Every room at Monkey Puzzle Colchester opens onto its own garden, and our Forest School programme takes outdoor learning further. Children spend regular time outside in all weathers, building confidence, curiosity and a love of nature.
What is Forest School?
Forest School is a long-term, child-led way of learning outdoors. It started in Scandinavia and is now used in nurseries and schools across the UK. Rather than one-off nature walks, children return to the same outdoor space week after week. They get to know it through the seasons and take on bigger challenges as their confidence grows.
Sessions focus on the whole child: their wellbeing, independence, communication and resilience, as well as the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) areas of learning.
Our Outdoor area
Alongside Forest School, every room at Monkey Puzzle Colchester has its own garden with free-flow access, plus an all-weather outdoor play area with impact-absorbing safety surfacing. Children are outside every day, not just on Forest School days.
What children do
Every session is different, because children’s ideas lead the way. Activities can include:
- building dens and shelters from natural materials
- mud kitchens, digging and water play
- bug hunts, leaf rubbings and spotting seasonal changes
- stories, songs and snack time around the log circle
- planting and caring for growing areas
Why it matters
Forest School helps children build confidence by taking safe, supervised risks. It encourages communication and teamwork, strengthens balance and coordination, and gives them calm, happy time outdoors. Every session is risk-assessed and run within the correct staff-to-child ratios.