T2 TUESDAYS | 3.30-5.00pm | 18m-3yrs

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 the world 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 30 mins Group size: up to 16 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: $47.50 per child per session Programme 15 minutes of settling in time (3.30-3.45pm) ​ 3.45pm: 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(s) will facilitate site-appropriate learning through play experiences, often with a theme, developed based on their observations of the children's interests in preceding sessions.  Child-led exploration and play If your child is not interested in the facilitated experiences, or completes them quickly, there are plenty of opportunities for exploring and playing in our space directed by your child and at their pace. 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, song, and a breathing exercise listening to the sounds of the forest ​ Each term we will have at least one session with tools and one campfire cooking session. For terms up to 8 weeks, there is one make-up session available. for terms of 9 weeks or more, there are two make-up sessions available for missed classes.