I'm personally in agreement with you about the ideal education for children. Well for my children, and others whose parents are of like mind. My daughter is homeschooled with very limited curricula outside of books and maps and the internet. She has several opportunities each month for educational or social interaction with other homeschoolers as well as conventionally schooled children. And she spends one day a week in the forest with a group of homeschooled kids, swimming in streams, making tree forts, and generally getting dirty.

I have heard of the Russian forest school, though it's been a couple years since i read about it.

The method of raising children to be critical thinkers that you outline is pretty much in line with my philosophy, too, although I would still call it education. The word "educate" means to draw out. Not to cram in. What you're basically describing is teaching through the Socratic method, unless I've misunderstood.