Nature Playgroup
In 2021, we teamed up with Bearwood residents: Laura from Wild Lives Forest School and Ellie from New Baby Network CIC to deliver our first playgroup!
It took place in our high street garden, hidden behind St Mary’s Church (opposite Argos) and it’s especially for parents/carers and their babies/children under 5 who have felt very isolated in the last year.
With thanks to our funders SCVO, Community Fund and Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals Trust, we were able to run a 10 week pilot running every Friday 10-11am, starting on 23rd April 2021.
People joined us to connect with other local parents whilst your little ones play and explore Bearwood’s secret garden! Grow confidence, independence, social skills and a connection to the natural world – as well as plants and vegetables!
These playful sessions will gave parents and children time and space to be nurtured through playing outdoors in nature and building social connections. Sessions were held in accordance with Government social distancing and COVID-19 guidance. There was enough space in the garden for adults to maintain social distancing.
Here are a few pics of the playgroup in the secret garden, with thanks to local volunteers and chief garden volunteer & organiser Vicki MacWinyers.
Running a pilot like this was really important for us to learn what works well and to build the evidence of its impact. One of the cornerstones of the activities we run is that we try and make them as relational as possible - ensuring participants can be active participants, foster a sense of belonging over time and make meaningful connections.
This approach is really important to us and to local people who have told us what they want, but providing facilitation and expertise (such as forest school leaders) is not cheap. Shorter term pilots help us build the case for longer term provision - or help us to learn if something is not a priority.
The children are expressing the difference the playgroup is making to them by not wanting to leave, they are voting with their feet! And we’re hearing reports from parents that they are showing great excitement at coming.
For the parents, being able to connect with other parents has been really powerful for some after the isolation of the past year. We are being told that this is just as important as the children enjoying themselves.
"Now I am not worried. Look at him, he has been playing without me the whole time. He has loved it"
Newly arrived parent observing her son.