Kingwood Children Ltd at Muddifords Court

Like all of Kingwood, our Woodkin provision is rooted in a rich pedagogy that sees children as competent, capable learners who are full of curiosity, creativity and the joy of collaborating. Our outdoor education offer is very much shaped around a blend of choice, autonomy, connections to the Natural World, exploration, invention, skills sharing and what we refer to as ‘The Joy Of Being Me and the Joy Of Being You’, a mutual respect and value between the children and our teaching team. This blend of choice shapes The Rhythm that gives children and adults a sense of how each day will unfold. Each day is split into morning and afternoon sessions that look like this: Koselig Adventure 1 Koselig Adventure 2 Koselig Koselig moments are those in which all children and adults come together to be welcomed and connected with and to outline the possibilities that lie ahead – they are a little like a Base Camp for the phases of Adventure. We believe that Koselig moments are important parts of each session, creating a sense of belonging and solidarity with one another. The moments of Kosleig will typically last around between 10-15 minutes each. The first Koselig moment is followed a phase of Adventure. Adventure 1 typically invites children to explore materials, art, construction, gardening, physical play, games and cookery, all within the Top Field space. Everybody stays within this space for this phase of Adventure. This phase gives children autonomy over what they would like to explore and discover. The adults will either lead an activity or be free to immerse in the choices of children depending on how the phase evolves – this is based on the concept of co-play, in which both adults and children bring their skills, wisdom, knowledge, ideas and fascinations to share with one another. The adults are part of the children’s play and vice versa. The learning and outcomes of the children can go in any direction in this phase as can the children’s choices as they respond to the resources available to them e.g. building blocks, ingredients, tools, art materials This phase of Adventure lasts between 45-75 minutes giving children real opportunities to immerse in their choices. It closes with a moment of Koselig in which children eat snack, share their Adventures and prepare for the second phase of Adventure. The second phase of Adventure offers a different type of experience than the first. In this phase, the children are presented with two choices: one will be to leave the Top Field to go and explore the grounds of Muddifords. This may involve playing in the stream, the Play Paddock, the maze, the field, the lake, with the animals. The other choice will be an adult-led activity in the Top Field – this may be a fire, storytelling, games, art skills, gardening, cooperative building with a set intention. This second phase of Adventure closes with a final moment of Koselig, all children and adults back together as a team to share experiences and enjoy one another’s company. This moment might also include ‘book snuggling’ where adults share story books with children and bring the world of story to life.