the afterschool care program at Seedling Nature Schools
Children’s time after school accounts for a significant part of their day and is critical for their healthy and balanced development. At seedling nature schools we observe how the children thrive wile forging new friendships and challenging themselves to try new skills. Every interest, every personality and every level of ability is served by the outdoor environment and each child can quickly find their own way of being and learning.
Options
We take bookings for 3 days or more from either 13:20 to 18:00 or 14:20 to 18:00
There is a limited number of spaces available for one hour only from 13:20 to 14:20.
This service can be booked for 5 days only.
Individualised care
Our afterschool school program includes:
- A boost in confidence, resilience and sense of self
- Improved physical skills, physical health, independence and concentration
- Story-telling, story acting, art-making, painting, songs and music
- Nature crafts, heritage skills, tool work
- Learning through experience including discovery play, exploration and risk taking
- Weekly Forest School Sessions
- Outdoor learning is a main priority
- Some indoor experiences e.g. homework, baking and art
Afterschool age groups
The interaction between children of different ages along with the low ratios helps create a home-like atmosphere. We’re like a big family. Our two Afterschool groups are from Junior Infants to second class and third class to sixth class. Where necessary we keep the age groups flexible in order keep siblings or friends together. Our programme includes varied activities which offer new challenges to all of our children, each at their own level.
Our Afterschoolers enjoy a lot of freedom. They choose to rest or be active, to play together or alone, to take part in organised activities or think up their own games. Different areas bring different opportunities:
- The yard is great for basketball, soccer, skipping rope and gymnastics hoops
- The tiny forest invites us to hide, build dens, listen to nature in a ‘sitspot’ or go on nature hunts
- We have the park beside us where we can explore the shrubby edges, go for long walks or visit the playground
- And the room is great for playing board games, dressing up, reading books or cooking and baking.
Curriculum
The Seedling Nature Schools curriculum include preschool Practices that offer hands-on approaches to encourage the skills your child will need:
- Everyday Mathematics: Integrating numbers into real-life routines
- Cooking with Recipes: Creating in the kitchen to learn about counting, measuring, and fractions
- Daily Pre-Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking: Stories and literature to promote the understanding of the relationship between speech and print
- Writing Center: Access to a wide variety of writing tools, paper, and other materials to inspire an interest in writing, creating books, and more
- Science Laboratory: Hands-on opportunities to collect, examine, explore, and experiment with natural materials
- STEM Activities: Building and problem solving using science, technology, engineering, and math
- Woodworking: Real tools and materials to tinker, construct, and explore weight, balance, strength, and texture