Sean Thompson brought the Woodland Wanderers (WW), a baby and toddler group which champions the Nordic method of forest schooling, to Armstrong Park in March last year.

Thompson, a trained forest school practitioner, decided to set up the WW group in response to the rules still in place on pre-school play groups when lockdown had lifted. It was “very unrealistic to expect a newly walking one year old to stay on a mat for an hour,” he told JesmondLocal. “So, I decided to put my forest school skills to use”.

When Thompson began WW, he had a 14-month-old and was on paternity leave. “I’d been stuck at home and was craving some time outdoors and to meet other new parents,” he said.

“I work in a local primary school and lead forest school so it made sense to start an outdoors toddler group as I couldn’t find anything like it at the time.”

During lockdown, baby and toddler groups, unlike nurseries, were not allowed to go ahead as they usually require a caregivers’ presence therefore did not count as childcare. From March 29th 2021, baby and toddler groups were allowed to gather outdoors in groups of less than 15.

Talking about the forest school approach to learning, Thompson described it as a process that is “child-led and takes them outdoors no matter the weather. It gives the child a chance to explore in their own time and to experience risk taking.”

The first formal forest schooling originated in Denmark in 1952, but the practice has been widely used in Nordic countries since the 20th century. Today, the practice involves learning about the environment around you, building fires safely and appreciating the woodlands around you.

Parents of Thompson’s group speak highly of the immersive experience WW offers to their children. Nina Wesolowski and her four-year-old told JesmondLocal they enjoyed attending the groups.

“During lockdown, my son and I spent a lot of time outdoors – in the park, at the beach, come rain or shine,” Wesolowski said. “The benefits of being outside were really obvious… I loved the idea of meeting like-minded parents and giving my son more social contact in a group environment that I knew he would thrive in.”

Sandra Hillyard has been bringing her two-year-old daughter to WW for the past four months. She said: “It’s altogether different to the average parent and toddler group. With the current covid situation it’s also great that these sessions are outdoors. My daughter has chance to meet other children, I get to speak to other parents and it’s in an environment that’s very low risk covid-wise.”

Another parent, Siew Fong Chen, spoke of her motivation to go to a forestry group. “I have an education background in nature conservation and forestry and I wanted my child to appreciate the simple pleasures of playing in one and not depend only on toys to feel happy,” she said.

Chen said her son has “learned to be confident and could run and slide down a slope, jump over small streams, and recognize poisonous plants after just a couple of sessions… We have chosen to apply to a primary school with strong emphasis on forest school inspired activities and ample green space.”

Thompson’s WW take place on Wednesdays and Fridays. WW offers introductory drop-in sessions but a term is booked upfront at £6 a session. If you want to find out more please visit: www.woodlandwanderersnortheast.co.uk