Forest School

[pumpkinfairy]

I have been delivering forest school through a nursery for many years and can see the benefits it has for the children, would parents be interested in a completely forest school nursery as the Danish do it out all day in all weathers? I am thinking of setting up as an outside nursery but would like to hear what parents think or if they have concerns?

There is a Forest School movement in the UK, and there was discussion in the news last year about Ofsted having concerns re. handwashing.
I would like to know more about how you intend to offer the EYFS (assuming UK nursery) as a forest school, and how you would meet the needs of very young children WRT naps and risk management.
Where were you siting the nursery? Cold weather could be a consideration further North, and provision of fresh water throughout the day could be an issue in remoter areas.
You would need to consider how large your market would be, urban enough for parents to get to work, and with good access roads, yet rural enough to be truly "Forest" without traffic intrusion.
How would you cope with parents dropping off throughout the morning, and picking up throughout the afternoon, or would you have set start/finish times?
Lots to consider.

I know... My first though is to register myself with ofsted and not run before i can walk with Nursery status as you point out the many requirements. I have no guide as I can't find anyone who delivers it as a stand alone entity. Age range would be 3 -5 years as from previous experience potty training really needs to be completed. We would have to offer set sessions from 9.30 til 2.30 after and before many local schools to allow parents with other children to drop off etc. We are in an area of outstanding natural beauty but have 2 large towns either side of us, I know we are targetting a particular market. Before we had a cabin with heaters a seperate toilet block and we took warm water with us for hand washing, we also had kelly kettle to heat water up. Every aspect is risk assessed, all qualified staff with first aid, the thinking is going towards risk benefit nowadays after the madness of health and safety going over the top. I know people are experiencing forest school more widely now as it tends to be offered in many schools but only up to years 2 in many places and it does tend to a slightly dilute version due to space. So was interested to see if parents would consider an outside experience day (with lots of learning) for their children as an alternative to they way in which we are used to be offered?

There was someone who ran one in Scotland I think - thread last year possibly. They're a nomadic nursery or something, take urns for handwashing on their backs.
An advanced search might turn up something.

just like ofsted to worry about handwashing lol

i think it sounds great but don't the norweigans have some indoor facilities like tents

Have sent you a pm.

Thanks I 'll try find that one. I think the Scandinavians have it right, alot of it is common sense and dirt and fresh air is so good, nature deficit disorder seems to be the new buzz. There are cluster groups of Forest School accreditted sites that I'm hoping to register on too, more so in Wales they seem to have taken in on but nothing where I am in Worcesteshire. We would have a structure/yurt for shelter but in my experience the children seem oblivious to the weather in most cases (cold being the exception) but there's no such thing as bad weather only the wrong clothes :) the site is set in 24 acres of orchard/ woodland but minutes from the main house, we have chickens and hoping to do an edible garden too. Any takers ??

I would like to send my DS to a pre-school where there was a wooded outdoor area, an allotment with chickens etc which the children spent a proportion of the time in every day.

However, I would want them to be able to go in and get warm to have a story and do some literacy/ numeracy activities as well.

I have my eye on a Montessori nursery that has a field with an allotment and is also a Forest School. It would be even better if the kids had access to the wooded area every day though.

Yes, I would like to have my cake and eat it please.

We do do all that, usually a story connected to the surroundings/nature etc however Room on the Broom and making our own brooms was also a favourite :) However a majority of the time is sent outside investigating, exploring and in my experience whenever we have gone to great lengths to plan something the children inevitably take it on a much more interesting tangent, they are in control of their learning.

Hope your DS has a fantastic time at your chosen nursery.

I'm a nursery nurse. I'm also a camper, walker, gardener and generally an outdoor person. I think an outdoor only nursery is as bad as an indoor only nursery.
My dream nursery would be a hybrid. A nice snug building (heavy on the wood!), with a big garden full of things (dens, logs, veg garden, flower beds, sand pit etc), and access to a common or wood for long trips. The nursery would be run like a regular nursery with the addition of an outdoor specialist/Atelierista figure who would be a near permanent figure outside.

I'm also available by the way!

My kids do/did forest school at nursery and home. I would have loved a fully outdoor nursery for them. I'd love a yurt as well :)

I'm in a fairly hippy/outdoorsy area and I think an outdoor nursery would do very well here - you may need to know your area iykwim.

Oh just to add ds2 (7) had a forest school birthday party this year and lots of parents commented on how much the kids loved it (and asked for details).

We should set up a place together TiggyD- I love your dream nursery.

Do you or PumpkinFairy have lots of money? I'd love to help start a new kind of nursery. A relaxed, natural one where children can spend most of the day outside if they want to. With vegetables and fruit for children to pick and eat for lunch the same day. With space to run properly. A large undercover area for rainy days which has lights for the early nights in winter. Loads of bird feeders with a decent window to look at the birds through. Pets of some kind (I'd love some mini-goats). Flowers and shrubs because they're nice. The mother of all sand pits with roof and different levels. A nursery with PLENTY of storage room inside and out.

Ooh, can we have those floor to ceiling tripple-glazed sliding doors along two walls of the building to bring the outdoors in? In the summer we could open it up so the indoors and outdoors were one space.

I have a tenner?

Of course EBD. Everything will slide about all over the place.

Love it all :) some great feedback and thoughts. Had a meeting with Local Authority improvement officier and a business advisor yesterday and so far so good. Lots of paperwork to plough through now but all seems positive, on to the costing of everything now. I understand about the all outdoors or all indoors but I think how it will be offered to parents intially is as an alternative day to maybe their main setting and see how we go. Its great to hear that there are so many like minded parents and with the National Trust article about 50 things to do before your 11 3/4 coming out it just highlights the need for this sort of setting to be available.

Thankyou all for your comments esp snowy

Well I am 5 attempts in & I still haven't managed it

We do OK with our children but we need more space

i went to a forest school course a couple of months bk absolutely fascinating BUT as a nursery nurse it concerns me as the risk assessments involved are huge, and what to do in freezing weather.....i believe from aged 3 onwards would be ok as a form of school but i agere with others that it should be a hybrid with conventional nurseries....hope it goes well x

You're in Worcestershire? Count DS in. He's only 8mo at the moment, but get it set up by the time he's two and you'll have at least one child!

Interesting link Waswondering. I'm afraid I would need TiggyD's log cabin and indoor toilets to sign DS up. Does that make me a wuss??

I've just spent 2hrs up in our woods with DS and it is brillant- and I'd be happy for him to play out in all weathers. I would really want the balance of some more traditional nursery school activities available as well though and did I mention the indoor toilets?

I think there is a market for a regular 8-6 nursery with good outdoors provision. I also think it would be far safer to offer something that is already wanted, good 8-6 daycare, with a big outdoor twist than to try to get people interested in a brand new product.

I think my target market at the moment is maybe those parents who already send their children to the 'traditional' nursery setting and an alternative day almost like a taster for these parents until it got going.

KatyMac what were the main reasons it didn't take off?? I can see the season element.

I'm not into Bear Grylls survival school for these children just a good dose of outdoors/ fun and learning, I agree that 3 year is the minimum age really and appropriate clothing summer and winter essential.

Yes I'm in Worcs I'll put your DS name down ATruth :)

Right wellies on off I go.

thankyou for link WasWondering it just affirms my feeling really that there is a need its whether there is a market now?