The world is going though change, the humans have to be patient and ride out a potential threat to their existence. This time, it is on the doorstep rather than something in the future. We probably (for many of us) thought we would never be here, in this reality. It has at times felt almost biblical.
We have had to become more tolerant of family members, we've sought comfort through being together yet apart on a Thursday evening while clapping for those who are on the frontline. For some parents/carers they have had the enormous struggle of working full time, whilst educating their children simultaneously. For those who already worked from home this transition may have been easier and for those already opting for home education this could have been seen as a life restriction. Then there will be some of us who have been under immense pressure due to a loss of earnings, increased stress at home and an unknown future.
Some of us, have lost our jobs, others have somehow managed to adapt their skills to be able to work from home. Some have set up make shift offices in their summer houses, conservatories or that space under the stairs. Either way, what this has meant for everybody is change. We as humans love patterns, routine, predictability, safety. Some people have embraced the calm, the solitude, the opportunity for self discovery, self development, closer relationships, improving the home or garden, a chance to get fitter or to cook many cakes. No doubt, whatever impact this shared experience has had, it will have impacted on some more than others.
We do know that Mother Earth is healing while we slow down.
Our Forest school page on facebook gets updated regularly with activities that can be carried out at home. this is a useful resource for children who like being outdoors, are creative or like learning about nature. The activities are aimed at children aged between 5-12years old although anybody can have a go.
All of our 'On Site' sessions are paused. Social distancing is impossible with what we do and despite people feeling that 'outdoors' is safer, it's difficult to support a child when you have to be 2 meters away from them with things like tree climbing/ tool and fire skills. It is complex for children to play at a 2 meter distance during play (have you seen the pictures in France at current? - we will not be doing that). We will consider our situation for 'on site' sessions at the end of June and will update everyone at this stage.
We have started to offer zoom/video forest school sessions for children aged 5+ 1:1 or (if you have more than one child they can join in too), in your garden or at the kitchen table. We can run a creative session, free flow or have a more structured session with curriculum embedded.
We are also offering coaching for self esteem and confidence, through creativity, nature and talking via zoom/video embedding mindfulness, self compassion and behavioural activation in what we do. I am qualified in coaching alongside my honours degree in Psychology, teaching and forest school qualifications. Theses sessions are useful for Tweens, Teens and adults.
All sessions currently offered via video link are charged on a sliding scale and can be anything from 30mins to 3 hours.
We have been in lockdown for a while now, but continue to be safe, smart and begin to envisage how you would like your world look so that you can start to make changes for a better life now.