Frequently Asked Questions
General information
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8am to 5.45pm (Monday- Friday), 51 weeks a year. We are closed for 1 week before New Year.
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Nurseries: 20 months - 5 Years
Holiday Camps: 3 - 7 Years -
Yes, we have weekday showaround slots available for you to come at visit us at our forest in Cobham. Complete our enquiry form here and we’ll share how you can do this.
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So we can give all of our children the best preparation for life it's crucial their keyworker gets to know them and for them to be familiar with our environment, rhythms and routines. We therefore have a minimum attendance of two days per week and a maximum of five days.
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For every new child starting as part of your enrolment fee you will receive a set of Didriksons, outerwear waterproofs with fleeced lining. These keep our children warm and dry all year round. Your little one will also receive their own hi-vis vest too.
Once you’re signed up we will share with you a kit list of how best to dress your child with others layers for the different seasons.
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We understand that for most children when they leave us they will be entering a different environment after amazing times in the forest. In the 9 months before school your child we partake in preschool sessions in our separate classroom style environment with outdoor blackboard and wood log stools. Children are exposed to this mimmiked classroom environment, in small group sessions learn to focus on topics for periods of time, use their listening ears and raise their hands. Children build great confidence to speak in front of a group. Before they head to school you will receive a report of where they are at with their early years learning goals.
Weather and outdoors
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As the Danish saying goes, “there’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes”. We’ve teamed up with Didriksons and all our Outdoor Owls are equipped with proper clothing for the outdoors, come rain or shine. When there are high winds and it is stormy we will stay indoors.
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Yes. Outside of the UK in the Nordic countries, this approach to taking children out in nature is common. For many years, nurseries like ours have been running successfully, developing children, teaching them to problem-identify and problem-solve, think creatively and take measured risks in a safe environment.
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In the Winter, they must arrive with thermal or woolen long pants and top, a warm fleece sweater, hat, gloves and thermal waterproof boots. For all weathers we have a Kit list (which we share with our families) to ensure all children are wearing appropriate clothes for the temperature. We recommend Wool as it is unmatched when it comes to providing insulation and keeping you cozy during the colder months! We also make sure our Winter Menu is packed with energy and proteins for our Owls, fuelling them and keeping them warm.
At any time during the winter, we have fires in the Yurts to ensure that all our owls are warm and happy.
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In the summer, light long-sleeved leggings and top, with closed end shoes will be perfect. If it's rainy a couple layers under the waterproofs is ideal and we can always take off or put on more layers if needed.
We will keep water bottles topped up throughout the day and kids are encouraged to drink lots of water at meals and in between! If the weather is very hot we will stay in shady areas and can have some fun playing with water!!
Parents are asked to apply sunscreen at home and we will top up throughout the day ( We provide sun cream unless you have special requirements).
Care
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Absolutely. We have large teepee which is cosy and has cot beds set up safe and visible of staff for children still sleeping during the day, or who just wish to take a short nap. During colder days we do extra to keep them warm.
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We have a designated nappy changing area for those still in nappies, with our toilet tents and also our indoor setting. We provide nappies but should you wish to bring your own, our staff will use these. All nappies are disposed of appropriately.
I have another question…
If you have any other questions please feel free to contact us at hello@outdoorowls.co.uk. We would love to hear from you too!