Forest School Practitioner Training courses, outdoor workshops, creativity courses and more from Kindling Play and Training
If you wish to be added to the list a booking form will secure a place.
Kindling delivers RQF accredited Forest Schools Practitioner Training at NOCN (One Awards) Level 1 through to Level 3. These training courses can be delivered in house f the group size is viable. All courses are facilitated by Lily Horseman, an experienced and creative trainer and Forest School practitioner. Lily has held a Level 4 Forest School Trainers award since 2009, is a director and Chair of the Forest School Association. For more information or to ask questions call Lily on 07789 723 061 (please note that texts or WhatsApp messages may not receive a quick response, phone calls will receive a faster response).
Lily has demonstrated that Kindling Forest School training meets the criteria set out by the Forest School Association and has met the Quality Assurance benchmarks.
Click on an event for more information and to download booking forms.
Or filter events by category or tags below.
This is an invitation to reconnect with the enthusiasm that you found during the process of training to be a Forest School practitioner.
The weekend will be hosted by Lily Horseman, an experienced facilitator and Forest School trainer. Having walked alongside many people during the training process she recognises the value of asking questions and the support of a community of learning. This weekend will be all about that. Reconnecting and connecting with people who are walking the same path to support your continuing growth as a Forest School practitioner.
The content will be guided by the questions that you all bring which will be explored in a hands on way. There will be games and crafts, time to connect with nature, exploration of theories, time to play. Simon from Treecreepers Forest School will be joining us again to share his skill at spoon carving and whittling and of course, there will be cooking and eating around the fire. All the good stuff that gets the juices flowing.
The cost covers accommodation in the bunk barn dorms or camping on the site with full use of the facilities, kitchen, shower room, sitting room etc and basic vegetarian ingredients for main meals, the resources and tools.
We are also asking for people to consider a donation for our time and energy that represents the worth to you as a practitioner.
Spaces are limited. Email mail@kindlingplayandtraining.co.uk to book.
Bradford Forest School Network annual conference will be taking place in April with the theme of ‘Wellbeing, for ourselves and others’. We will be looking at how we can take care of ourselves and through doing that how we are better equiped to care for others. There will be the usual fun and games, camp over and skill shares.
The cost is £100. For those living or working in the Bradford district it is subsidised by Bradford council so the cost is £50. If you would like more information please contact Jen@bcep.org.uk or phone 01274 397641
Lily’s workshop will be ‘exploring the potential for crafting and creativity from fires. We will be looking at a range of techniques using fire to work with metals, clay, fibre and charring as creative processes. We will look at the benefits of these creative processes and the additional risks they pose.
There will be a small charge to cover material costs if you wish to take some items away after the workshop.’
Aimed at people who already use fire in their work or have an existing level of confidence working with fire and wish to extend their practice.
It is not possible to book this workshop separately it will only be available as part of the conference package.
NOCN Forest School Level 1 Training
This course is aimed at individuals with little or no experience of working in the outdoors, and aims to build knowledge and confidence in working with children outdoors and an insight into the Forest School Ethos.
Kindling will introduce basic woodland skills, and individuals will develop a basic knowledge of the flora and fauna in a woodland area. The course will allow participants to look at using the outdoor environment to facilitate different ways of learning outdoors and to encourage the development of personal skills such as confidence and self-esteem.
Participants will learn how the outdoors can be used to encourage all areas of development, understand factors that affect children’s behaviour and strategies for the outdoor environment. We will also look at how the outdoor environment encourages independence, self-reliance and self-esteem and promotes healthy, balanced social and emotional growth.
Course Duration: 3 days
Portfolio Completion will take place during the course and be handed in on the last day.
This course is ideal for those people who are wanting to gain skills for working outdoors with children and young people, those who want to explore the possibilities for Forest Schools within their own setting or those who wish to support a trained Forest Schools practitioner.
This course does not enable you to deliver Forest School programmes as a qualified practitioner.
Experiential course with Jon Cree and Lily Horseman. Starting at 9.30 and finishing at 4.30
How does the outdoors support ‘the ecological and spiritual imagination of the mind’ of the child will be a key question explored on this workshop. We will also be looking at all the other developmental areas humans experience during play.
??Outdoor play and ‘games’ will be shared to explore the many possibilities the natural world and outdoor elements offer for meaningful play – from the creative to the rough and tumble.
?We will be exploring the ‘play framework’ and how we, as practitioners, spot cues from learners to interact with their play without destroying the ‘play’ and the ‘drive’ to play. We will also be examining when a ‘player’ enters a state of flow when the learning becomes integral to the human.
The day will look in detail at what practitioners can deduce from play. Are our observations and evaluations telling us what is really ‘going
on’ for the learner and how do we check they are truthful. This can then inform our inter- ventions and non-interventions as co-players.
How do we re-discover the world and mind of the child? – one of the many questions asked and explored on this workshop.
Spaces are limited. Email mail@kindlingplayandtraining.co.uk to book
This is an invitation to reconnect with the enthusiasm that you found during the process of training to be a Forest School practitioner.
The weekend will be hosted by Lily Horseman, an experienced facilitator and Forest School trainer. Having walked alongside many people during the training process she recognises the value of asking questions and the support of a community of learning. This weekend will be all about that. Reconnecting and connecting with people who are walking the same path to support your continuing growth as a Forest School practitioner.
The content will be guided by the questions that you all bring which will be explored in a hands on way. There will be games and crafts, time to connect with nature, exploration of theories, time to play. and of course, there will be cooking and eating around the fire. All the good stuff that gets the juices flowing.
The cost covers accommodation in the bunk barn dorms or camping on the site with full use of the facilities, kitchen, shower room, sitting room etc and basic vegetarian ingredients for main meals, the resources and tools.
We are also asking for people to consider a donation for our time and energy that represents the worth to you as a practitioner.
Spaces are limited. Email mail@kindlingplayandtraining.co.uk to book.
Experiential course with Jon Cree and Lily Horseman. Starting at 9.30 and finishing at 4.30
How does the outdoors support ‘the ecological and spiritual imagination of the mind’ of the child will be a key question explored on this workshop. We will also be looking at all the other developmental areas humans experience during play.
Outdoor play and ‘games’ will be shared to explore the many possibilities the natural world and outdoor elements offer for meaningful play – from the creative to the rough and tumble.
We will be exploring the ‘play framework’ and how we, as practitioners, spot cues from learners to interact with their play without destroying the ‘play’ and the ‘drive’ to play. We will also be examining when a ‘player’ enters a state of flow when the learning becomes integral to the human.
The day will look in detail at what practitioners can deduce from play. Are our observations and evaluations telling us what is really ‘going
on’ for the learner and how do we check they are truthful. This can then inform our inter- ventions and non-interventions as co-players.
How do we re-discover the world and mind of the child? – one of the many questions asked and explored on this workshop.
Spaces are limited. Email mail@kindlingplayandtraining.co.uk to book
27th-29th September finishing at lunchtime on the 3rd day.
This is a 3 day OCNWMR accredited course worth 3 credits. Delivered in partnership with Jon Cree.
We will delve into: what challenges us as leaders in the outdoors; theory on challenging behaviour, up-to-date neural research; triggers and causes for behaviour that challenges us, ways of dealing with ‘real life’ scenarios; de-escalation and formulating/reviewing your own policies, including looking at the validity of sanctions and rewards in a community based approach. We will look at how to develop our own empathetic responses to children and young people and how to react to their needs.
As this is an OCN Level 3 course worth 3 credits it will require participants to reflect on their own practice and write up a workbook after the course which we estimate would take approx 8 hours work. It is suitable for people who have trained as Forest School practitioners or who work in the outdoors.
“this course has really helped me re-appraise the way I work with some of our students and has actually given me new strategies for working with challenges that have worked!” ~ participant from February 2011 course
*This venue has basic accommodation on site which is included in the price. Other local accommodation is available.
NOCN Forest School Level 1 Training
This course is aimed at individuals with little or no experience of working in the outdoors, and aims to build knowledge and confidence in the Forest School ethos and principles.
Kindling will introduce basic woodland skills, and individuals will be required to demonstrate a basic knowledge of the flora and fauna in a woodland area. The course will allow participants to look at using the outdoor environment to facilitate different learning styles and to encourage the development of personal skills such as confidence and self-esteem.
Participants will learn how the outdoors can be used to encourage all areas of development, understand factors that affect children’s behaviour and strategies for the outdoor environment. We will also look at how the outdoor environment encourages independence, self-reliance and self-esteem and promotes healthy, balanced social and emotional growth.
Course Duration: 3 days
Portfolio Completion will take place during the course and be handed in on the last day.
This course is ideal for those people who are wanting to gain skills for working outdoors with children and young people, those who want to explore how Forest Schools could work within their own setting or those who wish to support a trained Forest Schools practitioner.
Funding for subsidies for practitioners in the South Pennines comes from Heritage Lottery Fund and Newground Together administered by Pennine Prospects.
Wonderful Pewter Casting Workshop! 17th Feb 2-4 Pm at The Studio, Morland, Cumbria
Explore the alchemy of this wonderful craft. You will have the opportunity to design and make your moulds and cast your design in pewter under the experienced eye of tutor Lily Horseman.
This workshop is suitable for those aged 8 and above. Children should be accompanied by an adult.
£20 per person plus a few pence per gram of pewter used for any finished pieces you want to take away.
Please book by emailing us at thestudiomorland@gmail.com or by phone: 01931714444
petwer casting
NOCN Forest School Level 1 Training
Wigton Infant School, 23rd Feb, 2nd March and 9th March 2018
This course is aimed at individuals with little or no experience of working in the outdoors, and aims to build knowledge and confidence in the Forest School ethos and principles.
Kindling will introduce basic woodland skills, and individuals will be required to demonstrate a basic knowledge of the flora and fauna in a woodland area. The course will allow participants to look at using the outdoor environment to facilitate different learning styles and to encourage the development of personal skills such as confidence and self-esteem.
Participants will learn how the outdoors can be used to encourage all areas of development, understand factors that affect children’s behaviour and strategies for the outdoor environment. We will also look at how the outdoor environment encourages independence, self-reliance and self-esteem and promotes healthy, balanced social and emotional growth.
Course Duration: 3 days
Portfolio Completion will take place during the course and be handed in on the last day.
This course is ideal for those people who are wanting to gain skills for working outdoors with children and young people, those who want to explore how Forest Schools could work within their own setting or those who wish to support a trained Forest Schools practitioner.
Funding for subsidies for practitioners in the South Pennines comes from Heritage Lottery Fund and Newground Together administered by Pennine Prospects.