The Little Firefly
Forest School
Upton
Our Ofsted rated Outstanding setting is in Upton (nr. Stone) is a within a secluded woodland set on a farm. The woodland makes for the perfect setting for Forest School and is surrounded by miles upon miles of countryside. The canopy of trees provides a world full of magic and wonder. We often take long walks around the farm, exploring the additional woodlands, streams and crop fields. This always leads to a real sense of adventure and excitement among the children; who have created stories linked to our walks. We are extremely lucky to be surrounded by the working farm and often see and hear the trackers and farmers working hard on the land. The site is set up with our very own composting toilet, tipi and hammocks for nap time.
We have a magical 18 ft Tipi. With tipis, their guile and beauty means far more than just their appearance. The circular base being organic in shape means energy flows well, people are instantly drawn to sit on the floor and be close to nature. It is a far more calming space to sit in than a rectangular one, which is familiar with so many other structures. The Tipi has a wood burning stove for winter months.
The Tipi provides a safe, nurturing and comforting space, with plenty of room to rest, read and play should we need a break from playing and learning outdoors.
In the interest of setting security, we will disclose the address of our site when a child is placed on our waiting list.
Food at The Little Firefly Forest School - Upton
Whilst children bring their own packed lunch to Forest School at our Upton site, it remains paramount to us that they learn about the importance of eating healthily. Food and mealtimes are also an important time at Forest School in developing our sense of community.
Snack times are a time of togetherness and to develop a love for food, Where possible we source our fruit and veg from local farmers and aim to ensure the children are getting at least five portions of fruit and veg every day. We prepare an afternoon snack with the children before cooking it on the fire.
Using our open fire, we make fresh bread, jams and other homemade treats, made collaboratively with the children and enjoyed at snack time around the fire.
Menu example
What might a day of food look like at a The Little Firefly?
Morning snack
Oat Cakes
Fresh fruit
Lunch
Packed lunch brought
from home
Afternoon snack
A hearty snack cooked on the fire
E.g. Veg packed pizza wraps made by the children
Water is available all day, hot chocolate and fruit tea will be served on cold days, along with other warm drinks such as warm cloudy apple juice
Please note: we are a completely nut free nursery. No nuts or products containing nuts are to be bought onto the site under any circumstance. Although we do not use tree nuts or peanuts in our dishes, we cannot guarantee that our suppliers work in nut free environments. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that there has been no cross contamination, we cannot guarantee that any item is free from any allergenic ingredients
Learning about food at Forest School
In our Forest Garden!
This year our wonderful team have developed our Forest Grow Your Own Garden. It was a community effort with plants, manure and pots being donated by our Forest School families. We planted tomatoes, onions, potatoes, strawberries and sweetpeas. As well as a host of wild flowers! The children work hard nurturing the plants; and we were able to enjoy the fruits of their labour in the late summer.
As well as our own garden, our forest offers a whole host of delicious discoveries. This autumn we have made Elderberry jam and cordial and enjoyed blackberries straight from the bush!
