Join us for forest school at Westerfolds Park in Lower Templestowe. Our unique and one of a kind forest school program aims to educate children through child-led hands-on activities and learning, inspiring curiosity, creativity, teaching real-life skills, empowering children to develop confidence, build resilience and social skills.

Our team of highly experienced forest school educators will support your child’s learning so that they become more confident, curious, capable and are taught to learn how to take safe risks in the bush through climbing, building and using real tools. They will also discover and learn about our natural environment and it’s fascinating wildlife.

During this 10 week term we’ll focusing on learning bush skills, using tools, going on longer bush walks and towards the end of the term, making fire and cooking damper over a fire!

Our forest school aims to inspire creativity, a natural curiosity and enriching sensory play experience while following your child’s interests at all times. We also ensure that children learn to use their bodies so that they develop strength, good balance and coordination while learning to take safe risks with guidance and support from the educators.

Eco Explorers Forest School program is based on the leading research from world-renowned and leading Paediatric Occupational Therapist, Angela Hanscom, author of Balanced and Barefoot to give your child optimum opportunity to build their gross motor and physical skills through climbing, balancing, walking and fine motor skills during our craft activities. Research clearly shows that the more time your child spends in nature, the better they are prepared for learning and life skills, both physically and emotionally. As Angela illustrates, “too many of today’s children miss out on the full sensory richness offered beyond the walls of the classroom or home.”

This Westerfolds Forest School program is run by Adam & Penny:

• • Adam is the founder of Eco Explorers and has been delivering bush programs to families for over two years. He spent his entire childhood living and camping in the bush; climbing mountains, exploring rivers, learning to fish, track, make fires and to simplify… just ‘being’ at one in nature. He is also a forest school leader and has a background in Outdoor Education.
  • Penny is a Forest School trained level 3 Leader and qualified Primary School Teacher who has been running our Gresswell Forest bush playgroups for the past 4 years and has a wealth of local knowledge to share with the kids. She has a wonderful ability to gently guide and connect with children to enable them to discover, learn and explore their natural environment.

All facilitators are skilled and trained to work with children in the bush and hold a level 2 advanced first aid and carry first aid kits with them at all times.

Forest school Melbourne is an all-weather outdoor program and the environment is diverse, challenging and forever changing. There are many new and exciting risks that the children have to navigate. We have rules and policies in place that every child needs to be able to follow to keep themselves and everyone safe. If we assess that your child needs extra support to keep them safe, then we will work with you to provide that extra assistance and we may on occasions ask that you (or another family member) stay during the sessions. 

Ages: 4-8 years (drop off only session)

Our forest school is open to kinder aged, primary school and homeschool children.