Wilder Forest School

Wilder are excited to bring Forest School to Gullane in the lovely Millennium Wood. Suitable for P2-P7, sessions will run weekly, term time on Thursdays from 3.30-5.30pm. Participants will have the opportunity to take part in a whole range of outdoor experiences including shelter building, hammocks, rope play, climbing, fire building, energetic games, woodcraft and creative exploration whilst building nature connection with the woodland and it’s plants and wildlife.

The second full block of Wilder Forest School sessions will start on Thursday 31st October. Spaces are limited and must be booked in advance. Available to book from 6pm on Monday 7th October. Please see below for further information and online booking.

What is Forest School? 

• Regular sessions in a woodland or other natural environment, rather than one-off visits
• Planning, adaptation, observations and reviewing are integral elements
  Each session is well planned and resourced taking into consideration time of year, weather and interests of the learners each week. 
• Develops a relationship between the learner and the natural world
  Spending regular time in the woodland over a longer period of time helps children develop their knowledge and awareness of nature organically. 
• Promotes holistic development - fostering resilient, confident, independent and creative learners
  Forest school encourages playing and exploring, active learning, creating and thinking critically    
• Learners take supported risks appropriate to the environment and to themselves
  Wilder have a wide range of resources to facilitate risky play.  Kids love to climb, crawl, jump, push, pull, hide and run – about half of our session time is dedicated to free play as part of a range of free choice activities.  Taking risks is an important part of children’s physical and mental development - learners are involved in discussions around risk.  Some risk assessments have firm rules and operating procedures and others are more dynamic to allow us to respond to unexpected situations. 
• Run by qualified Forest School practitioners who maintain and develop their professional practice
  All of our staff are forest school trained with each session led by a Forest School Leader and assisted by a Forest school assistant.  We are PVG checked and trained in outdoor first aid and child protection.
• Range of learner-centred processes to create a community for development and learning
  Learning is guided by children’s own needs and interests – learning and play is intrinsically motivated.

Instructions for Attendees

• Ensure your child is dressed suitably for the weather e.g. waterproof trousers/jacket/warm layers including hat/gloves and waterproof shoes/wellies.  In summer long sleeves/trousers are useful to avoid nettle stings and tick bites.
• Meeting point: Entrance to Millennium Wood (side nearest school) – look out for the Green Wilder Flag!
• Please arrive in good time for the start of each session – from Week 2 we will expect latecomers to make their own way into the woodland to avoid the group waiting
• We encourage children to attend every session to get the most from the Wilder Forest School experience
• Wilder have a small range of spare waterproof jackets and trousers (ages 7-13)
• Please encourage your child to go to the toilet before coming along to each session, either at home, school or on arrival at Gullane Primary School
• There are basic toilet facilities on site in the form of a portable toilet tent should your child need to use the toilet during the session
• Wilder will provide a warm drink/biscuit. Only bring a snack if you're child has specific dietary requirements. 
• We would prefer children not to bring fizzy drinks/sweets to forest school sessions.
• Children should not bring mobiles or personal knives to the session

Activity Details

Activity Name: Wilder Forest School

Day of Activity: Thursdays

Activity Time: 3.30-5.30pm

Activity Provider: Wilder Outdoor Education

Age Range: P2 – P7

Cost: 4 week blocks at £64

Contact: contact@wilderoutdooreduation.co.uk

Website: www.wilderoutdooreducation.co.uk

Spaces are limited and must be booked in advance. Please see below for details of upcoming sessions and online booking.