What if school was all outside, every day? N.J. ‘nature schools’ take class outdoors, rain or shine.

Under many of the outdoor education models, math, science, language arts and social studies are taught, but there is no strict, set agenda. The day is organic and child-led, teachers said.

Vocabulary is often learned through conversation, worksheets are replaced with outdoor materials, tree stumps can be used for chairs and learning math is interactive, according to New Jersey nature school founders.

Instead of readying students for “the next step” in traditional lesson plans, nature school teachers are meeting children where they are in their development, said Chantel Zimmerman, the founder of Sensory Garden and Play in Ringwood, which offers nature-based programs for preschoolers and their families.

Like traditional schools, nature schools are often year-round, which allows students a wide range of sensory experiences, but also presents weather-associated challenges. Rain, shine, cold or hot, students are usually outside.

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From 2017 to 2020, the number of forest kindergartens and outdoor preschools operating in the U.S. doubled to 585, according to the Natural Start Alliance.

In Ringwood, Sensory Garden and Play’s nature-based program enrollment numbers doubled from 2020 to 2022, according to its director.

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Nature schools have critics, including some who say many of the schools lack diversity.

Without licenses and certifications that could make the schools eligible for state subsidies and tuition assistance, forest and nature schools nationwide face significant barriers in expanding to include students of color and those from low-income backgrounds.

Only 3% of outdoor preschoolers are Black or African American and only 7% are Hispanic or Latino, according to Natural Start Alliance’s most recent survey of 121 U.S. nature-based programs.

Nature and forest schools tend to be in rural areas, and because they are almost always private, the expense of tuition and gear can be burdensome for many families. In addition, school hours at nature schools are not always as flexible as daycares, which can be restrictive for working parents of young children, according to teachers.

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Zimmerman, the founder of Sensory Garden and Play in Ringwood, said she has a background in teaching in urban areas and emphasizes bringing her nature-based program into urban areas, including Newark.