Our Forest School
Forest School Team
Leah
Forest School Leader
David
Forest School Leader
Lucy
Forest School Leader
What We Offer
At Shardlow Hall Day Nursery, we believe outdoor play is essential for children’s wellbeing and development. That’s why we’ve created inspiring outdoor spaces that spark awe and wonder for every child.
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Our outdoor areas are thoughtfully planned to meet the individual needs of all age groups and we’re continually evolving them to be even more engaging, challenging and inviting.
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Outdoor play supports all areas of learning, from physical development to communication and problem solving. It offers exciting, hands-on experiences that can only happen when children interact with the natural world, whether that’s building with sticks, discovering bugs or racing through open space.
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Children truly thrive outdoors and we’re passionate about giving them every opportunity to explore, learn and grow in the fresh air, surrounded by nature.​​​
We have over 8 acres of land to explore
We teach children life skills
We allow children the freedom to explore
We encourage children's natural curiosity
We have recently extended our back garden to create our very own forest school area in our garden. Our children love exploring this new area and the team are enjoying developing the new area into a wonderful learning space for our children.
Our Forest School Experience
At Shardlow Hall Day Nursery, we are proud to offer a dedicated Forest School as part of our curriculum, a unique and enriching experience that brings learning to life through the great outdoors.
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Our Forest School sessions take place within our beautiful grounds, offering children the freedom to explore, take risks and connect deeply with nature. These sessions are led by trained staff who guide the children through a variety of hands on activities designed to build confidence, curiosity and resilience.
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Children take part in exciting outdoor adventures such as:
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Cooking on the fire pit – learning fire safety, food preparation and enjoying the reward of something they’ve made themselves.
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Den building – working together to create shelters, encouraging teamwork, creativity and problem solving.
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Nature crafts – using natural materials like leaves, sticks and clay to create beautiful and meaningful artwork.
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Tool use – safely exploring simple tools under close supervision to develop fine motor skills and a sense of responsibility.
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Bug hunting and nature walks – fostering curiosity, observation skills and a deep respect for the natural world.
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Forest School isn't just about fun, though there is plenty of that, it’s a powerful way to support children's emotional, social and physical development. It encourages independence, builds self-esteem and helps children learn how to assess risk, work with others and trust their own abilities.
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We believe that giving children regular access to nature helps lay the foundations for lifelong learning & wellbeing and our Forest School is a place where every child can flourish, grow and connect with the world around them in meaningful ways.
