The Greatest Outdoors

Author: ElementsFGS Page 1 of 8

Where to begin…?

At the beginning, I guess…

It has been almost five years since we started with Elements… this year we have been focusing on our weekly Forest School sessions as well as our work with the Fostering Network.

Since we began, more and more, the evidence points to the need for children of all ages to ‘touch grass’. Get out and away from screens, unplug and unwind, to get lost in nature and learn how to engage in deep play.

Our mission is to bring Forest School to whomever needs it – be they adults, children, families, schools, after schools or classes. As experienced teachers and practioners, we are not a box ticking exercise. Anyone who attends an elements session can be sure that they are getting a bespoke encounter which has been created specifically for the participants in mind.

If you are interested in finding out what we can do for you, please get in touch with us. Call 07540075991 – myself, Stephanie Sim, or email me at steph@elementsschool.net . You can also check out our Facebook page for up to date information on what we are doing.

We are the Greatest Outdoors!

Easter Scheme 2025 Ready for Booking!!!

Our Easter Scheme is ready for booking!!! We have a limited number of spaces so book soon!

There will be outdoor cooking, beach school! Easter Egg making, Easter Egg Hunt on the last day, kite flying, stream walking, birdsong ID and much much more!

Being out in the elements with elements! It doesn’t get better than this.

Go to https://tinyurl.com/mutftay7 to book, or WhatsApp 07540075991 or email hello@elementsschool.net

We are four years old!

Elements began in 2020, in the teeth of the pandemic. We are now 4 years old. It has been QUITE the ride. We have had now run scores of sessions, held numerous holiday schemes, put on festivals and birthday parties and even had a wonderful time exploring the world of arts and crafts

We have held our sessions all over Northern Ireland – from – Loughgall to the Waterworks. We have even run courses for others interested in Forest School.

We have introduced over 500 children in different ways to the wonders of nature.

All the while we have stayed true to the ideals of nature being a part of ourselves. Our sessions bring in art, science, gross and fine motor skills. We tell stories. We make sure there’s food. Ans speaking of food…

We have been always been big on foraging and cooking with what we find. But I must let you into a little secret: children love food cooked on an open fire. Whether it is the novelty or the taste of the smoky wood, or the novelty, we have never had children which had said to us they did not like what we prepared.

As the year plays out, we are so pleased once more to be running an after school at the Holywood Steiner School, birthday parties at the Quarries, Easter and other holiday schemes as well as another Wild About Learning programme with the Fostering Network. It has been a truly fulfilling and inspiring ride.

Thank you to EVERYONE who has been along for it!

Stephanie and Jemma

Our new banner has arrived!!!

We are beyond excited… we now have our own fleeces and a banner… elements is now 4 years-ish old… we started in September 2020 – in the middle of Covid… and kept going.

See what forest school can do for you… the best part about elements is that it comes to YOU!!!

Call 07540075991 or email hello@elementsschool.net

Easter Scheme 2024!

Yes, we had weather – for a bit, but then the sun came out and we reveled in the gorgeousness of Crawfordsburn Country Park. I think we can safely say there is no other place like it… waterfalls, rapids, river to play in, magnificent train bridge, blue flag beach, meadows and of course FOREST and to cap it all off a geologically inspired playground! We had such a blast! Here are some of the pictures… but not all cos we were super busy the entire time!

Day 1

We walked to the waterfall… and enjoyed looking at the wooden sculptures along the way. There was a burning question… what are turkey tails… well, now everyone who came on Monday knows…!

Walking to the waterfall… it was a bit drizzly, but many of our children are used to the weather and no one mentioned it… furthermore they were all so engrossed in conversation they forgot about the wet.

On the way back

It is impossible to overstate the beauty of this railway line built in that 19th century that spans the burn. One of the questions was, what runs over this bridge? Many said people. I said, yes people, but what are the people in? Cars? Walking? Then someone said, Trains! And a few seconds later a train went over the bridge, right on cue.


Splashing about in water… there is a reason why elements was called elements… and it is so nice that many people are returning to that way of looking at the world…
Splitting wood for the fire… everyone had a go at the hatchet.

Huge thumbs up for the bannock newbies!

Day 2

Today was sand castle day…
We started out with games by the beach…
Then we made a sandcastle village…
This one was a clifftop village…
Rock pooling…
We then made pizza on a pan. Here we are lighting the fire.
Easter egg hunt rounded off the afternoon

Day 3

Flying kites we made…
The Gang!
Smores!!!
Dyeing Easter Eggs!

And that was us! Easter 2024 was over, just like that! I heard that children slept soundly that night!

Easter Scheme 2024

It has been, once again sooo busy. We began the year with a half term session with the Fostering Network and will be working with them over the coming months once again.

Meanwhile the Easter holidays are here and we have 2 more spaces left on Wednesday and 1 more space on Friday. Thursday is completely full. To book go to http://tinyurl.com/yc56buv2

I’ll update what we have been up to later on!

How busy have we been!!!

There is literally NO EXCUSE for having such an out of date website, but we have been very busy. What has happened since we last updated with our session in Glasswater Woods?

Thank you note from parent of child who participated in the Glasswater session

Well, here’s a run down.

We ran a five-day Summer Scheme in Oakfield Forest in Carrickfergus at the start of summer.

We made nettle fibres for our activity in Carrickfergus

We started the After School in Holywood Steiner School, and are once again fully subscribed.

Some very cheerful after schoolers!!

We ran the last of the Fostering Network sessions in Gosford Park.

We gathered fungi and made leaf art using a felt cutting at Gosford Forest.

And we started the New Moon Goddess Journeys in Bangor – our next session is fully booked out!

Finally we have a birthday party coming up…

And the feedback has been great!

Oh yes, and Stephanie attended the Regional Forest School gathering at Monaghan and learnt all about mushrooms!

We are now members of the Irish Forest School Association!!!

New Moon Goddess Journeys

We have decided to hold a New Moon Goddess Journeying session every month – our second meeting will take place on June 18th at 5 pm.

New Moon Goddess Journeying – 18 June 5 – 7 pm –

Quarries Farm, 403 Gransha Road Bangor

Bring something to share and a couple of quid for the hire of the space. We will drum and journey, share our New Moon stories and connect to the many incarnations of the Goddess. Celebrate the New Moon and the Summer Solstice – and make a new start. No need to reply, just turn up.

For more details call 07540075991 or email steph@elementsschool.net

June 2023 Update

Hard to believe that 2 months have passed and we have been up to loads!

As usual we have had two excellent sessions with the Fostering Network. We worked with the Antrim and North Down sectors and delivered 2 four week sessions in Ballymena People’s Park as well as Glasswater Woods.

The Green Man… we made masks celebrating summer!

Fairy doors were just adorable!

Blown away by the beauty!

We also kept on with our After School although there were so many Bank Holiday Mondays in May and June!

We got loads of fun out of the new archery set we bought!

And our new slackline also got a premier!


Water festival!

Goddess Workshop

We held our Goddess Workshop in Newtownards…

Stories, drumming journey and making horses

Siuban put together wire frames for the horses…

Macha is Mother. Is every aspect of mother. She brings her ferocity. Her assurance. She says, you are enough. More than enough. We are all that … and some.

As we enter the height of summer, we dance with her, for her. We no longer doubt. Everything is possible. Everything exists here – for us- in this time.

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