Monkey Puzzle Tatsfield understands and emphasises the importance of outdoor space for our children to run, play and explore the world around them. We have several outdoor areas for the children to use throughout the day to gain all of the benefits of fresh air and exercise.
Forest School
Forest School offers nature-based learning sessions that can be adapted to an individual’s needs and interests. Based on holistic learning practices and Scandinavian principles, our forest school stresses the importance of wellbeing in education and helps children, and adults alike, learn at their own pace and in their own way.
Our children learn through play and exploration and we champion the learning of both the world within us and the world around us. Our Forest School adheres to the Six Principles of Forest School. We believe in teaching the things that aren’t necessarily taught in a classroom, building resilience, a sense of self, a deep connection to nature and strong foundations for the future.
In our Preschool, we have used this practice to develop a new garden area just for our preschoolers. This area is being developed with the children and is a place where their ideas, drawings, planning and interest are being brought to life.
So far we have created a ‘Science of Growing’ area alongside our planting and growing greenhouses. The children look after this area and we are looking forward to celebrating and eating the foods that will grow here. Another very popular area is our ‘Fairy Garden’ bringing our love of magic to every day activities with the children.
Some of the activities that we enjoy are cooking around the fire and learning about fire safety, safe tool use, risk taking and deepening our connection with nature.
Watch this space as we have so much more to come!
Forest School Activities
We love exploring the forest school environment by using natural materials to create fairy houses, dragon homes, and bird nests. This imaginative activity encourages creativity, problem-solving, teamwork, and communication while helping children develop a connection with nature and an understanding of the natural world.
Children gathered around the log circle to listen to and share stories in the outdoor environment. Some of our favourite stories are a collection of fairy books and a new favourite called Yucky worms. This activity encouraged speaking and listening skills, imagination, turn-taking, and confidence while fostering a sense of community and enjoyment of storytelling in nature.
The children mixed mud and sand to create their own “nature cement” and used it to build fairy dens using sticks, leaves, and other natural materials. This hands-on activity encouraged creativity, problem-solving, cooperation, and fine motor development while exploring textures, materials, and the natural environment.
Children developed their maths and literacy skills through a range of forest school activities, including counting natural objects, recognising numbers and letters, creating patterns, and using storytelling and mark-making in the outdoor environment. These experiences supported communication, language, early reading and writing, and mathematical thinking through hands-on exploration and play.
Always a favourite, all year round! Children enjoyed creating imaginative potions using natural materials such as fallen leaves, petals, sticks, and seeds collected from the forest floor. They learned the importance of being sustainable by only gathering items that had already fallen naturally, helping to care for and respect the environment. This activity encouraged creativity, communication, and an understanding of the natural world.
Children explored opportunities for managed risk-taking in the forest school environment, such as climbing, balancing, and using tools with adult support. Through these experiences, they learned how to assess risks, make safe choices, build resilience, and develop confidence in their own abilities while understanding the importance of keeping themselves and others safe.
The children at holiday club enjoyed cooking pancakes/toast over the campfire, learning about fire safety and the importance of following instructions in the outdoor environment. They took turns watching the cooking process and tasting their delicious pancakes. This activity supported communication, cooperation, confidence, and an understanding of healthy food and outdoor cooking experiences.
Our children embraced their love of dragons during a magical forest school session, helping to light the fire using a “dragon sneeze” with flint and steel. They learned about fire safety, how sparks can be created, and the importance of careful risk management. This exciting activity encouraged curiosity, imagination, resilience, and confidence while developing an understanding of the natural world and outdoor skills.
Children learned how to use the hammock safely by taking turns, following safety rules, and practising how to get in and out carefully. They enjoyed relaxing, balancing, and gently swinging while developing confidence, coordination, and an awareness of risk. This activity encouraged self-regulation, resilience, and respect for both the equipment and others.
One of our favourite activities is the Japanese art of Hapa Zome by using leaves and flowers collected from our garden to create beautiful natural prints. They carefully arranged their materials and used gentle tapping to transfer colours and patterns onto fabric and paper. This creative activity encouraged observation skills, fine motor development, creativity, and an appreciation for the beauty of the natural world.
We love using, exploring and creating with clay, moulding, shaping, and designing our own imaginative creations. Working with clay helps to strengthen fine motor skills, hand muscles, and coordination while encouraging creativity, concentration, and problem-solving. This sensory experience also supports children’s wellbeing by providing a calming and engaging way to explore and express their ideas.
To learn about safe tool use, pre-school work one-to-one with our forest school leader to learn how to use forest school tools safely and responsibly. They practised following safety rules, handling tools with care, and completing simple tasks with increasing independence. This experience helped to develop concentration, confidence, resilience, fine motor skills, and an understanding of how to assess and manage risk safely.
Today’s session we worked together through a range of forest school activities, developing teamwork, communication, and cooperation skills. They also enjoyed a mindful “cloud bathing” experience, lying quietly and observing the shapes and patterns in the sky. Using their imaginations, they created stories inspired by the clouds they could see, supporting creativity, language development, wellbeing, and a deeper connection with nature.
