Schools and Nurseries

We currently work with a number of local nurseries and schools offering forest school sessions. The benefits of forest school to children are phenomenal and many teachers and nursery practitioners comment on the impact of our forest school sessions on children’s confidence, resilience and emotional wellbeing.

What to expect

Whilst we observe the children’s interests and personalities each week, forest school is child led. This means that we facilitate children’s learning providing ideas and resources to explore the woodland setting, but often developing children’s own play and sense of adventure.

We provide all resources required for children to explore a woodland environment including play equipment such as wheelbarrows, mud kitchen resources, art equipment, ropes for climbing, bug hunting equipment etc. We also provide specialist equipment such as tarpaulins, tools for cutting wood and all fire equipment.

Safety

We have rigorous risk assessments of the site and activities. Throughout a session dynamic risk assessments are always being carried out to ensure that children are safe. Forest schools is all about children encountering risk, e.g wobbly logs, using tools, being safe around fire but the idea is to teach children about risk so that as they grow older they learn to manage it themselves.

Depending on the age and number of children in a session at least 2 x school/nursery staff are expected to accompany the children as well as up to 2 Yorkshire Forest Folk leaders who will lead the session.

For further information about forest school please see our ‘What is Forest School?’ page.

If you are a school, nursery or childcare provider and are interested in either a one off session or regular forest school sessions please e mail sophie@yorkshireforestfolk.co.uk

Our children are bursting with enthusiasm about Yorkshire Forest Folk and the Forest School sessions. It has been quite an amazing journey to watch our nursery children develop a range of skills that will be of lifelong benefit to them. They have developed resilience, understanding, thinking for themselves, perseverance and are always willing to have a go. Sophie and Emily have combined their Knowledge and expertise with the elements of nature and the resources that the forest has to offer to create all that is Yorkshire Forest Folk. Our children have enjoyed the freedom to explore, try many varying activities from building campfires, cooking over the campfire, building dens, making dams, sliding in the mud, developing their creative skills with a range of natural materials to name a just a few. They have developed fantastic imaginations along the way and have learned so much about the forest and how to take care of it. They have achieved so much in this wonderful, enabling environment that allows them to choose their next challenge and manage their own risk within the safety of experienced adults who are always on hand to give a helping hand if needed. Parents feedback to us how their child so loves to go to the woods and how their children have talked and talked about what they have been doing. And how their children have treasured the many varying pieces of creative work they have returned home with – dog logs, mud monsters, stick men and lots of different mark making pieces of art! We are looking forward to another year with Yorkshire Forest Folk of excellent, enjoyable learning opportunities, fantastic challenges and lots of fun and laughter!
Livewires Club Ltd, Easingwold

“Since starting our Forest School sessions with Yorkshire Forest Folk, the impact on our children has been immeasurable. We have seen them grow in confidence each week, and there isn’t a day goes by without us having to count the sleeps until Friday! The children are always encouraged to be independent learners, and with the support from Yorkshire Forest Folk they are able to solve problems, take risks and  share new experiences”
Jack and Jills Nursery, Thirsk