About Nature Kindergarten

What is Nature Kindergarten?

The Nature Kindergarten allows young children regular opportunities in a woodland or natural setting in all weathers throughout the year to learn outside, embracing all that nature has to offer.

It also incorporates outdoor activities such going for walks in the Glens, visiting the beaches, splashing in puddles, water play, strawberry picking and various nature themed learning topics, as well as using natural resources for leaning.

What is Nature Kindergarten?

The Nature Kindergarten allows young children regular opportunities in a woodland or natural setting in all weathers throughout the year to learn outside, embracing all that nature has to offer.

It also incorporates outdoor activities such going for walks in the Glens, visiting the beaches, splashing in puddles, water play, strawberry picking and various nature themed learning topics, as well as using natural resources for leaning.

How Nature Kindergarten helps children

Children learn best in low-pressure, relaxing environments. The Nature Kindergarten model offers your child a stress-free learning environment where he or she is free to be his or her truest self.

There are clear EYFS curriculum links with a low staff-to-child ratio where every child gets personal, individualised attention. Children are able to talk openly about their emotions and feelings, to tie those sensations to the beautiful world of nature, and to glean lessons from spending time outside.

How Nature Kindergarten helps children

Children learn best in low-pressure, relaxing environments. The Nature Kindergarten model offers your child a stress-free learning environment where he or she is free to be his or her truest self.

There are clear EYFS curriculum links with a low staff-to-child ratio where every child gets personal, individualised attention. Children are able to talk openly about their emotions and feelings, to tie those sensations to the beautiful world of nature, and to glean lessons from spending time outside.

The nurturing, loving environment of the Nature Kindergarten feels welcoming to even the shyest of children. If your child isn’t yet a lover of nature, he or she will be by the time they’ve finished a day at Nature Kindergarten!

A love of nature serves as the foundation for a love of science, maths, animals, and humanity, and these traits will serve your child for the rest of his or her life. Let us help your child become a caretaker of the ecosystem that surrounds us all.

The nurturing, loving environment of the Nature Kindergarten feels welcoming to even the shyest of children. If your child isn’t yet a lover of nature, he or she will be by the time they’ve finished a day at Nature Kindergarten!

A love of nature serves as the foundation for a love of science, maths, animals, and humanity, and these traits will serve your child for the rest of his or her life. Let us help your child become a caretaker of the ecosystem that surrounds us all.

Key Features

  • Using a local woodland, either within walking distance or organised trip
  • Structured, organised and run by trained EYFS practitioners
  • Regular, frequent contact in a woodland setting over a period of time, e.g. weekly visits, all year round in almost all weathers.

Key Features

  • Using a local woodland, either within walking distance or organised trip
  • Structured, organised and run by trained EYFS practitioners
  • Regular, frequent contact in a woodland setting over a period of time, e.g. weekly visits, all year round in almost all weathers.
  • Provides child centred freedom to explore using multiple senses and intelligences – child led and adult supported
  • Provides a low pupil to adult ratio
  • Helps children to appreciate, understand and care for our natural heritage
  • Provides a real world context for all learning – first hand experiences meeting the outcomes of the EYFS Curriculum
  • Provides child centred freedom to explore using multiple senses and intelligences – child led and adult supported
  • Provides a low pupil to adult ratio
  • Helps children to appreciate, understand and care for our natural heritage
  • Provides a real world context for all learning – first hand experiences meeting the outcomes of the EYFS Curriculum

Key Benefits

Research with early year’s children and their teachers in Forest School settings, compared to traditional settings, is beginning to gather evidence of significant benefits;

  • Motivation and concentration – more imaginative and independent play, greater ability to  focus on a task and concentrate for extended periods of time
  • Language and communication – better listening skills and more sophisticated conversations stimulated by first hand experience and active play

Key Benefits

Research with early year’s children and their teachers in Forest School settings, compared to traditional settings, is beginning to gather evidence of significant benefits;

  • Motivation and concentration – more imaginative and independent play, greater ability to  focus on a task and concentrate for extended periods of time
  • Language and communication – better listening skills and more sophisticated conversations stimulated by first hand experience and active play
  • Outdoor activity– supporting health and wellbeing, including physical skills, less  absences, greater stamina and fine motor skills; improved balance and co-ordination
  • Knowledge and understanding– early understanding, appreciation and respect for their natural surroundings
  • Confidence and self-esteem– from being able to demonstrate independence and achieve manageable tasks; able to overcome concerns being outdoors in almost all weathers, all year round
  • Social skills – better awareness of self and others, and consequences of actions on others; able to share tools and tasks with others, and take part in co-operative play
  • Outdoor activity– supporting health and wellbeing, including physical skills, less  absences, greater stamina and fine motor skills; improved balance and co-ordination
  • Knowledge and understanding– early understanding, appreciation and respect for their natural surroundings
  • Confidence and self-esteem– from being able to demonstrate independence and achieve manageable tasks; able to overcome concerns being outdoors in almost all weathers, all year round
  • Social skills – better awareness of self and others, and consequences of actions on others; able to share tools and tasks with others, and take part in co-operative play

Forest School - What's the difference?

Forest School qualification is a specialised learning approach that compliments the wider context of outdoor and woodland education. Some of our staff have level 3 OCN accredited forest school training which maximises the educational benefits of outdoor learning.

Although qualification’s are not required to teach Nature Kindergarten, Little Cherubs staff have been trained in safety, risk assessment, activity planning, where the activities will take place, appropriate clothing and the changing weather.

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