Forest School

The Swiss love the great outdoors. And so do we. Which was why when the village kindergarten ran out of space for a sudden influx of children last year and offered a year of forest school we snapped up a place. And, although some mornings my 5-year-old would groan at the thought of another big walk into the forest and back (she would always come home with a big grin) we never regretted our decision.

And now the year 'in Wald' has finished, she still gets to do one morning a week in the forest, which is great. They do so much - they cook, create natural art, play games, light fires, sharpen sticks and saw branches off trees. Yes, it took me a while to get my head around too - the children are taught how to use matches and they are taught how to use Swiss army knives and mini saws to make things. And all the gear is kept in a cutesy little caravan in the forest, with a tiny lock on it (see above)