FAQs
We’ve been hearing lots from interested families and the same questions keep coming up - this seems like a good time to share them!
Isn’t all day, every day in the woods a bit much for such young children?
The nursery will be open on a part time basis. All the families who responded to our survey have said that they would like to use us for part of the week, alongside another nursery, a childminder or days at home. The beginning of the week seems to work best for most people, so we will be opening on Mondays from January-April, then Mondays and Tuesdays from the Summer term onwards.
Do you offer half days?
We offer full days only. We gave serious thought to the idea of half days, but decided against it, because by the time the children reached the woods, settled and immersed themselves in play it would be time to get ready to leave, curtailing the experience. The rhythm of the day includes the journey at the start; we walk along the field and into the woods together, deciding together what to do with the day. The children choose the area of the woods to play in and select the activities they want to pursue. There will be a fire or other collective time towards the end of the day, before we walk back to meet parents and carers at pick-up time. Daily routines and rituals are very significant to young children, helping them to feel secure and comfortable, and giving them a sense of belonging to the group.
Will my child really be OK outdoors, all day, in Scotland, in winter????!!!
It’s impossible to overemphasise the importance of CLOTHING! Children who are dressed to be warm and waterproof will enjoy themselves even when it is cold and wet. We provide a kit list, with tips from parents whose children have attended the Wild Sparks playscheme and other outdoor provisions. If you stick to the advice and provide sufficient spares, your child will stay warm and dry and be able to enjoy the Wee Wild Sparks experience.
We have a large cosy bell tent heated by a stove, where we can go to warm up on a cold day and big tarps that we rig up over favourite spots for sheltered play in wet weather.
Children tend to be more resilient than adults when it comes to bad weather. They move more than we do (2-3 child steps to one adult step!) and tend to sit less, and our experienced staff know when to instigate an energetic game to help everyone to warm up. You can help your child to feel happy about coming on wet or gloomy days by commenting positively on the weather, even if secretly you can’t wait to get back to a heated building.
Will the nursery have funded places though the council?
Once we have been open for six months we will be able to apply for Partnership Provider status with PKC, meaning that families can choose to use their funding with us.
How much are the fees? The fees are £30 per day.
When is the nursery open?
Wee Wild Sparks will be open in term times in line with Perth and Kinross Council schools’ term dates. Morning drop off will be 8.45-9.15 am, creating flexibility for parents with children at local schools. Collection time `will be 3.15-3.30.
What about the toilet!!!!???
On site there is a newly installed composting loo, with a child size seat and handwashing facilities. We’ll designate a pee tree in different parts of the woods, for boys (and girls if they like). We’ve got a potty for emergencies with a tarp to rig up for privacy. As you’d expect from any childcare setting, we make sure that children are clean and comfortable after a loo visit.
What if he’s still in nappies, can he still come?
Yes, of course. You’ll need to supply nappies and wipes, and we are happy to use cloth nappies if that is what you have.
Ages why is it 3-7?
3 is the youngest that children can join the nursery. We can welcome children up to the age of 7 to support home-schooling or flexi schooling arrangements.
What are the benefits of spending so much time outdoors?
There are so many benefits to outdoor learning that it is impossible to cover them all here! But here are a few for starters;
Won’t the children miss out on “real” learning if they are playing in the woods all day long?
Our pedagogical approach is led by the environment and the children’s interaction with it through the natural calendar. Children are encouraged to be autonomous and follow their own interests, with adults observing carefully to make judgements about when to intervene, support and extend play and learning. Being outside in the woods allows children to apply their learning directly in meaningful ways, acquiring skills that will stand them in good stead through their lives. We operate in line with the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), meeting outcomes in Literacy, Numeracy, Health and Wellbeing and the other five curriculum areas; pretty much anything that can be taught inside can be achieved in the woods too! Recently, we observed a group of children gathering sticks to ‘build a fire’. They then spent all morning arranging those sticks into bundles by size rather than actually building the fire. They counted the sticks, and allocated them fairly after an animated discussion; practising their number skills, measuring, estimating and ordering whilst also developing concepts about division - in addition to the language and social skills required for the collaborative group activity!
How will I know what my child is learning?
The things your child says and does will show you! You may well notice them growing in confidence, independence, adventurousness, and showing a positive approach to solving problems. Staff will often give you a verbal update at pick-up time, when your child will often greet you with a handful of sticks, leaves, pebbles, providing starting points for discussion.
We intend to use an innovative online system for assessment, recording and reporting. Among other features, the software makes it easy to create updates for parents with photos and observations, and allows us to create a map of CfE outcomes covered. We’ll tell you more about this when your child joins us.
We’ve been hearing lots from interested families and the same questions keep coming up - this seems like a good time to share them!
Isn’t all day, every day in the woods a bit much for such young children?
The nursery will be open on a part time basis. All the families who responded to our survey have said that they would like to use us for part of the week, alongside another nursery, a childminder or days at home. The beginning of the week seems to work best for most people, so we will be opening on Mondays from January-April, then Mondays and Tuesdays from the Summer term onwards.
Do you offer half days?
We offer full days only. We gave serious thought to the idea of half days, but decided against it, because by the time the children reached the woods, settled and immersed themselves in play it would be time to get ready to leave, curtailing the experience. The rhythm of the day includes the journey at the start; we walk along the field and into the woods together, deciding together what to do with the day. The children choose the area of the woods to play in and select the activities they want to pursue. There will be a fire or other collective time towards the end of the day, before we walk back to meet parents and carers at pick-up time. Daily routines and rituals are very significant to young children, helping them to feel secure and comfortable, and giving them a sense of belonging to the group.
Will my child really be OK outdoors, all day, in Scotland, in winter????!!!
It’s impossible to overemphasise the importance of CLOTHING! Children who are dressed to be warm and waterproof will enjoy themselves even when it is cold and wet. We provide a kit list, with tips from parents whose children have attended the Wild Sparks playscheme and other outdoor provisions. If you stick to the advice and provide sufficient spares, your child will stay warm and dry and be able to enjoy the Wee Wild Sparks experience.
We have a large cosy bell tent heated by a stove, where we can go to warm up on a cold day and big tarps that we rig up over favourite spots for sheltered play in wet weather.
Children tend to be more resilient than adults when it comes to bad weather. They move more than we do (2-3 child steps to one adult step!) and tend to sit less, and our experienced staff know when to instigate an energetic game to help everyone to warm up. You can help your child to feel happy about coming on wet or gloomy days by commenting positively on the weather, even if secretly you can’t wait to get back to a heated building.
Will the nursery have funded places though the council?
Once we have been open for six months we will be able to apply for Partnership Provider status with PKC, meaning that families can choose to use their funding with us.
How much are the fees? The fees are £30 per day.
When is the nursery open?
Wee Wild Sparks will be open in term times in line with Perth and Kinross Council schools’ term dates. Morning drop off will be 8.45-9.15 am, creating flexibility for parents with children at local schools. Collection time `will be 3.15-3.30.
What about the toilet!!!!???
On site there is a newly installed composting loo, with a child size seat and handwashing facilities. We’ll designate a pee tree in different parts of the woods, for boys (and girls if they like). We’ve got a potty for emergencies with a tarp to rig up for privacy. As you’d expect from any childcare setting, we make sure that children are clean and comfortable after a loo visit.
What if he’s still in nappies, can he still come?
Yes, of course. You’ll need to supply nappies and wipes, and we are happy to use cloth nappies if that is what you have.
Ages why is it 3-7?
3 is the youngest that children can join the nursery. We can welcome children up to the age of 7 to support home-schooling or flexi schooling arrangements.
What are the benefits of spending so much time outdoors?
There are so many benefits to outdoor learning that it is impossible to cover them all here! But here are a few for starters;
- Current recommendations are that children have 3 hours of activity a day, which can be hard to achieve in an indoor setting, but is easy in the woods. On the go all day, children develop muscle tone, stamina and resilience.
- Playing with mud and natural materials promotes development of healthy immune systems.
- After a day with us you can expect your child to eat all their tea and sleep well at night!
- Children develop an attachment to their woods and are enthusiastic about caring for the plants and animals living there. Current research shows that children who have this kind of experience in childhood, grow up to be environmentally aware citizens.
Won’t the children miss out on “real” learning if they are playing in the woods all day long?
Our pedagogical approach is led by the environment and the children’s interaction with it through the natural calendar. Children are encouraged to be autonomous and follow their own interests, with adults observing carefully to make judgements about when to intervene, support and extend play and learning. Being outside in the woods allows children to apply their learning directly in meaningful ways, acquiring skills that will stand them in good stead through their lives. We operate in line with the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), meeting outcomes in Literacy, Numeracy, Health and Wellbeing and the other five curriculum areas; pretty much anything that can be taught inside can be achieved in the woods too! Recently, we observed a group of children gathering sticks to ‘build a fire’. They then spent all morning arranging those sticks into bundles by size rather than actually building the fire. They counted the sticks, and allocated them fairly after an animated discussion; practising their number skills, measuring, estimating and ordering whilst also developing concepts about division - in addition to the language and social skills required for the collaborative group activity!
How will I know what my child is learning?
The things your child says and does will show you! You may well notice them growing in confidence, independence, adventurousness, and showing a positive approach to solving problems. Staff will often give you a verbal update at pick-up time, when your child will often greet you with a handful of sticks, leaves, pebbles, providing starting points for discussion.
We intend to use an innovative online system for assessment, recording and reporting. Among other features, the software makes it easy to create updates for parents with photos and observations, and allows us to create a map of CfE outcomes covered. We’ll tell you more about this when your child joins us.
