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Forest School
What is Forest School?
Forest School is a child-centred inspirational learning process, that offers opportunities for holistic growth through regular sessions. It is a long-term program that supports play, exploration and supported risk taking. It develops confidence and self-esteem through learner inspired, hands-on experiences in a natural setting.
Forest School has a developmental ethos shared by thousands of trained practitioners around the world, who are constantly developing their learning styles and skills to support new and imaginative learners. Its roots reach back to the open-air culture, friluftsliv, or free air life, seen as a way of life in Scandinavia where Forest School began.
Benefits of Forest School
Learners develop socially, emotionally, spiritually, physically, and intellectually. Forest School is a safe, non-judgemental nurturing environment for learners to be curious, to experiment, to take risks and to learn the basics of risk assessment from an early age.
Forest School inspires a deep and meaningful connection to nature and all the goodness it provides.
Our approach to risk means that learners constantly expand on their abilities by solving real-world issues, building self-confidence and resilience – fostering autonomy while at the same time building strong values relating to team work and caring for one another.
We believe that risk is more than just potential for physical harm, but a more holistic thing, there are risks in everything we do, and we grow by overcoming them. Forest School therefore, helps participants to become, healthy, resilient, creative and independent learners.
What do we do at Forest School?
Open Space and the surrounding hills of Lamma Island are a wonderland for curious adventurous minds of all ages. Local trails offer great hiking and scavenger hunt adventures and inside Open Space a glorious nature playground awaits – bamboo treehouse, mud kitchen, campfire circle, fresh-water stream, waterfall and pond, fruit trees and much much more!
We love to do climb, hike, do nature-based crafts, learn to light and extinguish fires, cook on the campfire, whittle, learn to safely use a range of hand tools, practice knot tying and lashings, play with water and mud and all that nature has to offer!
We have been hosting weekly Forest School sessions at Open Space for many years between September and June each year. Suitable for children from the time they can sit up until 6 years old. Our terms run for 4-6 weeks with the choice of 3 sessions to sign up for. Wednesdays 9am - 11am Wednesdays 3pm – 5pm Fridays 9am – 11am Please contact Tamara directly via email or Whatsapp to get info about the current and upcoming term dates and fees.
Our Wilderness Adventure Forest School camps and workshops are suitable for kids and adults alike! Join us for a couple of hours or a whole day! We can plan the activities to suit any group according to your preferences and skill level. Learn fire lighting without a lighter! Whittle your own ornament or spoon! Learn to use hand tools like saws, drills, and hammers! Practice some knot tying and learn some lashing techniques! Cook a meal on the campfire! Create some gorgeous nature-based crafts! Unlimited fun in nature for everyone…… Please contact Tamara directly via email or Whatsapp to book a camp or workshop for your private group, schools, charity, or NGO. We would love to explore with you.
Run by Tamara Norris
Qualifications & certificates:
Outdoor Wilderness First Aid & Level 3 Forest School Facilitator Certified (trained by The Outdoors Group, UK)
Adult Mental Health and Wellbeing for Outdoor Leaders Certified
Woodcraft for Wellbeing Approved Practitioner. (trained by the Therapeutic Forest, UK)
Counselling Techniques Diploma
B.A. Child Psychology and Social Psychology
Crisis Counselling and Intervention
Youth Counsellor and Advocate, Child and Teen Mentor
Student of Life
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