Make your own school forest signs

Professional made sign

• You will need to provide text and design. When ordering signs, consider:
  • Material - Aluminum lasts several years; plastic only a couple years. Signs may also be coated to withstand the elements.
  • Attachments - A sign company will ask where to add any pre-drilled holes. Will you attach signs to wood or metal posts? You can also attach signs to large trees.
  • Color – Make sure the text contrasts well with the background (e.g., black-on-white). Sample color contrast checker. If using school colors, provide the CYMK or RGB values. Ask for fade-proof ink.

School-made signs

• Ask your district sign shop to create and install signs and posts if you have one.
• Ask the shop class to create and install posts of treated wood or metal throughout your school forest.
• Classes, scouts, volunteers can make wood-routed signs.
• Children can paint designs and text on wood or acrylic paint on treated lumber, which can be mounted on posts. Use stencils if you like. Treat the final sign with a weatherproof sealant.

Teachable moments using signs

• Children’s poems, artwork, story text, etc. can be laminated and stapled to wooden T-posts. This works great for storywalks too.
• Hang numbers on a selected trees. Then use these numbered trees to organize students outdoors.
• Find four trees located along each of the cardinal directions. Then hang signs “north, south, east, west” and teach about navigation.