What happens during a session?
The staff will meet you and your child at the welcome tent or hut at 8am or 9.15am. The children will self-register by finding their name on a wooden disc which is then attached to their backpack.
The children come into the welcome tent or hut where we read stories and sing songs, including a welcome song where children are encouraged to express how they are feeling about the day ahead.
At 8.15am and 9.30am we will walk the children down to the woods. Any parents dropping off after those times will need to walk their child down to the woods themselves.
On our arrival at the woods the children sort their belongings – backpack, water bottle and lunch in their small group with their key person. The children dropped off at 8am will have the breakfast they have brought in and will then play until the other children and staff arrive on site at 9.45am. We then all come together for a short adult led activity, then head off to the toilet, wash hands and then enjoy snack together. After washing up, the children go off to play.
During freeplay the children take ownership of their own learning and follow their own interests although adults are on hand to extend their learning by asking open ended questions and facilitating where necessary. There’s usually an adult led activity the children can choose to take part in too.
From 11.30am the children start to get ready for lunch by visiting the toilet and washing their hands. We eat lunch at midday outside every day and have a tarp to provide shelter if it’s raining and a fenced fire to provide warmth in the winter.
After lunch we enjoy listening to stories, singing songs, playing instruments or parachute games and then the children have a final short play. Quiet areas are available for children who may be tired after lunch – hammocks, book area, blankets.
We all help to tidy up before the children leaving at 2.15pm collect their belongings ready to go home. We like to finish the session with a short reflection on what each child has enjoyed and sometimes we sit quietly for a few minutes mindfully listening to the birdsong and tuning into nature after a busy day. The children staying until 4pm will have an opportunity to take part in some quieter activities, if they are tired, toolwork, stories, hammock time after they have had a snack.
The children will be ready to be collected from the welcome tent or hut at 2.15pm or 4pm.