Forest School

Place-based nature immersed experience for our tamariki

Forest School

We are passionate about embedding children with a strong connection with their natural surroundings from an early age. Research overwhelmingly points towards the importance of time in nature and the benefit for overall health. Our biophilic (nature mimicry) design principles ensured that we bring those connections wherever we can at our homebase.

Our Forest programme will take this a step further. Partnering with local landowners our four year olds will participate in a weekly outing to the forest. They will spend time building huts, playing with sticks and stones and breathing in the fresh air. We believe this is the greatest thing we can do to prepare them for a future that will require a natural intelligence to solve some complex problems the world is facing.

We are very fortunate to be surrounded by a natural paradise. There is a saying that you protect that which you fall in love with. Our goal is to give children unhurried time to explore their innate desire to connect and fall in love with Papatuanuku (Mother Earth).

Our Forest Programme is built around a participation and partnership with whãnau and community. Our older children (4 years+) will get the opportunity once a week to spent the majority of their day soaked in the forest.

Through this consistent revisiting throughout the year they build up their natural literacy and learn about the way our inter-connected world changes through the seasons.

We encourage parents/grandparents to considering becoming a ‘Forest Guardian’ committing to becoming whãnau support once a week for a term as we create magical memories together.