What will my child be doing at Forest School?

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Forest School is totally child-led so a huge part of what they will be doing depends on their personal interests on the day!

 

The children’s imagination will be sparked before we go into the forest and they will further develop their own journey and experiences through imagination and curiosity. 

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The Forest School Leaders will be on hand to identify plants, animals, insects and role model different activities such as putting up a rope swing, tying knots, den building, putting up shelters, whittling, nature art and bushcraft. The children will get involved in the activities as they wish.

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We will end a few of our sessions with a warm cup of butterfly pea tea, home-made lemonade or hot chocolate made by the children, which is a great social aspect, opportunity to practice life skills and often accompanied by fun campfire stories and time for reflection.

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For some children an initial session of just being in the forest can be very new with the sounds, sights, smells and their senses being brought alive. 

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Usually Forest School is run over many weeks with the same children so they can build on the confidence they gain each week in terms of being in the forest and interacting as a child-led team. 

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They are given independence to make their own decisions as a group and find solutions for problems. This helps with a growth in maturity and independence that crosses over into daily life. 

 

 

What should my child wear?

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Appropriate clothing for Forest School minimises mosquito and ant bites, protects your child from all weather (especially the sun in Singapore) and is comfortable to allow for free movement when adventuring in the forest. 

 

Please ensure your child is appropriately dressed for every session with the following;

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• Long sleeved top and trousers

• Hat

• Closed toe shoes

• Socks

 

 

What does my child need to bring?

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Items to pack in your child’s bag;

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• One full bottle of water, 500ml minimum

• At least one substantial snack (nut free for schools) - they are often very hungry from exploring!

• Waterproof jacket or poncho 

• Mosquito repellent spray and or stickers

• Sunscreen

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These items can be useful additions;

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• Small towel - ideal if your child feels uncomfortable feeling sweaty

• Small comfort toy if needed

• A change of clothing for travelling home if we are expecting wet weather or muddy environments following wet weather

• A bag for muddy shoes 

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We strongly recommend backpacks only as cotton tote bags are tricky to carry when navigating uneven terrain and drawstring bags tend to become uncomfortable on the shoulders after a while. Children carry their own backpacks throughout the session and we make sure there are plenty of opportunities to put them down for a break. 

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What happens if it rains?

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We will very likely get wet!

 

Our sessions will go ahead in most weather from heavy rain to bright sunshine and we carefully select sites with accessible permanent shelters to help us manage the extremes.

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For us, weather is not a barrier, it's an opportunity and it's important to embrace all types of weather to truly become comfortable in nature. 

Wet weather gives us puddles for splashing, the best mud for making and moulding and it tops up our streams and ponds for fantastic nature boat sailing. We have endless opportunities to use whatever vessels we can find to collect water, including catching raindrops on our tounges! 

We learn to navigate slippery and muddy terrain and observing the difference between light, gentle rain and torrential rain can help us make better decisions about what is safe and how we need to look after ourselves and our belongings. The rain can refresh us, calm us and excite us. 

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"𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨". 𝘈𝘭𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘞𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵

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Remember to pack a raincoat and It would be ideal to bring a spare set of clothing to pick up if there has been a lot of recent rain to avoid taking muddy or wet children in cars, taxis or on public transport. 

 

 

Will I get a booking confirmation, reminder and updates?

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Before the session-

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• You will receive a confirmation email after booking online. Please do read the terms and conditions in our waiver before confirming your booking online

• For each group we set up a Parent WhatsApp group. This is an easy way to pass on information to all parents at once. This is created one week before the first session and we will share details of the meet and collection point locations, parking, timings, introduction to the children's Leaders and a reminder of what to wear and pack

• If you would like other family members, helpers or anyone else added to the group please feel free to send us a message and we will happily add them too

• Weather warnings and session cancellation information will be sent out at the earliest opportunity to the group

• Please inform us in advance if another adult will be collecting your child on your behalf

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During the session- 

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• Forest School Leaders will have a phone on them throughout every session. You may be contacted via the Parent WhatsApp group if the group are running late returning to the collection point or if there are any important updates that have occurred in the session   

• Please send us a message if you are running late for drop off or pick up via the WhatsApp group. To maximise our sessions we head off into the forest promptly at the session start time

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After the session-

 

• We use the Parent WhatsApp group to share a few photos from the session so you get a glimpse into your children’s adventures. There is always a fine balance between capturing moments and being in the moment with the children so the number of photos will always vary

• We promote a true Forest School community where we are always open to talking to parents about our sessions and observations of your child’s involvement and development. We also welcome all feedback so Forest Adventure Club can grow to its full potential

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Here's how you can get in touch;

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• Email- info@forestadventureclub.com

• Website- www.forestadventureclub.com

• Instagram- forestadventureclub

• Phone- +65 9645 2870

• In person at the end of our sessions

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If you or your child would like to share any words about their experience at Forest Adventure Club that we could add to our website as a testimonial then please feel free to send them over!

 

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My child is really shy, will they be ok?

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Firstly, good on you both for trying something out of their comfort zone!

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Shy or hesitant is completely normal when experiencing something different- a new environment, new children, new leaders, new sensory experiences, it all takes time.

 

At Forest Adventure Club it is really important to us that our sessions are child-led and a big part of that involves going at the children's own pace. 

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Forest School is usually run over many weeks so the children can observe, explore, connect and settle whenever they feel ready and they are empowered do this in their own way. Participation is never forced and the forest has no expectations of us. 

We always end our sessions by sending a few photos to the parents so you get a little glimpse of what your explorers have been up to and these can support conversations about their day to see how they found it.  

Leaders always have access to all parents/adults contact information that has been provided, so if for any reason your child did need you before the end of the session we could arrange this. 

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Will there be scheduled snack times and toilet breaks?

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Following a child- led approach we really want children to practice recognising their needs and make decisions around caring from themselves to promote independence. Therefore, we do not have adult instructed, specific break times at our sessions. 

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We routinely remind the children to refuel and stay hydrated, regularly asking if anyone needs a snack or water break. We also role model these breaks ourselves as leaders throughout the session when we need to replenish.

 

We offer experiences such as lemonade and hot chocolate making in the forest which often goes down a treat and attracts lots of involvement in both the making and the drinking. However the children are not forced to engage in this if they choose not to. 

 

Toilet breaks can be taken whenever needed. 

 

 

What do you do if there are mosquitos, snakes or ants?

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Our fantastic locations are carefully selected nature spots across Singapore that have been chosen for their rich biodiversity and endless opportunities for amazing adventures.

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Being natural spaces, they will feature all kinds of wildlife, which we learn about together. Part of this learning includes how to spot, respect and respond to animals and insects we come across, keeping them, ourselves and each other safe.

 

We are not able to remove such creatures but we do take precautions when regularly assessing the site. For example, we do not set up camp in areas densely populated with ants and we have plenty of items such as ground sheets to make sitting spots more comfortable.

 

We take a long exploring staff in to wilder areas, practice stomping our feet on the ground to create vibrations and may even have a group chant to make noise and clear paths of any snakes. We avoid anY

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We always ask that the children are adequately prepared by wearing long sleeved tops and trousers and that mosquito repellent is generously applied before the start of the session, to best protect ourselves from mosquitoes. We also avoid any areas where there is a build up of stagnant water and consult the NEA Dengue Cluster Map when selecting appropriate locations for our sessions. 

 

 

Can my child be in a group with certain friends?

 

We love friends who want to explore together and some times this is the best way to create our groups. However, children will not always necessarily be grouped together purely by existing friend groups, family, school class or birth date.  

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Our groups are a fine balance of multiple parent requests, all of which we listen to but cannot always accomodate simultaneously and careful consideration of each childs energy, interests, previous Forest School experience, abiltiies and growth opportunities.

 

We pride ourselves on offering an authentic Forest School experience where children connect, grow and thrive in nature and making new connections with a variety of other children is a key part of this. 

 

Some of the best role modelling and support we've had the joy of seeing blossom in Forest School has come because of difference, in age, background, culture, interest and friend groups. 

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Please include a note on the booking form if you have specific requests.

 

 

What if I need to cancel?

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Our group numbers are small and capped, at a time when demand for sessions in the great outdoors is high.

 

If you are unable to make a booked session please WhatsApp message us directly at +65 9645 2870 informing us of the cancellation at least 12 hours prior to the session start time and we can then offer you an alternative make up session. We regret that any session cancellations after this required notice period, or any non attendance without notice will result in a session forfeit. 

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This includes sessions during a term, one-off trials, camps and events. This is further stated on our bookings page and again during the booking process. You are unable to proceed with the booking confirmation without consenting to this agreement. 

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There are strictly no refunds given after payment.

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Should Forest Adventure Club have to cancel a session, due to rare adverse weather or government restrictions for example, a make up session held on another date will be offered to the whole group. If you are unable to attend the make up session, credit with us to make a priority booking for future dates/events will be offered. 

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My child has just been vaccinated, can they attend a session and avoid strenuous activity?

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As all children are different and have varying health backgrounds it is up to you as parents whether you send your children to our sessions after vaccinations. If there are any queries around activity involvement you should contact your Childs Doctor.

 

If there are any symptoms of ill health at any time please rest your children and return to sessions only once they return to full health. 

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