TOLEDO COLLABORATIVE FOREST SCHOOL
THE MOTHERS' ROLE
At Toledo Collaborative Forest School (TCFS), we are a true parent co-op. Families don’t drop off their children — we actively work together to create the rich learning environment our children enjoy. Everyone pitches in to help make each session possible, and consistent participation in co-creating the experience is expected. When we bring our unique strengths, interests, and energy, the experience becomes far richer than any one person could create alone.
On This Page
Click a heading to jump to that section.
-
Consistent Attendance — Mothers attend with the children
-
Growing Skills Together — Learning and bringing skills to the group
-
Offering Invitations — How activities are offered and what happens when children opt out
-
Active Engagement — What participation looks like during sessions
-
Supervision, Safety, and Parental Responsibility — Each mother looks after her own children
-
Supporting All-Weather Learning — The mother’s role in all-weather days
-
Small Group Size — Why we stay small
-
Monthly Meetings — What we do when we gather without the children
-
Time Commitment & Expectations — Involvement, decision-making, and shared values
Consistent Attendance
Each family designates one primary registered adult — a biological woman — who consistently attends with the children and actively participates in the co-op.
This structure supports clear communication, a cohesive group of engaged mothers, and ensures that every new family adds both children and a committed co-creator of the program.
We generally expect the same primary mother to attend regularly. Rotating multiple adults from the same family on an ongoing basis makes it harder to stay aligned on planning, expectations, and our shared approach.
Backup adults (dads, grandparents, etc.) are welcome in special circumstances such as illness, postpartum recovery, surgery, family emergencies, or travel.
Growing Skills Together
Because we do not hire outside instructors, the skills and experiences children receive at forest school come directly from the mothers in the group. If you want your child to learn plant identification, fire-building, tool use, outdoor cooking, navigation, or reflective practices, it is up to you to learn those skills and bring them to the group. This requires personal time and initiative outside of sessions.
The co-op model works when each mother invests in her own growth and then shares what she is learning. As mothers follow different interests — perhaps one diving into tool skills, another into collaborative games, another into a seasonal project or storytelling — we naturally create a much richer experience than any of us could offer alone.
You do not need to be an expert. We are all learning alongside one another. We are looking for mothers who are eager to grow and to give, not simply to receive. The more each of us learns, the stronger and more abundant the experience becomes for all of our children.
Offering Invitations
When we offer invitations, we give clear guidance to introduce new tools or skills, then step back so children can take the lead. The goal is to enrich — not direct — the children’s own discovery.
It is common for children to choose not to join a particular adult-led activity, even after someone has prepared something special. We treat these moments as useful information rather than failure — an opportunity to notice the children’s current interests and energy and to adjust future offerings.
What Active Engagement Looks Like in Practice
During the morning, active engagement means being present and available in the woods. This includes joining children’s exploration, helping with tools or materials, noticing what the group is curious about, supporting social moments, and offering invitations when appropriate. Simply attending is not enough — mothers are expected to take an active role in supporting the group throughout the session. Leading a formal activity is only one possible part of the role.
Supervision, Safety & Parental Responsibility
At TCFS, safety begins with each mother’s presence and engagement. Because we are an informal, parent-led co-op — not a licensed school, camp, or childcare program — every mother remains solely responsible for the supervision and safety of her own child(ren) at all times.
Other mothers help facilitate activities and support the group, but they do not act as teachers, supervisors, or caregivers for anyone else’s children. No participant assumes responsibility for a child who is not their own.
Mothers actively supervise their own children during all activities and decide what level of challenge is appropriate for them. Outdoor, nature-based play involves real risks (including falls, weather, tools, water, plants, and animals). We support appropriate risk-taking while each mother provides the direct supervision needed for her own child.
TCFS has no staff or medical personnel on site. Families provide emergency contact information so help can be called if needed, but medical decisions and costs remain the parent’s responsibility.
These expectations apply to every TCFS gathering — weekly sessions, field trips, play dates, and family events. Each family retains full authority over whether and how their children take part.
This clear structure of parental responsibility is what allows our co-op to stay collaborative, flexible, and rooted in the relationship between each mother and her own children.
Supporting All-Weather Learning
The all-weather nature of our program is made possible by the mothers. Each week, mothers prepare their children’s gear, anticipate changing conditions, and help their children navigate sensory challenges such as wet clothes, cold fingers, wind, or deep snow. They troubleshoot practical difficulties and, just as importantly, bring a steady, willing attitude — even on the mornings when 35° and rain feels unappealing.
Children are able to experience the full range of weather because their mothers commit to showing up prepared and supportive. In this way, mothers both enable and model the resilience, flexibility, and positive engagement that all-weather learning builds.
Intentionally Small Group Size
We keep our groups small — typically around 6 mothers. Among the mothers, this size supports equality, open communication, and genuine collaboration. It makes decision-making more workable, helps everyone stay visible and accountable, and reduces the chance of divisions forming within the group. It also keeps the facilitation load sustainable and the sense of shared ownership strong.
Current families often say the small size is one of the aspects they value most.
Monthly Moms’ Meetings
We gather once a month (without the children) to connect as a community of facilitators and mothers. During these 90-minute meetings we:
-
Learn forest school facilitation skills
-
Share observations about what the children are loving and exploring
-
Reflect on challenges
-
Brainstorm ideas and support one another
-
Handle any logistics, seasonal planning, or group decisions
These meetings help us stay aligned, supported, and continually improving as Forest School facilitators.
Time Commitment & Community Expectations
Participating in TCFS requires consistent involvement. In return, you gain a deep sense of ownership, connection, and shared purpose. Many mothers also find that the shared experience deepens their connection with their own children. We value reliability, clear communication, and a spirit of collaboration. Everyone’s contribution matters, even when it looks different from week to week.
We aim for collaborative decision-making, with a preference for consensus whenever possible. When full agreement isn’t reached, we move forward with majority support while our program director helps guide choices to stay true to our shared vision.