Term 3 THURS Born Wild Community Forest Skills and Nature Play Group

Join us on Thursday mornings at a beautiful private property in Wallington/Ocean Grove. Surrounded by trees, open space, and wildlife, this group is designed to nurture physical, emotional, sensory, and social development.

We are a 100% outdoors, all weather group. We keep a predictable rhythm of connection play and story. We use real tools to explore our space, bushcraft and nature arts. Flora and Fauna connection is a big part of our program with the group facilitated by an ecologist and teacher.

This session is unique in that it caters to all children up to around age 12 (older children are also most welcome). Our experience from Tuesday Bush Kinder, Forest School and 1-hour Stay and Play sessions shows that mixed-age play works beautifully; older and younger children naturally find their rhythm, whether that's playing together, side by side, or following their own interests.

Each session will feature an invitation/springboard which is linked to our overarching theme - in Term 3 this is Bushcraft. Participants are invited to join in, or follow their own path in the company of their family. All children, whatever their age, are to be fully supervised by their families despite it being a facilitated session. Please note - we do have places available as a drop off option (age 3.5+). Please email info@bornwildcommunity.org.au first to discuss if this option is suitable for your young person.

This session is ideal for homeschoolers, those considering homeschool, preschoolers, kinder-age children, and families who are looking for a nature play, outdoor learning, bush kinder, and forest school-style experience.

Because adults remain with their children (other than a few drop-off spots), we will have high adult-to-child ratios meaning we’re able to provide this session at a lower rate than our supported drop-off programs.

We will be asking for a full term commitment for this offering. We’ve noticed it takes time to build up a connection with the community and a unique environment such as ours. If you are looking for a casual session or would like to try out the space before committing, you can sign up to our 1 hour Stay and Play sessions. These run at various times Mon, Tues and Thurs.

When our session does not fill or we have known absences, we will open up casual spots. Keep a look out on the day prior for this option.

We know that with illness, holidays and meeting our children where they are at, sometimes attending weekly is hard. If you miss a session, you can use the fee as credit on any of our programs in the following 6 months.

These sessions are open to families of all ages. Nature Play and Forest Skills will be guided by the children's interests and developmental stage.

You may even choose to continue your journey with us after into our Supported Drop Off Bush Kinder or Forest School programs.

TERM PAYMENT is our preferred commitment. Research shows that consistent participation in nature-based programs fosters deeper connections, greater developmental benefits, and stronger community bonds. If you have unique needs and can only commit to fortnightly or half term, please get in touch. We also can offer payment plans on request.

MULTI AGE GROUPS Our program targets children aged 0–12, with research consistently showing that younger children thrive by observing and learning from older peers, while older children build leadership and empathy skills. This approach fosters a rich, inclusive setting that supports a wide range of developmental needs.

NOT FOR PROFIT Born Wild Community is a social enterprise and registered charity, meaning all payments we receive are put back into improving our programs. We are required to meet minimum numbers and self support ourselves. In the event a program does not meet minimum numbers, transfer to alternate days, or a full refund of the registration fee will be offered.

EQUITY DISCOUNT As a social enterprise and registered charity we endeavour to make nature play accessible to everyone - whatever their circumstances. If our current prices are inaccessible to you for this program (family supervised options) we are offering a 20% Equity Discount. No questions asked. Just apply the code EQUITY20 at checkout.

If you are NOT SURE if Born Wild Community is right for your young person, please contact us and we can provide additional information and options info@bornwildcommunity.org.au Please note the program does not have administration each day.

Unfortunately we are unable to offer refunds if you cannot attend, however get in touch and we can offer a credit to be used in the next 6 months at any of our Born Wild Community sessions. Just email info@bornwildcommunity.org.au with you preference.

TIME: 

Every Thursday 9:30-12:00 noon

TERM DATES: 

31/07/2025 - 04/09/2025 (6 week term)

COST:

1 child and caregiver $138

2+ children and caregiver $174

Drop off option per child $240

Babes in arms/pram free with a paying sibling

**If you would like to avoid the Humanitix Fee on our TERM FEES, please email info@bornwildcommunity.org.au with your ticket request, and a unique booking code and bank transfer option will be provided. Payment is required in full before attendance at our program.