Forest School or Co-op, what’s the difference?

In British Columbia, a forest school and a homeschool co-op are quite different in purpose and structure, even though both are commonly chosen by home learning families.

Forest school is an educational model and a nature-based learning community where children spend extended time outdoors engaging in hands-on, child-led exploration and activities with peers. It focuses on play, developing community ,confidence, resilience, curiosity, and practical skills while connecting to the natural environment. Forest schools are usually unlicensed programs run by trained facilitators and operate as private or non-profit programs that meet regularly, often in all weather conditions, and they are not centered around specific set curriculum( although indirectly meets many B.C curriculum learning outcomes) but more so through holistic learning opportunities and emergent curriculum.

Forest schools focus largely on whole child wellness, learning through Play , freedom and community.

At Into the Woods there is no parent obligation to contribute educational resources or activities.

Into the woods is a fully insured, outdoor education program run by certified and experienced educators and mentors.

CO-OP

A homeschool co-op, on the other hand, is a parent-organized group where homelearning families come together to share teaching responsibilities and provide social and academic learning opportunities. In BC, co-ops are not regulated as schools but function as informal or semi-structured gatherings, often held weekly or biweekly in community spaces, homes, or rented facilities.

Parents or hired instructors typically teach academic subjects such as math, writing, science, arts, depending on the goals of the group. Unlike forest school, which is primarily experiential, play-based and nature-focused, co-ops are more academically oriented and designed to supplement or organize parts of a homeschool curriculum while also providing peer interaction.