A warm welcome to Willow's Forest School.
We offer a safe and fun outdoor experience for children aged 18 months to 4 years, in all weathers during term time. We were founded in 2013 and our popular Parent and Toddler Classes run Monday to Friday mornings from Ottershaw, Chertsey, Whiteley Village and Sutton Green near Guildford, SURREY. Siblings rates apply and siblings under 18 months attend for free. Taster sessions are available to book too. We also have a dedicated team who delivers weekly Forest School sessions to local school groups and children with additional needs. We are coming to Hersham and Chobham / Ottershaw border in the Summer Term.
Additionally we run educational, fun packed Holiday Camps during some of the holidays for children aged 4-11 years, come rain or shine. We are located at Ottershaw and Sutton Green near Guildford. Our camps are very popular and we strongly recommend to book early! We release approx 3 months in advance. Willow's Forest Camps is Ofsted registered and accepts childcare vouchers.
There is something for every child to enjoy whether it be building dens, going on scavenger hunts, identifying bugs, making dream catchers, using hand tools, whittling sticks or singing and story reading whilst toasting marshmallows over a camp fire.
The children learn about nature by making bug hotels and habitats for our wildlife including our resident fox "Willow." Forest School is child led, however we do encourage the children to step outside their comfort zone and have a go at activities available to them. Our aim is for the children to learn through having fun, build their self esteem, learn some life long skills and have wonderful childhood memories.
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HOLIDAY CAMPS
We accept Childcare Vouchers at all of our camps, including our Term Time Parent and Toddler Mini Camps. If you wish to book with us using Childcare Vouchers please visit the CV page and follow the instructions. If you have any problems please call us on 07734188174.
What is Forest School?
Forest School sessions provide a safe, natural and fun environment for children to develop strong social skills, physical ability, self esteem, independence and enhance their knowledge of nature and the changing seasons. Forest Schools fosters children's curiosity and motivation to learn and explore. It teaches children to respect each other, themselves, the natural world and their local community.
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It is a long term, repetitive learning process that uses a natural outdoor space. It is a specific ethos of learning that focuses on processes rather than products and allows learners time and space to develop at their own rate. Learners develop a strong sense of space through repeated contact with the natural world (ideally woodland but not always) throughout the year in all weathers.
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Empowers children and young people to take responsibility for their own learning and development. The ethos encourages child-led learning and learning through play. Choice increases enjoyment, participation and motivation. Children are set up to achieve and supported to take appropriate risks through developing trust in themselves and others
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Encourages emotional growth, self esteem, confidence and independence. It gives learners time and space to be by themselves, find peace and communicate with others in a safe caring environment. Emotional literacy is activity practised by adults and children within the Forest School.
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Instils a deep respect and awareness for the natural world and reconnects participants to the environment. Being in nature allows learners to observe real life, witness cause and effect and consider our roles and responsibilities towards it.
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Promotes learning and development for all ages and abilities and its ethos is fully inclusive. It is most effective in smaller than class sizes with high adult to child ratio. The natural environment provides stimulus for all senses, all areas of development and all learning styles.