“The best classroom and the richest cupboard are roofed only by the sky” “Children want space at all ages…space that is ample space, is almost as much wanted as food and air. To move, to run, to find things out by movement, to feel ones life in every limb, that is the life of early childhood”
Margret McMillan, founder of open air school 1930.

Children have the right to learn and play outdoors, to be active with their bodies and minds and to experience nature in all its wondrous forms. We are proud to offer our children the opportunity to explore in our beautiful natural world area and enjoy Forest School. The garden is accessible daily and can be used by all groups. Both areas are natural and give contrast to the also much used purpose built play static play areas, giving the opportunity for children to cover all characteristics of learning within our curriculum. As the saying goes “there is no such thing as bad weather only inappropriate clothing” so we ask that your child is always equipped for the great outdoors, we do however provide sunscreen for the warmer weather and poncho’s for when we want to have fun experiencing the rain. The children become accustomed to contributing to the development of our natural areas by using their own ideas and imaginations. Will they create an area to welcome fairies into the garden? Or would they like to plant a specific type of vegetable or flower? The benefits of outdoor play on children’s development include metal, physical, cognitive and emotional health as well as social skills which all contribute to a child’s self esteem.

At Circus we are passionate about providing this invaluable resource for our children and truly believe in nurturing a love for learning that extends beyond the nursery classroom walls where indoor and outdoor environment contribute to children’s total learning environment.

Forest school is a child-centred learning environment which embraces the natural world. It enables children to play, learn, explore and take risks in their learning. Forest school nurtures the development of self-esteem, resilience and confidence. It offers children opportunities for holistic growth through regular sessions.

Forest school roots originated in Scandinavia. It was developed from the philosophy of friluftsliv which translates to ‘open air living’.To run forest school, you need to complete your level 3 forest school leader qualification which enables professionals to run/lead forest school sessions at any setting and we are fortunate to have Ellen who passionately embraces this role.

We run sessions weekly at Circus ensuring age and stage of child development is always taken into consideration. To watch children, take risks and embrace their natural environment while learning and developing their knowledge and understanding of the world around them is very rewarding. Some Forest school activities which children enjoy include Whittling, bug hunts, mud kitchen, den building, creating with natural resources, climbing trees, fire pit, all whilst respecting nature.