Metsäpäiväkoti: Finland's forest daycare approach for under 7s
In a metsäpäiväkoti, or forest daycare, most of a young child's day happens outside, rain or shine, built on the idea that nature itself is a teaching resource rather than an occasional field trip.
- Metsäpäiväkoti are daycares built around the idea that nature supports how young children grow and learn, with activities based in the yard or nearby forest rather than mainly indoors.
- In some Finnish forest kindergartens, 5 and 6 year olds spend around 80 percent of their time in the forest, four days a week, with a teacher and classroom assistants.
- Children dress in layers for winter and waterproof suits for rain, treating weather as part of the learning experience rather than a reason to stay inside.
- A widely reported Finnish study found that introducing forest floor and lawn vegetation to daycare yards measurably changed young children's immune markers within 28 days, compared with children at standard urban daycares.
- Many early childhood centres are deliberately sited near forests, fields or parks, some with permanent outdoor shelters, fire pits and log seating.
A daily habit, not a special occasion
In a metsäpäiväkoti, most of the day happens outside as a matter of routine, not as an occasional field trip. In some Finnish forest kindergartens, 5 and 6 year olds spend around 80 percent of their time in the forest, four days a week, working with a teacher and classroom assistants on the same language, numeracy and social skills covered indoors elsewhere, just delivered outdoors.
Dressing for the weather, not avoiding it
Children dress in layers through the winter and waterproof suits in the rain, and weather is treated as part of the learning experience rather than a reason to stay in. Many centres are deliberately sited near forests, fields or parks, with some building permanent outdoor shelters, fire pits and log seating so that being outside does not depend on the season.
What the research found
A widely reported Finnish study found that adding forest floor and lawn vegetation to daycare yards measurably changed young children's immune markers within 28 days, compared with children at standard urban daycares with paved or gravel play areas. It is one study rather than proof that forest daycare transforms child health on its own, but it adds a physical, measurable angle to what had mostly been a pedagogical argument for outdoor time.
How this connects to Finland's wider early years approach, and beyond
Forest daycare sits inside Finland's mainstream early years framework alongside Finnish early childhood education more broadly; it is not a fringe alternative. The specific forest setting will not transfer everywhere, but the underlying principle, protected daily outdoor time using whatever green space is available, is exactly what our guide to adapting Finnish outdoor learning for hot climates works through for schools without Finland's forests or winters.
Weather is not a reason to stay inside. In Finland it is simply the day's teaching material.
Frequently asked questions
Is metsäpäiväkoti the same as a forest school elsewhere?
It shares the spirit of forest school movements found in other countries, but in Finland it usually describes an everyday, mainstream early years setting rather than a niche alternative model.
Do children in forest daycare miss out on formal early learning?
No. Forest daycare sits inside Finland's national early childhood education framework; outdoor time complements language, numeracy and social skill development rather than replacing it.
Can this approach work in hot or urban climates?
The specific forest setting will not transfer everywhere, but the underlying idea, protected daily outdoor time using whatever green space is available, can be adapted, as covered in our guide to adapting Finnish outdoor learning for hot climates.
Related reading
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