About Our Playgroup
Forest House is an outdoor play school based in the heart of the Constantia Greenbelt with direct access to the forest in a safe and secure environment. We immerse children, from 3 to 5 years old, in nature and support them to become creative thinkers, develop soft skills and become lifelong learners.
We aim to inspire the children who join us to be enveloped with a love for life, while we guide them to develop a sense of self-awareness and confidence as they grow into conscious and heart-centered citizens of the world. The phase of early childhood development is fundamental as it forms the foundation for who we grow up to be.
Our approach to learning
- Our forest school follows a forest school and Reggio Emilia approach to learning.
- These pedagogies combined form a magical way of learning.
- We’re a child-led and play-based natural school where children have the opportunity to grow into their unique being.
- We foster a sense of community as children are equipped to learn and play collaboratively.
- We learn through play and exploration and by following children’s interests.
- Our role as educators is to observe and support each child in their development.
- With encouragement, role-modelling and curiosity, play transforms into deep and meaningful learning opportunities.
- We as educators share a reflective attitude and continually adapt and change with the group and learn from experience. We embrace play in our own lives and we continue to develop our inner child.
- We focus on the emotional, spiritual, intellectual, social, physical, communication and language development of children: the whole child.
A typical day at Forest House
Each day at our forest school is a unique journey of discovery. Our program is designed to nurture your child’s natural curiosity and love of learning.
Our daily routines include:
Circle Time: We start with movement, music, and mindfulness to foster a sense of community and prepare for the day’s adventures.
Forest Exploration: Immerse in nature through free play and guided activities tailored to your child’s interests and developmental stages.
Creative Expression: Stimulate imagination and critical thinking with hands-on projects inspired by our outdoor experiences.
Story Time and Refreshments: Wind down the day with storytelling and wholesome treats.
Child-Centered Learning: Our curriculum is built around your child’s individual needs and passions. We believe that spending quality time outdoors, exploring nature, and engaging in creative play is essential for holistic development.
Cognitive Development: Children develop better cognition through experiential learning, engaging their whole bodies and senses. Developing language, vocabulary, and numeracy outdoors is captivating!
Tracking Your Child’s Learning Journey
We understand the importance of keeping parents informed about their child’s forest school experience. To ensure transparency and open communication, we implement the following:
- Regular Photo Updates: Every month, we share a Forest House Journal with the parents – a collection of photos capturing the playgroup’s adventures and learning moments. It includes beautiful photos, funny quotes by the kids and a detailed overview highlighting key activities and developments.
- Individual Learning Journals: At the end of term 1 and 3, parents receive a personalised written report outlining their child’s growth and achievements. These journals provide valuable insights into your child’s learning journey.
- Weekly Whatsapp updates: Pictures and important need to knows to a small parents only whatsapp group
- Parent-Teacher Meetings: At the end of term 2 and 4, we meet up in person to discuss anything prevalent.
By combining visual and written communication, we aim to provide parents with a comprehensive understanding of their child’s progress in our forest school program
Term schedule
Mondays to Thursdays from 8:30-12:30am
Forest House 2024 |
Dates |
| Term 1 |
17th January – 20th March |
| Term 2 |
9th April – 13th June |
| Term 3 |
9th July – 19th September |
|
Term 4 |
1st October – 5th December |
We run an optional holiday club program every school holiday.
Folks in the Parent Den get early bird access, so be sure to sign up to our newsletter.
What Parents are saying
Delve deeper into what inspires us
PURPOSE AND VALUES
Our purpose is to foster rich outdoor learning experiences for children using a whole-child approach that will not only develop a deep connection with nature but also prepare children with a set of soft skills (creative thinking, problem solving, inquisitiveness and resilience) that will help them to thrive in our changing world.
We believe in the well-being that immersing in nature gives us, we believe that awakening our senses and being in a rich and positive environment creates an openness for exploration and learning. We believe in the power of play, making sense of our world, socializing, finding what our interests are, and learning. We believe in cultivating a spirit of teamwork and collaboration within our group and beyond.
WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT: HOW WE LEARN
Research and experience have taught us about the immense potential of learning in a play-based and child-led natural and outdoor environment. Our role as educators is to look deeply into the child, understand their learning styles, and spark their curiosity to learn in an interesting and meaningful way for them.
We make sure to work in all the areas of the early childhood development curriculum, plus others that we consider important. Our activities and experiences will be planned taking into consideration the following areas of development:
- Social and emotional development
- Cognitive development: numeracy
- Language development: literacy
- Gross motor skills development
- Fine motor skills development
- The natural world
- Arts and Creativity
- Physical development
