What is Rio Bueno
Forest School?
Rio Bueno is a Spanish play-based nature immersion program that promotes children's innate curiosity and wonder while fostering appreciation and connection to the natural world.
Rio Bueno is a very unique program as we are the only bilingual forest school in the area.
We revere both the ecological and cultural diversity we find in our communities, and we firmly believe that when children are exposed to language and culture during these foundational developmental years of life, they grow up to be healthy, compassionate, caring, confident, critical thinkers and contributors to society.
Through unstructured outdoor play, meaningful hands-on real life experiences and connections to the natural surroundings, children have the opportunity to think and care deeply, to reflect about their observations and their feelings, to formulate ideas and construct explanations about the world.
At Rio Bueno we listen to the land and we learn to speak her language too — a language that is much older than words.
At Rio Bueno, children have the freedom to explore, trust their intuition, discover their unique gifts and develop a strong sense of belonging to the land and the community. In sum, we strive to create a caring and nurturing space that honors and preserves what is arguably the most fundamental stage of human development: Childhood.
"At Rio Bueno we listen to the land and we learn to speak her language too — a language much older than words."
Mission
To honor children's innate curiosity and wonder while fostering appreciation and connection to the natural world.
Vision
We exist to offer a supportive community through exploration and play, where children can discover their natural gifts and build a strong sense of belonging while developing an intimate relationship with the natural world.
Forest School programs take participants' holistic development into account, considering well-being, social connection, and environmental awareness just as important as (and arguably necessary for) academic achievement. Benefits associated with Forest School are improved mental and physical health (reducing stress and increasing physical fitness), support of emotional and social development, and the strengthening of participants' relationships to their local area and the greater natural world.
The particular activities that take place at a Forest School are unique to each program's location and the participants' interests. However, there are a few common threads that help define what Forest School is:
It takes place entirely outside, all year round, in all weather (except for dangerous weather conditions like extreme temperatures or thunderstorms)
It supports the holistic development and needs of the participants
It's learner-led and includes time for free exploration and play
It involves regular and frequent visits, preferably to the same area with the same group of people
It promotes appropriate levels of risk-taking, like climbing trees, fire-lighting, and using tools
What is a forest school?
Why Forest School?
There is a growing body of research and literature that discusses
the benefits of children spending time outdoors.
A Forest School program would:
Promote healthy development in a stimulating learning environment.
(Louv, 2005; Selhub & Logan, 2012; Maynard, 2007)
Enhance opportunities for free play, such as access to ‘loose parts’ that inspire creativity.
(Gray, 2013; Hughes, 2009)
Encourage children to take appropriate risks to learn risk assessment and self-regulation.
(Gill, 2010)
Foster social skills and peer-group relations.
(Knight, 2013; Porter, 2003)
Nurture a connection to the natural world and an understanding of environmental stewardship.
(Chawla, 2007; O'Brien, 2009)