WOODSTOCK — Tucked just beyond the swings, the geo dome and the other traditional playground equipment at Woodstock Elementary School is a quieter, wilder space known as the Forest Playground.

It was Principal Beth Clarke’s idea and last spring Telstar Freshmen Academy students, with help from Carl Plassman of Woodstock, carved the little spiral of trails through the wooded lot, behind the playground.

Plassman and Jane and Jim Chandler of Woodstock worked with the Pay it Forward freshmen for about a month last spring. The ninth graders tagged trees and shrubs and used handsaws to cut them down. Because they weren’t able to use chainsaws, Plassman returned most afternoons to tackle the larger logs. He still stops by regularly to tidy the space or help with whatever is needed, Clarke said.

The woodsy winding trails are filled with students. Three second graders drag logs across the forest floor to build a bridge over a soggy patch. Fourth graders struggle to prop long branches upright for their fort. One girl crouches to examine an ant that refuses to stay in her hand. Others race between trees, leaping over rocks.

“Kids who come to us with adverse childhood experiences. What do they need to feel calm and centered to access learning?” Clarke asks. “Being in the woods is one of those places for them … I truly believe it helps our mental health — adults, too.”

Clarke helps a boy climb a tree. “Remember, no higher than twice your height,” she says. The rest of the class has gone back inside, but he isn’t ready. Clarke and his aide let him linger.

Led by Clarke, the school, which serves 66 students in grades kindergarten to five, embraces outdoor learning. A trail to nearby Buck’s Ledge, built by the same local volunteers and many more, connects the school to the surrounding landscape. Last year, along with parents and students, they built a yurt by the school. Next to the yurt, Rhode Island Red chickens have just arrived for the student-maintained coop.

“They are learning how to be creative, they are learning how to collaborate,” Clarke said. “They are learning how to support each other no matter how old they are and how to take risks in a really safe environment. I think they are learning how to be kids.”