Supercharge your nature play or bush kindy program without the paperwork overwhelm in just three days

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 ⁘ Bush Kindy Basics

[Theory Session]

Together we will explore the origins and evolution of Scandinavian Forest Schooling, unraveling its roots and understanding its impact across the world but specifically how it is implemented in Australian learning settings as nature play and bush kindy programs.

Participants will undergo self-reflection to clarify their beliefs about education, learning, and the outdoors. The historical context of Forest School offers valuable insights as to why we must challenge conventional measures of academic success, advocating for an environment where children can fail and achieve a deep state of focus through risky play within nature.

At the end of day one you will have clarity around how to effortlessly embed nature play alongside your required curriculums or frameworks. You will also have a detailed policy roadmap for the logistical side of running a Bush Kindy, such as, what to do about ratios, risk assessments, toileting, severe weather and optimal play locations.

⁘ 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’.  

👇 plus you’ll get THESE epic BONUSES 👇

• 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

• Our ultimate EYLF Nature Play Mapping Tool and  ACARA Nature Play Learning Area Tool (Prep & Year 1)

• 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.