What is forest education?
Learning with all senses.
Growing with nature.
Forest education means discovering nature playfully, mindfully, and with all the senses. Children don't just learn about the forest – they experience it, ask questions, observe, move freely, and develop an understanding of animals, plants, and ecological relationships.
At HayKid, we bring this nature experience right to the heart of Vienna: to our 200 m² forest education playroom, through courses, creative workshops, and selected forest days outdoors. At the same time, it's important to us to give children genuine outdoor nature experiences – that's why we regularly conduct forest education programs and excursions directly in the forest. There, nature itself becomes a learning environment: for discovering, exploring, observing, and experiencing together.
Children are allowed to feel, smell, hear, discover, collect, build, and explore. The forest becomes a learning space full of adventures, questions, and little wonders.
Whether it's tree bark, birdsong, earth between your fingers or observing animals – real experiences stay in your memory longer than any textbook.
Experience nature instead of just observing it
Our world is becoming increasingly digital
Many children today spend less time outdoors than before. Forest education provides a counterpoint: exercise, fresh air, free play and genuine nature experiences.
Children learn:
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Understanding ecological relationships
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Developing a sense of responsibility for the environment
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Finding solutions independently
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Better assess risks
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treat their surroundings with care
What children learn in the forest
Movement & Motor Skills
Climbing, balancing, jumping and experiencing different surfaces promotes motor development and body awareness.
Creativity & free thinking
Natural materials become tools, works of art, houses, or fantasy worlds. Without prefabricated toys, original ideas emerge.
Social skills
Shared adventures strengthen team spirit, communication, and consideration.
Mindfulness
& Quiet
The forest slows things down. Children learn to concentrate, to perceive, and to be in the moment.
For schools & kindergartens
We regularly collaborate with schools, kindergartens and educational institutions, designing age-appropriate forest education programs, nature workshops and creative experience formats for groups.
Our certified forest education courses are state-approved and eligible for funding. The programs can take place at HayKid in Vienna or directly outdoors in the forest – individually tailored to the age, group size, and focus of the children.