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The days when children roamed outside with their friends after school, having adventures and making their own fun, have been recreated in The Forest School in Hatfields Beach.
The school opened in September 2016, bringing a fresh approach to education that founder and education director Tennille Murdoch describes as “experience and opportunity based”.
She says the Forest School’s ethos is about empowering children through experiential learning, using the bush as a platform. “Things like Guides and Scouts are great, but very adult-led,” she says. “The difference is that our environment provides safe opportunities for free play, which encourages creativity and innovation with its boundless possibilities. So, you may see children climbing trees, building huts, making bridges across the stream, creating and crafting things such as obstacle courses and other inventions. All of this is self-chosen, which research tells us is essential for children’s wellbeing and development. Our qualified staff provide children with scaffolding, close facilitation and a variety of resources so they can create their own play. It is essential that children have opportunities to think, create, learn to be resilient and take age appropriate risks.”
She says the response to The Forest School’s philosophy from parents indicates that it is fulfilling a need.
More than 1000 children have already been through its school holiday programme, called Into the Wild Holiday Club. They come from as far north as Mangawhai and as far south as Hamilton and Tennille says a key attraction for parents is that they want their children to experience what used to be ‘typical Kiwi backyard play’ or adventuring in the neighbourhood bush or creek, back in the day.
“The children try new things – often getting very grubby and muddy in the process,” she says. “They have fun, make new friends and go home happy and tired.”
