Advanced Bush Kindy is a three-day in-person training that focuses on the practical, on-the-ground skills you’ll need to master the implementation and supervision of adventurous nature play activities such as using hand tools, fire, tree climbing, building temporary structures, ropes and water play with children.

With best practices, procedures, and systems that will give you the confidence to deliver adventurous play programs that will empower children to play boldly in the natural world.

⁘ DAY ONE ⁘ Embedding Bush Kindy

Embedding Bush Kindy in your Early Years service is about more than just taking learning outside. It’s about understanding nature as a partner, breaking down barriers, and creating a sustainable, inspiring, and inclusive program that supports children, families, and staff.

In this advanced training, we’ll guide you through the practicalities, strategies, and philosophies of embedding Bush Kindy into your everyday practices. From navigating logistical challenges to inspiring a love of nature in even the most reluctant stakeholders, the content covered in this session will empower you with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to make Bush Kindy a cornerstone of your service.

⁘ DAY TWO ⁘ Bush Kindy Advanced

[Practical Session with Natural Elements]

Hold onto your hats, this is where the real fun starts! 

We’re going on a comprehensive journey addressing the challenges and many advantages of managing groups of eager children in untamed natural environments.  You’ll be guided on the practical aspects of safely facilitating tree climbing, creek play, mud play, rock play and stick play as we share our proven strategies for managing children’s needs and your duty of care as a play provider.

You will learn how to handcraft temporary structures, rope swings, cubbies, and rafts which will skyrocket the unique learning experiences in your nature play program. You’ll walk away from day two with everything you need to make the most of any natural play space and you will save hours in paperwork time with our done-for-you policy templates, including:

• General Nature Play Venue Risk Assessment Templates

• Dynamic Risk Assessment Templates

• Tree Climbing Policy & Procedure Templates

• Water Play Policy & Procedure Templates

• Rope Play and Cubbies Specific Equipment checklist

• Policy and Procedure Template

• Risk-benefit assessment

• Safety Briefing and Dynamic Risk Assessment Flow Chart.

⁘ DAY THREE ⁘ Bush Kindy Advanced

[Practical Session with HAND TOOLS & FIRE]

Day three will push you to your limits, as you become empowered with the skills and knowledge to seamlessly integrate hand tools into your nature play activities, ensuring safety and enrichment. 

From mastering hammers, handsaws, hand drills, and whittling knives to implementing captivating campfires, the comprehensive module guides participants through fire safety, bush cooking, and risk assessment documentation. 

We will go beyond theoretical insights, providing essential checklists, templates, and resources for practical application. We will deep dive into the ‘Seven Leave No Trace’ Principles and offer tools for ecological impact assessment and sustainability management, ensuring a holistic and impactful transformation at your Bush Kindy program.

On day three you’ll also walk away with Hand Tools and Fire Specific DONE-FOR-YOU Checklists, Risk-Benefit Assessment, Policy and Procedure, and Safety Briefings. We will also give you a copy of our tried and tested ‘Ultimate Bush Cooking Handbook’.  

And you will get these valuable resources:

• Advanced Bush Kindy Training Attendees get FREE access to our premium online training course & community Valued at $2499 AUD

• ADDITIONAL POLICY TEMPLATES INCLUDING: Toileting and Hygiene, Transit, Ratios, Snakes, Emergency Management, Missing Children, Severe Weather and ORGANISATIONAL Culture & Values

• Three-Year Sustainability Management Plan Template & Ecological Impact Assessment 

• Our signature Children's Autonomy Framework

• Minor & Major Incident Report Template

• Yearly seasonal planner

• Insurance Proposal Template

• Communications Kit for Parents ATTENDING YOUR PROGRAM

• Behaviour Support Plan Templates, Risk Assessment Templates, Behaviour Management Flowchart and Follow Up Email Template

• OUR SIGNATURE Emergency Pocket Protocols PDF

👋 Hello, We’re Nicki & Vicci!

We are former Teachers turned Co-Founders of the Wildlings Forest School. We’ve gone from being stuck indoors trapped under mountains of paperwork and departmental pressure to taking the roof off learning - quite literally!

Over the last seven years, we’ve empowered thousands of children to return to the old ways of learning by playing with hand tools, adventure and the wild, natural world.

We show up to work each day with a smile on our faces knowing that not only will we have an amazing day outdoors (shout-out to our mate, Serotonin) but also that children are benefiting from our time together in nature now and far into their future. 

And wanna know what’s the absolute best bit? 

We are taking all of our expansive knowledge and hitting the road with a game-changing, in-person training program that will show you how we run our award-winning programs and how you can do the same. 

Push the limits of nature play with the best practices and hands-on knowledge from WOMEN leading the way in Australia

Frequently Asked Questions

Send us as email at hello@wildlingsforestschool.com and ask us any questions.

We want you to be 100% certain whether this training is right for you. We’d love it if you reached out.