Imagine a place…
Where children are free to play and grow, naturally.
Where childhood is filled with awe and wonder.
Where children are nurtured through deep and meaningful connection to nature.
Where children have a voice, and are trusted in their own innate wisdom.
As part of the Wildlings Forest School family, Little Wildlings carries forward a legacy of nature-based learning. Our commitment to Bush Kindy, both on and off-site, is at the heart of both our Pre-Kindy and Kindergarten programs.
We believe in the transformative power of nature play, nurturing little explorers into confident, curious learners.
At Little Wildlings children will be given the opportunity to:
Participate in Bush Kindy daily, during both our Pre-Kindy, and Kindergarten programs. Bush Kindy allows children to engage in safe, outdoor learning experiences in all weather conditions.
Engage in child-directed, free play in nature, where our philosophy is to follow your child’s lead. We believe that play is the work of childhood.
Drive the curriculum through their own curiosity as we encourage them to explore, discover, and learn at their own pace.
Enjoy nature, which means they might get wet, dirty, and muddy - all signs of a great day filled with exploration and adventure.
Splash in creeks, build cubbies, hunt for bugs, and cook up a storm in the mud kitchen.
Use real hand tools like hammers, hand saws, hand drills, and whittling knives.
Learn valuable skills such as tying knots, lighting fires, and cooking over a campfire.
“We believe these activities help foster confidence, resilience, decision-making, and risk assessment skills, which are essential for healthy childhood development. The benefits of these experiences extend to all areas of child development - social, emotional, physical, and intellectual. We are confident that you will see the positive impact on your children firsthand”.
Our Vision
Little Wildlings aims to provide access to nature spaces through child directed play and exploration. Our Kindy is modeled on a vision of the second home, a place where families feel connected to their village and where our educators feel like family.
We envision a model of early childhood education where children can play outdoors, rain or shine, every day.
We aim to build an early learning community of like minded families and educators who value being part of the village that helps to raise the child.
We believe that children are curious, adventurous souls who love to explore, experiment, and investigate, and believe that nature provides the best playspaces, resources and provocations.
We value the importance of children’s rights and their voices in their learning, and advocate for child-directed play, in a community where educators and children co-construct learning.
We want children to thrive, not just survive in their early years, hence we must create space and time for nature, play, exploration, and deep and flexible connection with adult mentors who truly care about them.
Quite simply we believe that children who experience a childhood in nature will have all their developmental needs met.
“Children need nature for the healthy development of their senses, and therefore, for learning and creativity.”
— Richard Louv