Forest School
Forest School: Come to play in the woods
We aim to provide meaningful experiences with and in nature for people of all ages.
We have been offering Forest School programmes for children since 2015.
We provide forest school programmes for people from all walks of life. We have run weekly after-school programmes, worked with primary and secondary schools and youth centres. We also facilitate Forest school CPD days for adults and training for teachers and college students. We are very grateful to all those who have come to play in the woods with us over the years.
Why it matters.
Here at Wild Awake, we believe that Forest School as an ethos of learning most suits our aspirations for the future generations. In our experience, Forest School fosters creative & resilient individuals by supporting them to make the choices that are right for them.
We understand that it takes time to build a relationship, whether that it is with yourself, the people around you or with nature. Therefore, we appreciate the importance of long term, regular contact in a natural environment.
We value play and understand the importance of sitting around a campfire listening to one another as much as reaching for that next branch up the tree. We see the value in risky play and support people to assess risk for themselves. We teach how useful a knife can be when we learn how to carve safely, we share the wonders of fire and guide people to harness that magic for themselves, we introduce our plant and animal mentors and let nature be the guiding force.
The Irish Forest School Association has beautifully outlined What is a Forest School as well as what happens at forest school here
If you would like more information for a group you work with, please do get in touch to discuss what we can offer for you. You can come to our woodland site at Ards Friary, Donegal, or we can come to you!
“Where do I start… Forest School has been the most exciting adventure for my ten year old. Not just because it keeps her off the laptop (when nothing else can…) she’s enjoyed every minute of it. She’s asked to go back during the week to explore the forest, show off the den, look for more frogs. she’s experienced the park in a whole new way. Please keep it going for as long as you can”
– Forest School parent
