L“Anois teacht an earraigh beidh an lá dul chun síneadh is tar éis na féile Bríde ardóidh mé mo sheol..” The days are lengthening and spring is coming. Happy Out Forest School is preparing for another year of fun and learning under the protection of the trees. We will start our Saturday sessions on February …
Our vision has always been that Forest School be integrated into the Primary School Curriculum nationally so that a deep nature connection can be part of every child’s education. This has already become a reality in parts of the UK and Scotland. Veronica and I thought that the Heritage Council might be in a …
Happy Out Forest School joins Heritage in Schools Scheme Read More »
The magic of springtime is unfolding before our eyes. In response to the lengthening of the days our wildlife is blossoming, wakening, feeding, building, nesting, singing, buzzing and humming. Our native species of plants and animals have evolved together over millennia and have become dependent on one another. The dandelion flowers are appearing just …
Thank you to those wonderful woodsy women who travelled to Ennis yesterday for an IFSA West gathering that felt special to us. The magical autumn sunshine definitely helped too. We made a 5-pointed star nature mandala, each point representing a regional gathering taking place over the weekend: Cork, Clare, Sligo, Down, Dublin. We played games, …
With concerns about health restrictions in schools and uncertainty about how schools will operate in the coming months, many parents are looking for alternative educational experiences for their children this September. At Happy Out Forest School we are offering a midweek opportunity for children in the Ennis area aged 4-10 years to spend time outdoors …
It was great to be back in the woods – and it felt just like old times. Lots more hand washing, but even that was fun with our new Tippy-taps! Lots of dens were built, some big and some fairy-sized. We made elder spud-guns, wood faces, a nature mandela, clay on the fire. We played …
All of our summer camps are fully booked with waiting lists. We will be posting our Forest School dates and times for September very soon!
Yesterday’s welcome announcement from the government gives the green light for summer camps to go ahead from this Monday. No more than 15 people should mix together – not an issue for our camps where numbers are already small. Also on our side is the fact that our camps take place entirely outdoors. Scientists have …
Regrettably, due to the current COVID-19 restrictions, we won’t be able to return to the woods for now. We look forward to better times ahead. In the meantime, stay safe and try to get out beneath a tree if you can. Good for the soul!
“Immersing children in nature from an early age has long been popular in the Scandinavian countries. Now, the concept of so-called forest schools is starting to catch on here. Amanda Cassidy looks at the pre-schools where young children spend most of their days in the great outdoors.” Read Image magazine’s full article here
