Forest Babies (Dempsey) Trial

About

Introduction Our accompanied Forest School programme for children from 18 months old up until their 4th birthday is designed to develop resilience, confidence, creativity and independence as well as provide all of the well-being benefits of spending plenty of time outdoors. Young children are reassured by the presence of their carer which allows them to feel confident to play and explore independently. Children benefit through our carefully designed provocations inspired by play schemas, nature, culture and stories. During our time together the children and adults connect with the natural world and develop a curiosity about nature which will last a lifetime. Exposure to nature in the early years is crucial to fostering the next generation of caretakers for our planet. Details Duration: 1hr 45mins to 2hrs Group size: up to 18 children (Dempsey) 14 children (mobile locations) Ratio: One adult to one child, minimum of one adult to two children, two Forest School staff (Dempsey), one Forest School Leader (mobile sessions) Cost: $45 per child per session Programme 15 minutes of settling in time ​ Welcome circle Welcome and our Forest School song Warm-up activity The Leader will guide a warm-up activity which will vary from week to week.. Facilitated Experiences The Leader will facilitate site appropriate learning through play experiences, often with a theme, developed based on their observations of the children's interests of preceding sessions.  Snack Time MId-session its time to have a snack and drink Child-led exploration and play Up to one hour of nature playtime in our beautiful nature space Session Close We will clean up or pack up together The Leader will close the session with a quick recap of the day's events with adults invited to input, followed by a story and a minute or two of quiet 'cuddle time'  or another mindfulness activity listening to the sounds of the forest ​ Each term we will have at least one session with tools, one campfire cooking session and for terms of at least 10-weeks, one excursion to a nearby location (postponed due to Covid-19).