHOOL TOOLKIT
Daisy Zhang & Zaineb Hamadi
URBAN FOREST SCHOOL MANIFESTO
forest schools are advertised as a form of alternative schooling with a holistic land based approach.
despite this ethos, forest schools still follow a settler-colonial structure, perpetuating the wilderness/civilization dichotomy and reinforcing the separation between humans and nature. forest learning is removed from the urban reality of most children, and is often financially inaccessible for many.
on the other hand, institutional schools with their rigid and biased curriculums essentially raise children to become ideal capitalist workers. this structure resembles that of a prison, both of which are capitalist tools disguised as essential components of a society.
escaping into the forest from urban life is not a "holistic" way of learning. learning begins with each child’s immediate surroundings, and expands to encompass political, environmental, and social issues that occur within the city.
humans are also animals. our environments are not separate from the earth. the city is an ecosystem.
quality learning spaces should be affordable, accessible, and sustainable.
learning spaces should fit the unique needs of each child.
learning spaces should reflect the unique learning oppourtunities of each site.
learning spaces should adapt with the seasons, changes in the community, and children’s growth.
children are creative. give them the space to think critically, pursue their interests, and express their thoughts and emotions.
children learn through stories. break the institutional curriculum and expose them to land stories, human stories, and give them space to share their own stories.
children want to care for other living beings. learn from urban symbiosis, and allow children the agency to shape their environment into a more caring space.
THE CITY IS YOUR CLASSROOM.
TABLE CONTENTS
OF CONTENTS ASSEMBLY CURRICULUM
BENCH
TABLE KITCHEN
STAGE
CLASSROOM 13/ 09/ 10/ 12/ 15/ 11/ 14/ 28/ 20/ 22/ 26/ 32/ 34/ 36/ 24/ 30/ GROWING MENDING
POP-UP SHOP
MISC PARTS
ARTS PERFORMANCE STORYTELLING CREATE MAINTAIN CONVERSATION COOKING
MATERIALS
MAIN COMPONENTS
wood pallets
source from local businesses for a cheap/free building material that is easy to work with and provides unlimited potential!
SUPPLEMENT WITH:
dimensional lumber use for larger structural elements
plywood use to create level surfaces
ADD-ONS
incorporate other repurposed/affordable components to support different activities. even with limited materials, get creative with different combinations!
bins burlap sacks cardboard
milk crates plants portable stove
buckets
cookware small construction materials
plastic
SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED
ASSEMBLY REQUIRED
CHILDREN ASSEMBLE (with supervision)
- using screwdrivers, pry bars, hammers, other non-power tools - older children may be able to use tools independently or with guidance from peers, while younger children may participate more through the arrangement and customization (i.e. painting) of the components.
ASSEMBLE WITH AN ADULT
- using power saws and drills - due to the control and strength required to safely use most power tools, large cuts and assemblies should be performed by an adult.
BENCH 1
SEAT
cut down to ~40cm
LEGS
attach with screws
STORE FLAT
cut down to ~40cm
disasemble planks from the leftover piece
attach with screws
cut planks down to the size of gaps
fill in bench surface with disassembled pallet boards screwed in place
screw two pallets together
cut in half
attach with screws
attach plywood top for a level surface
3 POP-UP SHOP
LEGS
remove back panels
TOP FRONT
cut in half and adjust height to accommodate children's needs
cut in half
build stand with 2x6s
cut at height of legs
attach plywood top for a level surface
STORE FLAT
KITCHEN
TOP BACK LEGS
cut in half
cut holes for sinks
fill in gaps with disassembled pallet boards screwed in place
cut
attach 3 pallets with screws
step stool plastic bin sinks
attach plywood shelf for extra storage space
STORE FLAT
construct worktops at different depths/heights to accomodate a range of children
STAGE
STAGE
attach plywood surface
attach pallets for the supports
SCAFFOLDING
attach pallets for the roof
attach pallets for the base
cut plywood for a ramp
build supports with 2x6s
STORE
CLASSROOM BONUS
expand the scaffolding unit
When constructing with pallets, the sky is the limit. While instructors and children would not be building large structures on their own, getting a building permit and structural designer on board allows for the possibility of a more permanent outdoor classroom structure.
plywood floor finish
2x6 structural frame
MISC PARTS
CHALK BENCH
EASEL
follow easel instructions with a full width pallet
9
SHELF
URBAN FOREST SCHOOL CURRICULUM
FOREST SCHOOL CURRICULUM
CREATE
Creative activities are an emotional outlet, fostering emotional intelligence and providing avenues for self-discovery and release. Collaborative activities, like building projects or group dances, nurture teamwork and communication skills. Whether deciphering a recipe or envisioning an art project, children actively and critically engage their minds. Integrating urban contexts into these activities broadens their understanding of the world, encouraging them to delve into the social and political aspects of their surroundings.
COOKING
In the 1950s, adventure playgrounds were common throughout Europe. They provided children the opportunity to engage in “risky” play, including lighting fires for cooking. Supervised by play facilitators, children were fully involved with the process of sourcing, preparing, and cooking the food, learning a crucial life skill and developing a connection to food through all its stages.
provide varying workbench heights
site tip! connect sinks via hoses to school/park water supply
4
site tip! cook and gather around a fire pitsome public parks provide them 2 1
cookware plants shelter heat source
don’t have access to a fire pit? swap for a portable propane stove!
kitchen can continue to be used for snow play
seasonal cooking use local, seasonal ingredients to learn about being resourceful in the winter. cedar tea has been used by inigenous people in north america as a sacred medicine, and is rich in vitamin C!
place more emphasis on growing/washing/preparing rather than cooking with fire when it is hot out
seasonal cooking use ingredients from the maintain garden for no-heat recipes like salads and sandwiches!
site tip! build a wind shelter from two layers of pallets
gather around the fire with larger seating
ARTS
The Dada movement emerged in the early 20th century as a rejection of traditional artistic conventions, embracing chaos and irrationality, and challenging societal norms. Art encourages children to think outside traditional boundaries and teaches them to express themselves without strict rules, promoting individuality and emotional exploration.
DIY music wall
chalk board bench
use gallery walls to pin up artwork or for an art exhibit DIY double-sided easels storage add-on disassembling pallets for materials
site tip! place chalk boards in laneways and paved areas to expand your canvas to the ground
assembing components is a great way to engage children in crafts while also preparing future components
STORY TELLING
In the spirit of oral traditions, storytelling is an engaging way to pass down information interpersonally and hollistically. This mode of teaching breaks away from rigid curriculums and disconnected subject categorizations, which don’t provide children with enoough context to make personal connections to the material. Storytelling helps children develop self expression and imagination, as well as supporting diverse ways of communication from oral presentation to music and dance. Through stories, children can develop deeper understandings of history, society, each other, and themselves.
STAGE
PLANTERS BENCH
activities: conversation circle dancing music making
potential collaborators: local indigenous elders local experts oral presentations interviewing community members/ each other
PERFORMANCE
Throughout history, performance has been an evocative mode of storytelling, passing down traditions, and inventing new narratives. Through acting, speaking, dance, and music, children can engage in an act of world building and participate in dialogue with each other and their local community, giving children a voice to express themselves or comment on social issues they see in the world.
site tip! take advantage of busier urban sites to engage the community in your storytelling!
buckets
loose parts/ DIY props
potato sack cusions
build stage scaffolding to attach set pieces - doubles as shelter!
be creative using loose parts and building your own props!
scale the modular parts to suit the size of the production
CONVERSATION
The story of Toronto begins with a white pine forest along the lake, stretching as far as the eye can see. There is a history unknown to most residents as the forests have been lost through centuries of colonization. Every place has a unique land story, with these origins passed down through conversations. Land stories are the foundation to developing a sense of identity within a place, and providing a platform for children to engage in conversations with each other and their community is a powerful means for them to express themselves and discover their own unique connections to the land.
site tip! gather around a tree for shelter, shade, and a connection point to other living beings
potato sack cusions
child-made signage
site tip! gather around a fire and combine with cooking to tell stories over warm food
site tip! build a wind shelter from two layers of pallets
bring awareness to a buried river under an alley!
identify local plant species to develop environmental literacy and learn about local ecosystems incorporate placemaking elements such as planters to encourage people to stop and observe
MAINTAIN
Maintenance is a practice of care that sustains all living things. It is an essential component of societal growth and development with a holistic understanding of the past, present, and future of all life, objects, and spaces. While acts of maintenance include preservation and repair, they also promote continuity through reuse and re-imagining. Western capitalist and individualist structures have devalued maintenance in favor of a consumerist system in the name of “convenience” and “innovation”. Teaching maintenance helps children learn values like responsibility and care, it also develops a range of skills and knowledge. These skills are foundational in children having the ability to shape their surroundings and feel a sense of agency.
TABLEAND BENCH BIKERACK
PLANTERS
GROWING
Every living thing goes through stages of development and change with varying needs depending on the stage. Humans have evolved as social animals and historically relied on nurturing each other as well as the living things around them. Nurturing something is a symbiotic experience, not through a “resource” based mentality, but through the experience and process of facing challenges, developing connections, and the social elements of collective maintenance. Teaching children to grow plants helps them learn patience, responsibility, and the cycles of life.
Gardening teaches us about what makes our environments unique and how seasonal changes provide different opportunities, allowing children to form holistic understandings of time rather than a capitalist view of time as a currency.
seeds gardening tools bins
compost food scraps to make fertilizer
site tip! a great late winter/early spring activity is to plant seeds in trays to transplant outside when the weather gets warm
site tip! plant walls are a great way to grow plants in small spaces
be sure to include accessible planters!
planters with trellises are great for vining plants like beans
site tip! raised-beds can be placed anywhere from parking lots to grassy fields, use whatever space you have available to grow a garden!
provide varying raised-bed heights
MENDING
Tactical urbanism was coined and popularized in 2010 as a movement to put agency of space back in the hands of communities. The movement promoted various interventions to improve urban spaces and build communities. Mending isn't just about repair but it can also be extended to healing, and strengthening. These are applied not only to physical objects, but to systems, connections, and spaces. Mending goes beyond restoring something, it can enhance, remedy, and modify. It is important for children to learn that they can make change and that rules can be broken for the right reasons.
spruce up your community by placing planters in empty spaces!
site tip! place ramps at entrances, curbs, steps to make your community accessible for all!
site tip! place neighborhood library boxes around your community to share books with your community
site tip! chair bombing is a great way to make your community a more welcoming and accommodating space
DIY bike rack
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER?
pallet pieces can be easily replaced as they wear out
incorporate repair activities as part of the maintain curriculum for children to learn how to use tools and develop a sense of responsibility towards shared spaces
at the end of each workshop/season/event, disassemble all components according to manual to store flat
if the component is too worn to be repaired, break it down into smaller parts for loose parts play and construction play
use pallet wood as firewood for cooking or storytelling
use wood fragments to maintain habitats in insect hotels
otherwise, pallets can be sent to local recycling facilities to be turned into mulch - to help maintain gardens!