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Parent Testimonials
Words from previous and current families!
Scroll to the bottom to read from previous families about their transition from years at FFP to indoor Kindergarten!
“Sending our son to Forest Friends is one of the best parenting decisions we've made. This is what childhood is supposed to be! Outdoors, learning by exploring, getting dirty, being a part of the natural world while developing every part of their hearts, minds, and bodies. Each day is filled with exploration and lessons that stem from students' curiosity and wonder. My son thrives in this amazing outdoor child-led learning environment, his confidence, social and emotional skills have grown significantly over the last year. You know its good when the kids don't want to get in the car at the end of the day! The teachers are the best of the best who bring their compassion and passions to school every day and are committed to each child's holistic well-being. Besides with me and family, this is the best place for my son to be. Thank you Forest Friends!"
-Dacia & Dave
"My son transferred here from another outdoor school. He’d liked his previous one, but after attending Forest Friends, he said “mom, that’s the school for me. You found the perfect place” Couldn’t agree more. He thrives here. I can rest easy knowing he’s loved and taken care of. The teachers at this school would do anything for their students. Each kid is treated with kindness and respect for the individual that they are. Never any judgment or fitting the mold here! Fun loving individuals are celebrated and nurtured. I would honestly keep my kiddo here for his whole life if I could. The chance to explore the world, their bodies, their minds, and make lifelong connections is a parents dream. "
-Emma
"Both of our kids are thriving under the care and guidance of Forest Friends. Each day they come home with new skills, more confidence, and nuggets to share with us. With the outdoors as their classroom, and the dedication of the staff, this is an experience that we feel lucky to be a part of, as it will forever be the base of their education and unique view of the world. Thank you for creating this experience!"
-Laura
"My son loves going to Forest Friends. Trina and Corrah are amazing, loving, and caring teachers! They keep the kids safe, happy and entertained no matter the weather! They are also amazing at working with you as a parent to provide support and the best learning environment for your child. I love that my son is outside exploring and learning from nature."
-Erica
"Ellie loves her teachers and friends here. She comes home bursting with confidence to explore and enjoy the outdoors. I was worried about the weather year-round, but the teachers partner with parents to keep kids cozy (or cool), safe and having fun no matter the temperature. "
-Jocelyn
"Our daughter has loved every single minute at Forest Friends Preschool! She feels supported, encouraged and inspired in every challenge and growth opportunity. She’s greeted with the warmest of smiles and jumps out of the car to go spend the day at school.Our daughter has grown so much as a student of FFP. She’s become more and more confident and resilient every month. She has this beautiful safe place to challenge herself and learn from nurturing and comforting teachers. People often ask how my kids have learned their kindergarten prep while playing outside and the beauty is they do. They don’t have to sit and do worksheets to learn math and reading. There are so many opportunities to learn those skills while being at FFP."
-Jenn
"Our four and a half year old son absolutely loves his time at Forest Friends! He is in his second year (last year he was at Lakemont Park and this year at Infinity Farm) and outdoor preschool is the perfect fit for him. He loves all of it: exploring the natural world, his kind and enthusiastic teachers, interacting with the animals, creative and imaginative play, story time and being outside. We were a little worried about outdoor school particularly during the colder months but with the guidance of the school our little one was properly geared up and had the best time, rain or shine. It's actually made a positive impact on our family's weekend outings - he is always up for being outside, a true PNW kiddo! When he comes home he readily shares how much fun he has had with his teachers and friends and often exclaims how much he loves nature and the Earth. We appreciate getting to relive his experiences when we look at the photos the teachers share at the end of the day with highlights of the Busy Bees's adventures. The entire Forest Friends teaching and admin team goes the extra mile to help answer any and all questions, create community among the families with fun social events and most importantly makes each child feel seen, heard and loved - it is truly wonderful to be part of this community."
- Brianna
"We absolutely LOVED Forest Friends. The teachers are superlatively skilled communicators with kiddos and know exactly how to turn the outdoors into a fun-filled adventure for little ones. I was deeply impressed with the amount of passion and enthusiasm they showed with the kids, and grateful for how clearly and thoughtfully they communicated with parents/adults. Seeing pictures from the woods every day was a major source of joy in our household, and made it feel like we were part of the experience. Our kid had the time of his life, rain or shine, and it was amazing to see how much he grew as a person during his time at FF. He developed a better emotional vocabulary for his own big feelings and a profound curiosity for all things nature. Forest Friends is an AMAZING program and we recommend it without hesitation. One hundred out of 5 stars."
-Stephen
"Friends and family often raise an eyebrow when they hear we are sending our son to an "outdoor" school in the Seattle area, but Forest Friends has proven to be an amazing choice for our family. Weather forecasts for the week are always provided in advance (for parents that don't have the time to look themselves!), and workarounds for days with thunder/lightning or other concerns (like bad air quality) are always in-place. Our son loves the various activities and adventures that are regularly planned, and has made dozens of new friends- which is a huge gain for us given the reservations he has shown with meeting new people. We enthusiastically recommend this school for your child!"
-Drew
"We've had the most overwhelmingly positive experience at Forest Friends at both sites with our two sons. This incredible preschool has been faithfully accommodating, welcoming, supportive, nurturing, and caring each step of the way. When our previous preschool closed unexpectedly halfway through a school year, Forest Friends graciously and lovingly made spaces for the children and teachers who had been affected. This allowed my older son to finish out his preschool year, which provided so much joy and stability as he began the big transition to Kindergarten. Then, for my youngest son, the Farm staff continually went above and beyond any expectations to provide ways for my family to be a part of their amazing community and classroom, even through a huge family move to a new city. We were humbled, and never have I witnessed such care for these young ages, for my children. It's truly remarkable to see teachers who LOVE their job, their students, their families to this degree. It's been a gift to get to be a part of such a special place, and such a strong social-emotional learning environment for my children. These are deeply foundational skills they will carry into all their years to come. All I can say is thank you, thank you. If given the opportunity, attending the Farm with these amazing teachers will be the absolute best decision you can ever make for your young children."
-Alessandra
"We really love Forest Friends! Our 4yo is attending for the second year in a row and truly loves the teachers and helpers. They are caring, patient and kind and our kid is always saying "when do I go back to school?" The rich outdoor curriculum is a wonderful blend of education, play and exploration and they combine these with activities like music, language and other important programs that they bring into the classroom. They are also quick to respond to our questions and are helping us to navigate these tricky toddler years. I highly recommended Forest Friends to all families!"
- Amber
Kinder Transitions
All from friends who spent between 1 to 3 years with us in our outdoor classroom and then moved on to a traditional classroom!
"We've had two of our sons move from fully outdoor preschool to Kindergarten with wonderful success! Their time spent in an outdoor environment with friends and caring teachers built an incredible foundation for classroom learning.
Being able to experience the outdoors as a building block for their elementary school journey was a choice we are continually grateful we made as a family. Our sons were able to learn strong social-emotional tools with teamwork and friendship, build continued interpersonal strategies for being around others, and cultivate a deep love for learning and curiosity. Their time exploring the outdoors with teachers at FFP strengthened their sense of selves, their connection to place, their understanding of cause-and-effect, and of being flexible with anything their environment might throw their way. All of which have been phenomenally important in the Kindergarten transition as they adapt to a classroom setting. Being out in the elements, rain or shine, taught them resilience, flexibility, and how to find joy in all the little surprising discoveries along the way.
We prioritized being able to have our children play and be exposed to the countless learning opportunities that exist outdoors for as long as possible before moving to indoor learning! This felt so important to us as we considered the many years ahead that they'd spend being inside for their learning.
We now have a (almost) First Grader and Second Grader in public school, both of whom can read, write, communicate their thoughts, and care deeply about learning how the world around them works. Being engaged in outdoor preschool at Farm/Forest Friends, and formerly at Tiny Trees in Seattle, has been the most amazing choice for our family!"
-Eric A
S did forest school for two years- even the summer right up until he started kindergarten! This kid loves dirt, mud, and making things with sticks. I worried that he wouldn’t be comfortable in an indoor environment after absolutely thriving in an outdoor one, but the adjustment actually went just fine! I think because some of the most important skills to thrive in any environment are taught so well in forest school: how to take direction, how to work well with others and collaborate, how to think outside the box, how to respect boundaries and enforce your own. While every transition period can have its moments of hardship, trusting in what S had learned and already adapted to (hello! Outdoor school is a learning curve too!) was what helped most. Even on days when he cried at drop off (off and on through the first two weeks of K) , he came home just fine. And soon he was making friends and had stories to tell about classmates and teachers and what he’s learning, just like he did at forest school. My advice to any parent worried about the transition- trust your child. Give them support and love and trust that the skills they’ve learned over the last year or two will carry them through. Soon those first couple weeks will pass and you won’t believe how fast they grow and change with more independence and trust!
-Natalie
W has been doing amazing in Kindergarten! He transitioned very easily and was eager to start. We just had his school conference and his teachers had only positive things to say! He's ahead academically, participates often in class, he does his own thing and is not swayed by his peers, he has a "quiet confidence" that draws other classmates to him. And we were happy to hear that he is friends with everyone! Going from outdoor preschool to indoor Kindergarten has been a non-issue. He just wishes recesses were longer (and so do we)! - Shannon