Play school
The Play School in the city of Valencia (Parque de Cabecera) is our daily Forest School outdoor program for independent children 3 to 6 and worldschoolers.
We offer a British bilingual programme centred around personal development and emotional intelligence through self-directed play, creativity, multisensory experiences and deep meaningful connection to nature.
From British origins and Scandinavian inspiration, our Play School is an emotionally safe and prejudice-free space in which each child spends their time according to their own interests, needs and rhythms in an extraordinary outdoor natural environment.
The guides act to accompany the children in a non-intrusive, respectful and receptive way supported by 4 key tools: emotional validation, continuous observation, flexible planning and simplicity of resources.
About the Play school
In Forest School we have few rules and they can all be summed up in one word: Respect.
One rule:
RESPECT
For nature
For yourself
For others
For the materials
The perfect recipe:
Improvisation and routine
In our sessions we look for the balance between routine and improvisation. The routine brings us confidence, comfort, familiarity and security while improvisation brings us adventure, creativity, problem solving skills, decision making… With these ingredients we experience sessions in which we can be ourselves, unhurried and in a state of calm.
The best place in the world:
Nature, simplicity and imagination
In VFS we don’t offer visits outside of our working hours. Why not? Forest school without children and their guides does not exist. Every morning we find ourselves before a blank canvas: stones, earth, leaves, the sound of the wind, fluttering birds, the frost on the leaves… And it is throughout the day that the magic emerges: cabins appear, mysterious faces, swings in the branches, art on the ground, great works of engineering… And when the time comes to tidy up, no matter how much it cost us to build it or how proud we are of the result, everything is returned to its original state and we give the forest back to its inhabitants. Leave No Trace.
Where most people only see a park, the kids at the Play School know where to find the dragon’s nest, the witches’ village, the gorilla tree from the top of which you can see the mountains, the mud river with hanging bridges, the mine, the secret cabin, the squirrels’ grotto, the nest of those birds that did not want to be alone and crossed the ocean never to return, the friendship tree… An infinite number of magical places that are in the collective imagination of the children and adults that come to the Forest School every week.
What happens during a session?
Each day in our Play School is different because the sessions are developed in an organic and receptive way.
The morning walk
A path takes us to Base Camp where we spend most of the time. This beautiful walk is something of a ritual; we say goodbye to the real world to become creatures of the forest.
Community time
During the session we have several moments in which we create community: storytelling, music, meals, reflection at the end of the day, team games, connection exercises with nature, creative invitations…
Play Projects
The pillar of the Forest School methodology. A session has various blocks of free and respectful play. These are long blocks of self-directed and uninterrupted play in order to allow the production of meaningful learning through play.
Icebreakers
Sometimes a transition is needed between the start of the session that is guide-led and the self-directed Play Projects. To support this process, we present an activity or material, typically related to sensory play and schema theory.
Creative Invitations
Creative invitations are experiences that are part guided based on the methodology of STEAM (Science, technology, engineering, art and maths). These experiences include the creative, experimental and safe use of a range of materials and tools.
Let the adventure begin!
British curriculum
Valencia Forest School is an environmental education project within the ecoturism framework. In the Play School we cover the British Curriculum for non-compulsory Preschool Education (EYFS) through the british Forest School methodology.
Frequent questions
Hours
Ratio
Language
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Visiting Us
Contact Us
hello@valenciaforestschool.es
Work with us
If you would like to become a member of our team of Forest School Guides, please send a motivation letter and your CV to hello@valenciaforestschool.es