Where is Sense of Wonder Forest School located?

Sense of Wonder Forest School is located at Killiney Hill, Dublin.

 

What activities take place at Forest School?

Fun physical movement, Shelter building, environmental awareness, whittling, wood carving, safe fire building, art and crafting, basic plant knowledge, foraging, tea making, sensory activities, mindfulness activities, knots, team building, self-esteem development, free play– all activities are age appropriate. We support and encourage all children’s ideas and creative pursuits to come to life if safe and appropriate. We are consistently listening and observing to the children’s needs and plan follow up session in conjunction with their ideas.

 

What age is Forest School After School & Forest School Camps for?

All ages of children and young people can benefit from Forest School, Outdoor Learning or Bushcraft. We focus our work with 4.5 year olds to 11 years. If you have an older group then we would be happy to create sessions. Forest School really is ageless - from 1 to 100; everyone can benefit from the experience.

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What should children wear?

All activities take place in the outdoors and therefore it is essential that children are dressed accordingly to protect them from the inclement weather and to keep an even body temperature. A waterproof jacket, trousers, wellington boots or waterproof shoes are essential.  For colder weather, adequate layers and gloves and a hat are necessary.  In summer, sunscreen and a sunhat are required.  

 

Will my child get muddy ?

It is likely that your child will get muddy, particularly on rainy days when the earth is wet.  Mud is really good for children, and adults. It helps build up the immune system, as well as many other positive benefits. The waterproof layers help with this.  You can bring spare clothes when you collect your child, or a sheet or towel for them to sit on in the car going home.

 

Do we go out in all weathers or cancel?

We have a saying there is no such thing as bad weather only bad clothes. However, we always want to keep people safe. With safety of the children as the top priority, we cancel in high winds and high expectations of lightning. The reason for this is that dead wood in the tree canopy is likely to fall to ground level without warning.

 

 

Toileting

Try to ask your child to go to the toilet before going to the forest but we also have a section ready for them in case a  child needs to go to the toilet while in the forest. An adult will supervise but the child must be able to go to the toilet unassisted. Water, soap and antibacterial gel will be available on site.

 

Lunch, Snacks & Drinks

Please pack lunch, snacks, and water for each child. At forest school we encourage children to self-regulate by taking personal responsibility and choosing to eat and drink when they are hungry/thirsty. We will always check in and remind them throughout the sessions.

 

Are Sense of Wonder Forest School insured?

Yes we have comprehensive and specialist insurance which permits the leader to practice, demonstrate and supervise forest school activities. To meet the insurance requirements all parents must complete the consent form before their child attends.

 

Is Forest School safe?

Health and safety issues are important, and safety procedures are very much part of our routine. These are shared with children, who learn to understand and assess risk for themselves. Of course, accidents can happen anywhere but we are well prepared. Rebecca and Yuuki regularly update their outdoor first aid certificate and there are multiple first aid kits on site. A detailed safety procedure is set out in our handbook which can be viewed upon request. 

 

 

Is it safe for young children to work with tools?

Tools are only introduced after numerous sessions. We assess the suitability of using tools with every different group of children. Every single tool is introduced with a tool talk and step-by-step instructions. All tool use is monitored closely with high adult to child ratios.

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If you have any further questions about Forest School please send an email to senseofwonderfs@gmail.com

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