The children love changeable play spaces and unobserved work. These nature experiences in the forest leave lasting impressions and playfully promote imagination, sensitivity, senses, creativity, sense of balance and spatial orientation. A forest play group promotes gross and fine motor skills and develops them holistically. The forest also offers children the opportunity to familiarize themselves with animals and plants.

After attending the "Basic Forest" module, participants have the following skills in relation to forest playgroups:

• You will be able to set up a forest playgroup and lead it according to the principles of nature and playgroup education.
• They see the forest as a place of play and learning for preschool children and accompany children attentively and competently in their individual development and learning steps in nature.
• They know what sustainable use of nature looks like and are guided by it.
• You present yourself convincingly to parents and the public as a pedagogical specialist.

The following modules are included in the forest playgroup leader training:

• Basic playgroup leader / basic training playgroup leader
• Basic forest with certificate
• Module practical support
• Communication module
• Pedagogy module
• Developmental psychology module
• Play and design processes / self-awareness module
• Parental cooperation module
• Emergencies with small children

The following persons are admitted to the forest playgroup leader training examination:

• Completed modules: Basic / basic training, additional qualification basic forest, practical support, communication, pedagogy, developmental psychology, self-awareness, parent cooperation and 3 further training days "Dusse", of your own choice, and a passed diploma interview
• two years experience as a forest playgroup leader
• Proof of "Emergencies for infants", not older than 3 years

The training to become a forest playgroup leader can be completed on a part-time basis. It comprises 259.5 teaching hours and 179.5 hours of self-study including practical visits. Each module takes around three months to complete.

The following personal requirements are necessary for the job "Leading a forest playgroup":

• Enjoy working with children and their parents
• Practical experience in dealing with preschool children
• Interest in the development of pre-school children
• Ability to work in a team
• Patience and tolerance
• Empathy
• Flexibility and openness
• Ability to reflect

We are therefore looking for a forest playgroup leader:

• She is familiar with Cornell's nature education models as well as the guiding principles of playgroup education and the environmental education focus publication
• She works as a specialist in early childhood education with sound knowledge of nature and environmental education
• It recognizes the richness of the forest and its qualities as a space for development and learning
• She has a broader understanding of working with parents
• It continuously reviews and evaluates its pedagogical quality
• She has practical experience and reflects on her own attitude in depth
• It has advantages on the labor market