Play school
Our daily Forest School programme for independent children 3 to 6, accompanied children 0 to 3 and homeschoolers.
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 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 the forest 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.
Throughout these years, in that field where we used to see nothing but carob trees, we now know that there is the dragons nest, the town of the witches, the powerful tree from whose top you can see the mountains, the mud river with hanging bridges, the mine, the secret cabin, the rabbit cave, the nest of the birds that did not want to be alone and crossed the ocean never to return, the tree of friendship… Countless magical places that are in the collective imagination of the people who 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 secret path
A small 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
At Valencia Forest School Play School we cover the British Curriculum for Preschool Education (EYFS) through the British Forest School methodology.
Frequent questions
Hours
Transport
Ratio
Language
Weather
Trial Session
Contact Us
hello@valenciaforestschool.es