Bee in the Woods

Bee in the Woods Curiosity, creativity and connection through outdoor play and adventure. Forest Kindergarten for 3-

Bee in the Woods believe that every child should have the opportunity for open-ended adventurous play in the outdoors - mud-pies and secret dens galore! We want all kids to have the opportunity for adventures and play in nature. A chance to build on resilience and self esteem through magical and memorable experiences. By offering inspiration, tools and support to parents, teachers and practitioner

s, we aim to build a community. A community that works together to foster a lifelong love of nature, wildlife and the GREAT outdoors.

Can you help us raise the roof!We’re building a warm and welcoming Garden Cabin for the children, families and educators...
25/08/2026

Can you help us raise the roof!

We’re building a warm and welcoming Garden Cabin for the children, families and educators at Bee in the Woods- and we need all the help we can find to make it happen!

This warm, dry space will be a game changer for our kindergarten and give us a calm space to work with children who need a little extra nurture, a place for projects to grow and as a space to warm up during the colder months.

Donate through our GoFundMe page- https://gofund.me/481ea7523

Every donation, however small, brings us one step closer. Donate via the link in our bio and please share our campaign far and wide.

Thanks so much!

Love Lucy and the Bee Team 😊

24/08/2026

We’re building something special in the Bee garden…

Bee in the Woods is a completely outdoor nursery, Forest School and alternative education community. We believe deeply in the benefits of being outside, but even in the woods, everyone sometimes needs a warm and cosy place to pause.

We are raising funds to build a new Wellbeing Cabin at our Portslade site. It will provide a calm, welcoming space for children who need a sensory break or quiet moment, as well as somewhere for storytelling, small-group experiences and time together. It will also give families a comfortable place for meetings and our educators somewhere warm and dry to plan, train and complete essential work.

Before the summer, our kindergarten families helped us raise an incredible £2,645. Over the holidays, our woodskeeper Mark has worked tirelessly to clear the bramble-covered site and prepare the ground. Those funds have now paid for the ground screws, foundations and timber frame, which is being built by Jono, one of our wonderful former kindy parents.

After weeks of preparation, it is incredibly exciting to see the cabin beginning to take shape.

We have now used all the money raised so far. Our next goal is £8,000 to complete the cabin itself.

If 250 people donated £20, together we could raise the next £5,000 and take an enormous step towards opening the cabin.

Could you help us raise the walls?

You can support us by donating through the link in our bio or by sharing this reel with friends, family and local businesses. Every donation and every share will help.

Thank you for helping us create a space that will support Bee children, families and educators for many years to come.

24/07/2026

And just like that… another Bee year comes to an end 🐝🌿💛

What a lovely way to finish — together in the woods, celebrating a year of muddy adventures, big discoveries, friendships, laughter and growing.

A huge thank you to all our wonderful Bee families for joining us, for your incredibly kind words, and for being such an important part of our community.

To the little Bees heading off on their next adventures - keep climbing, questioning, creating and wondering. We’ll miss you. 🐝

Happy summer, everyone! ☀️🌿

09/07/2026

We did it: An Eco Schools Green Flag, with Distinction! 💚💚

We are proud to announce that we have achieved our Eco-Schools Green Flag with Distinction! This award celebrates the fantastic efforts of our children, staff and families in creating a thriving, sustainable learning environment – from our flourishing (and slightly wild!) allotment and wildlife projects to the everyday ways we work together to look after ourselves, each other and the world around us.

A huge thank you to our wonderful community for supporting our eco-journey throughout the year. Your enthusiasm, encouragement and involvement have helped make this achievement possible, and we can’t wait to continue growing, learning and caring for our environment together.

17/06/2026

Play is the way!
At Bee in the Woods we really believe in learning through play. Our mud kitchen provides some wonderful opportunities for maths. Sometimes it might be modeled with adult interaction, sometimes the children might play freely with the resources. Either way, we love learning through purposeful and meaningful play experiences.

I am incredibly honoured (and quite taken aback!) to share that I have been awarded an MBE for Services to Early Years E...
13/06/2026

I am incredibly honoured (and quite taken aback!) to share that I have been awarded an MBE for Services to Early Years Education.

While my name appears on the award, this recognition belongs to so many people.

It belongs to the children who have taught me to slow down, listen carefully and see the world with curiosity and wonder.

It belongs to the families who have trusted us with their children and shared in the adventure of doing things a little differently.

It belongs to the extraordinary team at Bee in the Woods, whose dedication, creativity and care make our work possible and are an inspiration every day.

And it belongs to the many early years professionals, childminders, nursery owners, educators and leaders across the country who pour their hearts into supporting children and families, often with little recognition and against significant challenges.

When I started Bee in the Woods in 2018, I simply wanted to create a place that I knew my own children would thrive in. A community where children could spend their days outdoors, building confidence, resilience, friendships and a meaningful connection with the natural world. I never imagined that journey would lead here.

This award feels like recognition of the importance of early childhood itself. The experiences children have in their earliest years matter profoundly. The people who care for, educate and advocate for them matter too.

As our sector continues to navigate change and challenge, I hope this recognition helps shine a light on the incredible work happening every day in nurseries, preschools, childminding settings and schools across the country.
Thank you to everyone who has been part of the journey so far.

Here's to childhood and the importance that community and nature has in it. 🌿🐝

01/05/2026

What a beautiful May Day in the woods today. And what better way to celebrate than by creating and decorating our very own Maypole.

With thanks to a lovely dad who donated a giant carpet tube, the children had a wonderful time painting, choosing ribbons and helping to bring our Maypole to life.

At Bee in the Woods, we love weaving old seasonal traditions into our days together. Celebrations like Beltane/May Day help children feel connected to the changing seasons, the rhythms of nature and the stories people have shared for generations. They invite joy, music, movement, creativity and a sense of belonging in the natural world.

In a fast-paced modern world, these simple traditions remind us to pause, notice blossom on the trees, warmer days arriving and the wonder of spring all around us.

Happy May Day from the woods! 🌱🌸

🥰 Feeling very proud to share a few of our latest google reviews here. It means so much to our hardworking team to recei...
23/04/2026

🥰 Feeling very proud to share a few of our latest google reviews here. It means so much to our hardworking team to receive such great feedback!

If you are looking for a nursery or home ed space for your child, we are now planning enrolment week for our September intake. Book your family in to join us in the woods and see the magic, fun and care that makes Bee’s so special.

To book either follow the links in our profile or Comment ‘September’ below to be sent details.

Funded places available | Ages 3-7 | Breakfast club 8.30am | Core hours 9.30am-3.30pm | extra time available til 4pm

Team training day and we hit the beach to prepare for our Summer Term Beach School.A huge thank you to our amazing colle...
13/04/2026

Team training day and we hit the beach to prepare for our Summer Term Beach School.

A huge thank you to our amazing colleague Ruby - who inspired us all with her incredible knowledge and passion for our local beaches and wildlife.

The team are super excited about starting our beach school this term as well as returning to the beautiful green woods for more curiosity, creativity and connection! 🦀🐚🐬🌳💚

🌼🐝 Summer Term at Bees is pure magic… and we have a couple of spaces left for our Early Years April enrolment at our Por...
26/02/2026

🌼🐝 Summer Term at Bees is pure magic… and we have a couple of spaces left for our Early Years April enrolment at our Portslade Kindergarten! 🐝🌼

April is one of the most wonderful times to begin your Early Years journey with us. The woodland is bursting into life - birdsong fills the air, bugs are busy beneath the leaves, newts shimmer in the pond and slow worms bask in the spring sunshine. 🌿✨

Our children don’t just visit nature… they’re immersed in it. We’re planting and growing vegetables in our garden, harvesting what’s ready and cooking together over the campfire - building practical skills, teamwork and confidence every single day.

But at Bees, we are so much more than a Forest School experience.

Our teacher-led, Ofsted Outstanding, award-winning Forest School Kindergarten is deeply committed to giving children the very best educational start. Through carefully planned learning experiences guided by each child, we nurture:

🐝 Resilience & confidence – climbing, problem-solving, exploring safely
🐝 Independence & emotional intelligence - child-led challenges and collaboration
🐝 Inclusion for every child- a rich curriculum based on individual needs and interests, nurtured by our strong attachment-focused approach
🐝 Early numeracy & STEM – measuring, counting and estimating through woodwork, mud pies and real-life projects
🐝 Strong communication skills & early literacy - storytelling, mark-making and collaborative project books
🐝 School readiness - developing the social, emotional, physical and cognitive foundations children need to thrive.

All wrapped up in mud, laughter, curiosity and wonder. 💛

If you’re looking for a nurturing, ambitious and nature-connected start for your little one, April is the perfect time to join our hive.

We have just a few spaces remaining for an April start at our Portslade Kindergarten. Early Years funding available.

There’s still time to book a showaround — simply DM “April” and we’ll be in touch to arrange your visit.

Come and see the magic for yourself. 🐝🌿

Address

Brighton And Hove
BN11

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4pm
Friday 8:30am - 4pm

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