Welcome to Little Forest Folk – fully outdoor forest nurseries that immerse two to five-year-olds in nature, helping them become creative, resilient little learners.
Little Forest Folk was established to give children the chance to grow up with a sense of awe and freedom as part of their everyday lives. Our nurseries connect children back to nature, inspiring them to live a naturally healthy lifestyle that builds resilience, confidence, independence and self-motivation – all the tools they need for a happy and successful life.
We want to offer this generation the opportunity to enjoy the wonderful outdoors childhood that many of us were fortunate enough to have experienced but that children in London are sadly now missing out on.
We follow the core Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum, and incorporate learning in a safe and secure outdoor environment, where free play, fresh air, exposure to the natural world and physical activity are an integral part of learning.
“The wild world is becoming so remote to children that they miss out – and an interest in the natural world doesn’t grow as it should. Nobody is going to protect the natural world unless they understand it.”
How children learn at Little Forest Folk
Our curriculum has been developed to meet the seven areas of learning as set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). We do this through a variety of outdoor play activities designed to foster a love for learning through exploration.
Numbers and counting are encouraged by looking at trees and birds. Shapes and colours are aided by leaves and feathers. Nature is explored using water, air and earth. Our education is child-led and play-based, with curiosity sparked and a desire for deeper understanding arising from wonder.
safety
Little Forest Folk children wear brightly coloured waterproofs, colour coordinated by age group. These make the children highly visible at all times. Children are always kept within line of sight of two or more adults. Our adult to child ratio is maintained as at least one adult for each four children, allowing many eyes to be kept on the children. Headcounts take place regularly and staff all carry walkie-talkies to keep in constant communication.
An important part of our safety is involving the children in their own safety precautions. Each morning the children work along with the adults to set boundaries for their play in that area. It empowers the children to be involved in their own safety and ensures they show safety precautions a far greater respect.
Food
Excellent nutrition is important at Little Forest Folk, as is variety of food. All of your children's meals are homemade, healthy and nutritious and are dishes that the whole family would enjoy. We take great pride in our adventurous and tasty menu – no fish fingers and chips for our children!
CLOTHING
Each season we provide you with a kit list of what your child should be dressed in to ensure they are warm and dry. As part of the enrolment, we provide each child with their outer layer comprising a set of brightly coloured Roarsome waterproof dungarees and a jacket.
When it rains
When it rains we put our hoods up! We also erect tarps above our heads so we can continue or we shelter under the natural canopies of trees. More often than not all the children want to do is engage in rainy day play – capturing water in containers, looking at rain flow and jumping in puddles!
MINDFULNESS
As each day draws to a close we encourage children to wind down and reflect upon their day. We collect 'treasures' from the forest to discuss and show pictures of the day on a projector. Children are encouraged to relax and reflect on their day and discuss what they have achieved and enjoyed.
Nap time
Our napping children go to bed after lunch, snuggling down in their sleeping bags on inflatable sleeping mats inside our sleeping tent. Just like a camping holiday!
Toileting
We accommodate children in nappies, who are changed regularly in our nappy changing tent. For toilet trained children, we use natural camping 'forest' toilets contained in outdoor toilet tents. Warm water and soap are provided for hand washing.
HOW DO WAITING LISTS WORK?
If you would like detailed information about how our waiting lists work, please follow the link below.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Have more questions? Visit our FAQ page to find out more about Little Forest Folk and our nurseries.