Bush Kindy Forest Schooling Programs Illawarra NSW
Learn And Play Outdoors In Our Bush 'Skool' Programs
Bush Play Forest Schooling Programs For Kids in Wollongong, Illawarra NSW
Bush School Programs in Wollongong
Discover Our Bush Kindy and Forest School Programs In Illawarra NSW
Welcome to FOLKplay – Forest of Lucky Kids! Join our Bush Play Forest School Programs in the forests of Wollongong, Illawarra. Our all-weather programs will spark a sense of adventure, wonder, and curiosity in kids!
We find children thrive in our Forest Schooling approach, which we adopted from concepts used in Nordic Countries, who have very successful education systems in place. We have an emphasis on unstructured play in nature, fostering children’s learning interests to create term-long projects. These revolve around STEM subjects as well as art, literacy, geography and history, without ever focusing on curriculum outcomes. We play and learn in nature as guided by your child.
Bush School Programs For Kids
Who Runs Your Bush School Programs?
FOLKplay employs experienced Teachers and Outdoor Educators who support a focus on unstructured play in nature. We are fully insured and have an excellent safety record. FOLKplay runs all year round, operating primarily as a Forest School for 0-13 years of age.
We are excellent at holding space for children to explore, and BE KIDS!
Bush Kindy Bushcraft
Our Forest Schooling Program Activities
Some of the activities you can do with us:
- Building and lighting fires with flint and steel (fire bans assessed daily)
- Archery
- Guided nature walks and Creek play (both sites have beautiful flowing creeks)
- Nature play art activities and clay craft
- Woodwork - including safe use of tools like axes, saws and knives
- Group games like tug of war, water fights
- Leatherwork and learning knots
- Building shelters
- Animal tracking
- Bush walking, flora and fauna hunting
- Cooking - including damper on the fire and vege stew on a camp oven
Nature Based Play Illawarra
Bush Kindy + Forest School Details
Who
Our Bush school has two different age groups managed by different teachers.
- Bush Kindy: 3 – 5 year olds > Managed by two Teachers with a focus on Early Childhood development using nature for play.
- Forest School: 5 – 10 year olds > Managed by two Primary School Teachers with a focus on a different curriculum topic each week and using play in nature as a means of education.
Where
- Mt Keira Girl Guides’ Campsite (See map below…)
When
- 9am – 3pm Monday to Friday, During School Terms
BYO Food, snacks and water
- Check out our FAQs below...
Get Back To Nature! Our Bush Kindy Forest Schooling Programs in Illawarra are here
Book now to reserve a spot for your child.
Forest Schooling Programs in Wollongong NSW
FOLKplay is an Australian Forest School Association Member
This means we follow the forest schooling guiding principles set by AFSA using forest schooling pedagogy. We allow children to develop meaningful relationships with nature, others and themselves through:
- Regular and ongoing immersion in natural wild spaces
- Connection to Country, First Nations people, and their ancient connection to the land
- Free play, flexible structure and a natural learning environment
- Inclusive and accessible learning environment
- Mentoring practices that embrace a sense of adventure, challenge and resilience
- Sustainable environmental practices to preserve our natural resources and local species
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
FOLKplay is an “all weather” holiday program. We will not cancel the program if it is raining. In fact, in the rain is where the magic happens! Pack a rain jacket and spare everything.
Please note, each site has an undercover area where we can have fires and keep warm and gather together in heavy rain or storms.
FOLKplay is not a registered school. We offer Outdoor Education and Nature Play programs not covered under any early childhood learning framework and therefore we are NOT an early childhood organisation. We do not recieve government subsidies nor qualify for childcare rebates. Our programs are facilitated by qualified Teachers using a forest schooling pedagogy.
Forest schooling is a concept that first began in the forests of Norway. Forest Schools are outdoor educational programs that take place in natural environments, such as forests, bushland or beaches where children learn and develop through hands-on experiences, exploration, and play.
It is generally accepted that in Australia, we use the term ‘Bush School’ to mean ‘Forest School’. Just as we say we’re going ‘bush walking’ instead of ‘forest walking’. In this way, a Bush Kindy is set up for children to explore and develop skills through hands on experience playing in nature.
The Australian Forest School Association supports the idea that in Australia, many other terms are used, stating that:
‘We recognise the colonial implications of the term “forest” and we love and respect the way that Australian educators are finding a wide range of alternative terms to use, that relate specifically to their programs. We also respect that some educators choose to keep this term because of its accessibility for others to find and research their approach.’
Our ratio of children to educators is 8:1 in our maximum programs. Sometimes we have smaller groups of children.
The Bush Kindy and Forest School Program is generally a drop off session and runs from 9am – 3pm. If you wish to stay with your child, you are more than welcome!
Your first child is full price. Each additional child gets a 10% discount.
If the program is cancelled due to a severe weather event, we will credit you with the opportunity to attend another FOLK play Program valued at the same price.
If a session is cancelled after it has already begun due to weather or safety concerns, we are unable to give a refund or credit the session fees.
If you are absent from a program due to illness, holiday or any other reason, NO refund will be offered.
If we need to cancel the program due to an extreme weather event warning (eg bush fires), a credit will be offered.
It’s best to wear:
Long pants
Good walking shoes
Woollen socks (if possible – better for breathing, blisters and leeches)
Breathable long sleeve shirt
A hat
Please bring your own:
Lunch, morning and afternoon tea
Minimum 2 litres of drinking water
Sometimes we make vegetable stew on the camp fire – we will provide this.
We also make and cook damper on the fire
Please bring in your own bag:
Lunch, morning and afternoon tea
Minimum 2 litres of drinking water
Bring a rain jacket
Spare pair of closed shoes
Spare full set of clothes
Spare socks and underwear
Towel
Plastic bag (to put wet or muddy gear in)
A hat! Or wear it on your head!
No you don’t have to. You get to choose the activities you do. Our Educators support unstructured yet supervised play time in nature. This means it helps to be prepared, with spare clothes and shoes, just in case.
We also have quiet activities like playing chess and chilling in a hammock.
Still have questions?
Please get in touch if you have more questions about our programs.