Brightsparks Forest School

Brightsparks Forest School Brightsparks is a mobile nature based package custom fit to your requirments. The aim is to inspire and reconnect people with the outdoor natural world.

Schools, clubs, Home education, community groups or parties would benefit from this experience. Brightsparks is led by Amanda Jenkins who has been a Forest School Leader, Countryside Ranger, Environmental Education Officer and Childcare Practitioner. Amanda has worked in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Country Parks, Outdoor Adventure Setting, Youth Clubs, Schools, Nurseries and Community Cen

tres. Amanda has a BA in Childhood Studies, Level 3 Forest School Leadership, BTECH in Countryside Management, Level 3 SVQ in Childrens Care, Learning and Development and City & Guilds in Ecology. Amanda has Level 2 Food Safety & Hygiene certificate and Level 3 Safeguarding certificate as well as Paediatric First Aid and Outdoor First Aid. In order to fully support the children Amanda has worked with she now has training in Speech, Language and Communication, Adverse Childhood Experiences and Early Trauma, Effective Special Educational Needs, Planning In The Moment and Yoga & Mindfulness with Young Children. Amanda has public liability insurance and is an energetic, enthusiastic and enterprising individual who has a love of nature and Forest School.

We celebrated Mary Anning a fossil hunter from the Dorset coast the children had a choice between digging for pasta bone...
15/03/2022

We celebrated Mary Anning a fossil hunter from the Dorset coast the children had a choice between digging for pasta bones or creating their own Jurassic dinosaur. We also had some digging and some interesting discoveries or curiosities.

We had fun creating our dens and with added extras like video cameras and steering wheel to transport wherever we like d...
15/03/2022

We had fun creating our dens and with added extras like video cameras and steering wheel to transport wherever we like don't you love children's imagination and enthusiasm. This time we spoke of how to carry sticks safely and how to use the trees for leaning sticks against looking for forks in the trees and bendy side branches. Children loved the freedom of self expression making the dens their own in a unique way.

Blessings for Imbolc my nature provocation today inspiring so many fun and child led play
03/02/2022

Blessings for Imbolc my nature provocation today inspiring so many fun and child led play

Pirate theme with reception kids making doing thinking creating imagining exploring playing constructing. One child spe...
29/01/2022

Pirate theme with reception kids making doing thinking creating imagining exploring playing constructing. One child spent the whole session sailing on her boat.

Children made their own swing and zip line knot tying skills some children cooked and some practised their fire building...
13/01/2022

Children made their own swing and zip line knot tying skills some children cooked and some practised their fire building skills. Lots of exploration and cooperative play.

Using the hand tools to make a spinning top we also looked at patterns in nature and they made their own. We talked abo...
13/01/2022

Using the hand tools to make a spinning top we also looked at patterns in nature and they made their own. We talked about motion and energy and discussed clockwise and anti clockwise with early years children.

Getting ready for Christmas had a great discussion with children in year 4 about beliefs surrounding the Christmas wreat...
11/12/2021

Getting ready for Christmas had a great discussion with children in year 4 about beliefs surrounding the Christmas wreath we talked about the significance of a circle and why they were hung on doors, we also discussed what the colour red means and how in nature animals who have red are protected. The conversation then took a different direction into mysterious goings on like the Bermuda triangle and the children expressed their ideas on what happens. One child said it could be gravity pulling the planes or boats under another spoke of a whirlpool and another child said it could be the Gods. Freedom of expression brilliant here's our Christmas wreaths.

Made our Christmas Elder Jingle sticks today children were very excited lots of wrapping,twisting, whittling fine motor ...
02/12/2021

Made our Christmas Elder Jingle sticks today children were very excited lots of wrapping,twisting, whittling fine motor practice. Children choosing how they should look then becoming absorbed in imaginative play spellbounding. We also had some Singing and rhythm percussion. Self directed play such fun when children are choosing how they play. I only offered the resources children do the rest.

Good session with year 5 working in teams they built an object which could carry children from on area to another. This...
27/11/2021

Good session with year 5 working in teams they built an object which could carry children from on area to another. This was inspirational children used scraps of wood, ropes, hammers and nails. They worked together building on listening skills, cooperation, leadership, confidence building, negotiation and problem solving amazing results. When children given responsibility and allowed to express their ideas in a community of learning the results are amazing.

Great session today we split into groups and created our compass using nature as our medium. We then split into North S...
09/11/2021

Great session today we split into groups and created our compass using nature as our medium. We then split into North South East and West tribes. North tribe built the fire, West tribe split wood for kindling and South tribe made the bannock bread I was East the elder overseeing the mission. Children got really engaged with this and a fun way to get jobs done around camp.

Today we created a mud factory with collection station, mixing station and decorating station. There are many benefits ...
21/10/2021

Today we created a mud factory with collection station, mixing station and decorating station. There are many benefits to mud playing such lifting your mood, boosting your immune system, sensory exploration and calming effects. We also made giant mud spiders, made a mud slide and created pumpkin pictures using autumn leaves.

We made animal tree cookies in the rain it taught us many skills in being resilient and not giving up. We learned about...
03/10/2021

We made animal tree cookies in the rain it taught us many skills in being resilient and not giving up. We learned about the use of hand tools in the woods sawing and drilling using a hand brace. With year 5 we looked at reasons for building dens and different dens to build. We explained our techniques when finished and even had some entertaining tribal dance moves to finish off.

Address

South East
Saltash
PL124FA

Telephone

+447709883572

Website

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