Our Story
Hi! We are Aminah and Sabrina, the co-founders of Hundred Paths.
Inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach and the poem, Hundred Languages of Children, Hundred Paths was born to protect children’s rights to play, especially in a natural setting. We are respectfully rebellious teachers, play workers and nature lovers.
Our hope is to offer all learners opportunities to feel safe being children, develop confidence and self-esteem through unstructured play in a natural environment. We love to see the different paths children take to be their authentic selves.
Established in January 2023, our team of practitioners are nature enthusiasts who advocate for respectful communication and parenting. We have come together with a shared vision of providing children a learning environment that stems from the emotional safety of children.
At Hundred Paths, we are guided by a set of core values deeply rooted in the Forest School pedagogy and principles. We believe in empowering children to take charge of their learning journey, allowing them to explore and discover the wonders of the natural world at their own pace. We foster a supportive and inclusive environment that encourages curiosity, resilience, and a lifelong sense of wonder.
Who We Are
Hundred Paths is an inspiring provider of education based on the Forest School approach.
Our mission is to inspire a connection with nature and nurture holistic development in children through immersive experiences in the forest.
The 6 Forest School Principles
Forest School is a long-term process of regular sessions, rather than one-off or infrequent visits. The cycle of planning, observation, adaptation and review links each session.
Forest School takes place in a natural or woodland environment to support the development of a lifelong relationship between the learner and the natural world.
Forest School aims to promote the holistic development of all involved, fostering resilient, confident, independent and creative learners.
Forest School offers learners the opportunity to take supported risks appropriate to the environment and to themselves.
Forest School is run by qualified Forest School practitioners, who continuously maintain and develop their professional practice.
Forest School uses a range of learner-centred processes to create a community for being, development and learning.
How Hundred Paths began
We were once colleagues as Forest School practitioners.
Our lunch time conversations revolved around unpacking observations of our students’ milestones and play experiences. Each day, we strived to make the next day one that would honour a child-led approach. We shared our concerns and experiences from our teaching days. It didn’t take us long to realise that there is a common concern in the teaching industry. There is little room for child-led explorations. Unstructured and child-led physical movements, which are crucial in children's growth, are very limited in schools.
Sabrina casually mentioned and joked that we should run our own Forest School someday. This joke was mentioned every now and then during our conversations.
Little did we know, it was a prayer because about two years later, the urge to open up a Forest School together became stronger. We listened to our intuition, spoke to a couple of fellow Forest School practitioners and felt more certain that this was our calling. Families, friends and our families of our students showed their excitement and support.
We felt a buzz in our spirits and began putting things together. What was very important to us was the name of our Forest School. We explored a number of options and agreed on the name 'Hundred Paths'. It felt right. It was inspired by the Hundred Languages of Children from the Reggio Emilia Approach, a child-led approach from a city in Northern Italy
With that, our walk on the Hundred Paths began.