Premier Northwest Kids Forest School (PNWK Forest School)

Premier Northwest Kids Forest School (PNWK Forest School) offers an entirely outdoor education program where children take part in hands-on exploration, arts, and sciences. Activities include planting seeds, pulling grass, collecting flowers, counting pinecones, climbing trees, jumping off stumps, exploring both on and off park trails, hiking, climbing, playing in the forest, building forts, creating art, inventing imaginative games, storytelling, reading in a natural setting, exploring the natural world through books, tracking wildlife, identifying plant species, and working together on nature-based projects and group activities.

• Ages: 1–10 years old
• Schedule: Forest School runs September through June; Family Classes run year-round; Camps are offered during school breaks

Since 2018, Premier Northwest Kids Forest School has provided an entirely outdoor education program. The mission at PNWK is to develop safe and inclusive outdoor education programs that foster children's connections to themselves, their communities, and the world through free exploration, place-based learning, and nature immersion. The program emphasizes child led learning and inquiry based teaching, integrates children with nature, engages children in quality outdoor activities, focuses on helping children become strong, confident, and self-sufficient, respects children as individuals, views childhood as valuable and valid, and treats learning as part of a larger developmental process, all outdoors, without walls and without limitations. Forest School options include Preschool, Homeschool, and After School programs, with groups called Sprouts (ages 2.5–6), Saplings (ages 4–7), and Jr. Explorers (ages 5–10). Family Classes serve ages 1.5–5 with a caregiver and include community events, and camps are offered for ages 2.5–6 and 4–10. The program is proudly exploring Snohomish and Clark Counties.

Parent feedback includes comments that educators are amazing and that children have grown so much in the program, with some families planning to send younger siblings when they are old enough. Parents describe classes as a perfect transition for first-time students, mention flexibility and variety in items presented in class, and note an earth-first approach in an age-appropriate way. Several parents say teachers are kind and professional, care about their children, and provide relevant updates on what happens in class. Families report that their children have blossomed, enjoyed every day at school, and that they feel completely safe leaving their children. One parent notes that their child is outdoors in all weather and has opportunities to explore and try new things within limits, calling it a “great ‘yes’ space.” Other parents say their children have thrived and learned so much from the program, and that the program helps kids appreciate nature and each other. Some families have sent multiple children over more than four years and describe the staff as exceptional, consistently supporting their kids’ growth and learning.

Last updated February 28, 2026.