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Forest Preschool

@ayearinourforest

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Diary of an Outdoor Early Years Educator
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Working in the Early Years sector isn't for the faint of heart. The emotional toll is high, the professional recognition is low and it definitely won't make you rich. But I’m drowning in a different kind of wealth. I’ve nurtured hundreds of children with the same depth of love I’d give my own and planted seeds of wonder in our forest that will outlast any paycheck. Success, for me, isn't about climbing the corporate ladder - it’s about the legacy we leave in the hearts of the next generation.

#forestlife #leavealegacy #legacy #earlyyears by @ayearinourforest

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6 months ago

What some educators imagine when I tell them I work as an Outdoor Early Years Educator in a forest all day...versus my reality.

Yes, it's rainy and windy sometimes...sometimes A LOT. 🌧️

Yes, it gets muddy sometimes too...also sometimes A LOT. 🤎

But there is so much more to working outdoors than "bad weather", so don't let that put you off bringing your children outside and into nature. Rainy days are only a small percentage of the year and support your children in building resilience in ways you cannot even imagine.

In between all of the rain and the mud are so many very special moments where you build the strongest connection with nature and the flora, fauna and fungi in your environment. A connection you'll never find in a classroom. It's the adventure of a lifetime, I promise. 🌱

#forestlife #outdoorplay #nature #experientiallearning #forestschool by @ayearinourforest

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7 months ago

Thursday 26th February 2026

So what do the children play when toys are removed from the equation?

Well, they become resourceful with nature and whatever loose parts or open ended materials they find in their environment. Imagination is limitless.

#forestlife #earlyyearsoutdoors #outdoorplay #natureplay #play by @ayearinourforest

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8 months ago

Monday 31st August 2026

Look how low the sun is by 6pm already...I can feel the darker evenings and the autumn weather creeping back in and I'm honestly not mad about it. Today is the official day of completing a year of forest documentation. Over the last few months, from a safeguarding perspective, we've changed our policies in terms of having our own personal phones on the floor while working with our children, so it became quite the challenge to continue documenting on a daily basis as I didn't always have our work phone on hand in moments that could be captured, since we have a large team and it gets passed around a lot. It totally makes sense with everything happening with AI and our children are much too young to consent to a digital footprint that will follow them into adulthood. I will continue to share special moments of our forest but it won't be everyday. Maybe a weekly recap or something. Watch this space.... 🚀

#forestlife #ayearinourforest #nature #outdoorplay by @ayearinourforest

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2 months ago

Friday 28th August 2026

What do you see when you look at this tree trunk? Every time I look at this tree I feel like a baby sloth is looking back at me 😂 Anyone got any questionable tree images in their forest?

#forestlife #slothlife #sloths #earlyyearsoutdoors #outdoorplay by @ayearinourforest

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2 months ago

Thursday 27th August 2026

Today we had our first yellow rain warning in months . It didn't really rain as much as we expected it to but our forest is in desperate need of some rainfall and a lot of our children LOVE putting on their wet gear and getting stuck into water play and digging so it's the perfect combo. Our summer has been an absolute dream and I love our bright green, sunny, dry forest, but I'm also excited for our next season, our next chapter with new children and some new team members. A new year in our forest is about to begin and we're ready for it.

#forestlife #earlyyearsoutdoors #outdoorplay #natureplay #autumniscoming by @ayearinourforest

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2 months ago

Wednesday 26th August 2026

What happens when you give a group of 2 & 3 year olds independent access to water play?....lots of puddles, lots of mud, lots of digging, lots of wet sleeves 😂🙈

#forestlife #earlyyearsoutdoors #waterplay #muddypuddles #outdoorplay by @ayearinourforest

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2 months ago

Tuesday 25th August 2026

Today one of our children discovered this ladybird pupa resting on a sycamore leaf. I've never actually seen a ladybird at this stage before so it was kind of fascinating to inspect. From the colours and pattern I'm guessing it's a Harlequin but I've been known to be wrong at least once in my life 😂🐞

#forestlife #ladybird #metamorphosis #pupa #earlyyearsoutdoors by @ayearinourforest

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2 months ago

Monday 24th August 2026

🫐😋

#forestlife #foraging #elderberries #elderberrysyrup by @ayearinourforest

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2 months ago

Thursday 6th August 2026

What do you make a year?

#forestlife #earlyyearseducation #outdoorplay #earlyyearsoutdoors #preschoolteacher by @ayearinourforest

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2 months ago

Thursday 28th June 2026

We finally got to observe the full life cycle of a frog. It has been a huge lesson in patience for our children (and even for the adults 😂) but it has been so worth it and we have learned so much about frogs in the process. 🐸🐸🐸

*Side Note*
In our country it is illegal to take frogspawn, tadpoles, or frogs from the wild as they are protected species under the Wildlife Act and EU Habitats Directive, HOWEVER, a special exemption exists for teachers to collect small samples for educational purposes.

#forestlife #commonfrog #frog #froglifecycle by @ayearinourforest

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4 months ago

Monday 20th July 2026

What does kindergarten mean to you?

#forestlife #kindergarten #naturepreschool #forestpreschool #freeplay by @ayearinourforest

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3 months ago