The Happy Homestead is an outdoor Forest School set in 1.5 acres of meadow on the outskirts of Scunthorpe.
The Happy Homestead is an eco-nursery and out of school club for children from birth to eight who love to be outdoors! This is because we spend all of our day playing outdoors surrounded by nature on our one and a half acre plot.
In a typical day, the children will grow vegetables and help practitioners prepare healthy snacks with them. They will learn about animal care by looking after our chickens and ducks. Children will also be taught how to be respectful of nature by planting trees and wildflowers as well as building habitats for bugs and insects. Children here are free to roam our gardens, build dens, dig up and ‘cook’ mud in the mud kitchen, splash in puddles. We play outside in all weathers!
Our Scandinavian wooden cabin is small and cosy but still wonderfully engaging for our babies. In our Tepee the older children can take a break from their busy day. Inside both areas children have the same access to resources as they do outside, they can read books, role play in the play kitchen, paint or play with trains.
Being surrounded by nature it is hoped children will develop a good knowledge of plants and trees and earth’s creatures and their part in the ecosystem. The children will learn how to be part of a caring community, to listen to and respect each other’s views and develop empathy for one another.
Our philosophy is to support children’s well-being by encouraging them to spend their time exploring nature in the fresh air. Our children can practice mindfulness through yoga and nature walks as well as through their interactions with others.
Our Values and Mission
We aim to teach the children to live a happy life, now and in the future. We do this by teaching children to be themselves, by giving them confidence to learn what they want at their own pace and by encouraging them to celebrate each others achievements.
Spending time in nature contributes to good mental health and well being. It offers children the freedom to explore and take risks.
What makes us different?
We want to inspire families to spend quality time outdoors together. We hope to offer many opportunities for families to join in with learning at the setting. For example, family barbecues, camping, yoga and bush craft skills.
We also like to share our activity ideas so that you can do them with your children at home using natural and recycled materials.
We also encourage families make small changes to their routine that can help protect the environment. For example, reducing waste or growing vegetables at home.
Our Outdoor Nursery
We strive to be as kind to nature as possible so we use eco-friendly practices where we can. This involves providing homes for wildlife, reducing our waste, avoiding using plastic products and sourcing our food from local suppliers.
“Let Nature be your teacher.”