Pond dippers peering in to see what's lurking

Welcome toBlacknest Forest School

Our own woodland, beside Windsor Great Park. Dens, campfires, pond dipping and whittling - small-group, child-led adventures for ages 5 to 10 with qualified leaders, whatever the weather!

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Places are limited so book early to secure your adventure!

🦆Small Groups12 to 14 children

🐜Ages 5-10Over-10 regulars welcome by arrangement

📜Level 3 QualifiedDBS-checked team

💷£48 per full day09:30 - 15:00 (14:30 in winter)

“The power of play lies in freedom. Outdoor play naturally restores balance — to attention, mood and energy. It lets the nervous system return to regulation. It helps children thrive.”Marina Robb, The Outdoor Teacher Ltd.

🌲 A Day in the Woods

Here’s a flavour of what a typical Forest School day includes - real woodcraft skills, hands-on nature discovery, and plenty of unhurried free play, all in the warm, close-knit atmosphere Blacknest is known for.

Clambering over logs on the way back to the den

Building camps & shelters

Warming toes and swapping stories round the campfire

Campfire activities

Deep in concentration, one careful shaving at a time

Whittling, a firm favourite

Pots, pans and muddy creations on the mud kitchen table

Mud kitchen fun

See all our activities →

Every season, every critter

We follow the woods through the year and shape each session around what’s happening right now - what’s flowering, fledging, foraging or hibernating that week. The children learn to read the seasons as they go, with time built in to talk about our own role in caring for nature.

SpringFrogspawn in the pond, the chiffchaff calling its name and the first bumblebees waking up.

SummerShady glades in the deep woods, water games to keep cool and stag beetles on warm evenings.

AutumnFungi hunts, conkers underfoot and squirrels burying acorns as fast as they can.

WinterAnimal tracks in the frost, tawny owls calling and a crackling campfire to warm up by.

🦊 Why Families Choose Blacknest

Our Mission at Blacknest Forest School

“At Blacknest, we give children the time, space and trust to discover the natural world for themselves. Through free play, real skills and the changing seasons, they grow in confidence, make lasting friendships and learn to love - and look after - the woods around them.”

Anne, Blacknest Forest School

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The Power of Play

Play is at the heart of everything we do. Give children real freedom in a real woodland and something wonderful happens - they choose their own challenges, make their own rules and navigate their own obstacles, safely building the confidence, resilience and social skills that carry them well beyond the woods. Along the way they’re always noticing something new: a bird call, a fungus, the first frog of spring.

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Small, Settled Groups

Just 12 to 14 children a day, led by DBS-checked, Level 3 Forest School-qualified leaders, in the warm, close-knit atmosphere Blacknest is known for. It’s why so many of our children return year after year.

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Real Woodcraft

Fire-lighting, whittling, den-building, tree-climbing, wild cooking, bug-catching and rewilding, with a picnic lunch in the woods - real skills and adventures children don’t get anywhere else.

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A Family Woodland Since the 1960s

Our own private woodland near Ascot, beside Windsor Great Park, has been cared for by our family since the 1960s, and an exclusive Forest School since 2017. Still family-run, and it shows - everyone who visits is treated like part of the family.

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Safety First - the Foundation Everything Else Is Built On

Every activity is built on careful risk-benefit assessment. Our Level 3 qualified, DBS-checked team are trained in paediatric first aid and manage hazards continuously, so children can still climb, whittle and light fires safely. With a permanent outdoor shelter and our cosy cabin on site, rainy days go ahead too. Safety underpins everything we do, so your child is free to climb higher, dig deeper and get wonderfully muddy.

🦔 What Families Say

“A truly wonderful place for children, all year round!”a Blacknest parent

“Today I sifted my own sand, turned it into clay, and made a hammer to help build our den!”a Blacknest child

“By far their favourite!”a Blacknest parent

“He comes home covered in mud and grinning ear to ear, I can’t ask for more.”a Blacknest parent

“I’m good at whittling spoons, so I swapped some for the pine cones I needed.”a Blacknest child

“A forest school day is a day to remember forever, one where your mind, body and soul run free.”a Blacknest parent

“The pond is drying out because of the drought, so I was distilling water to help the creatures.”a Blacknest child

“They come home full of beans and eager to tell me all about their day. We love it!!”a Blacknest parent

“No screens, no tech, just good fun!”a Blacknest parent

“I just love the mud kitchen and climbing trees.”a Blacknest child

“It is a rare thing to find such a high quality provision so local for home educators.”a Blacknest parent

“It was awesome!”a Blacknest child

“It’s given her the summer all children should remember, not one inside and on a computer.”a Blacknest parent

Sunbeams streaming between tall trees in the Blacknest woodland

🦉 Nature Notes

What’s happening in the woods this season? Meet our seasonal star critter, find out what to look and listen out for, and add your own sightings to our Wild Woodland Tally.

There’s a little something for curious minds at home too - activity sheets to enjoy before you come or after you’ve been.

Explore Nature Notes

Ready for an Adventure?

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