Welcome to The Outdoor Learning Company

As a child, everyone remembers the outdoors being a place of adventure, where the imagination was free to go wherever it wanted, where with a few sticks we could build a palace, where mud was something to be played with, where bugs were hunted and when it rained you just got wet.

Sadly, more and more, our children’s imagination is prescribed through games consoles and TVs, wet weather becomes an excuse and mud is something we can’t touch.

The Outdoor Learning Company hopes to inspire children to drop those controllers and jump back into the outdoors with a splash, after all it was good enough for us growing up.

Nursery, Pre-Schools and Holiday Clubs

The Outdoor Learning Company operate three Forest Pre-Schools and a Nursery, providing the south of Hampshire and Dorset with an alternative excellent option for early years child care. The Forest Pre-School North Baddesley is our latest addition to our growing family, which also consists of The Forest Pre-School Copythorne, and The Forest Preschool and Nursery Hinton (Christchurch), which the latter now takes children from 12 months old, with wrap around care options available. Following the Forest School approach to learning, our children spend their time in magical woodland environments all year round, improving their physical skills, confidence, self-esteem, self-regulation, social skills and many other attributes needed for there next steps in life.

We except the early years entitlement, which allows your child to attend our preschools completely free of charge.

Please click on the button below for more information on our Pre-Schools.

During the Holidays we run a number of Forest School inspired Holiday club sessions. Our Outdoor Adventurers days run from- Hinton (Christchurch), North Baddesley and Hillier Gardens (Romsey). These sessions are for children of primary school age.

If you book onto one or more of our days, your child will have the chance to undertake some of the activities renowned with Forest School such as pond dipping, Den Building, bug hunting, environmental art and much more. Please click on the link below for more information.

Open Days – Summer 2019

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We are offering families the chance to visit our Pre-School and Nursery sites to look around the woodlands, meet members of the team and ask questions about how we deliver an authentic Forest School experience for children of all ages.

There is no need to book so just drop in on the day.  If you can’t make the Open Day dates but would still like to view one of our sites individual appointments can be arranged.

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The Forest Pre-School and Nursery (Hinton)

Date & Time: Saturday 29th June, 10.00 – 12.00

Address: The Reading Room, Bashley Cross Road, Hinton, Christchurch, BH23 7DX

Parking: Large car park on site.  Look out for the Pre-School & Nursery banners at the entrance to our car park.  Head to the gate at the entrance to the woodland and our team will meet you there.

The Forest Pre-School at North Baddesley

Date & Time: Saturday 29th June, 11.00 – 13.00, and Wednesday 10th July, 13.30 – 15.30

Address: North Baddesley Infant School, Botley Road, North Baddesley.  SO52 9EE 

Parking: There is no parking on the school site so you can use North Baddesley Sports Pavilion car park opposite the school or there is a free public car park next to the Junior School on Willis Avenue.  All visitors must report to the Infant School reception to sign in before a member of the team will take you to the woodland at the back of the school. 

The Forest Pre-School at Copythorne

Date & Time: Tuesday 2nd July, 10.00 – 12.00, and Saturday 13th July, 10.00 – 12.00

Address: Copythorne C of E Infant School, Romsey Road, Copythorne.  SO40 2PB 

Parking: There is parking directly outside the school.  All visitors must report to the Infant School reception to sign in before a member of the team will take you to the woodland. Our private woodland is a short walk from the school.

For any further information about the Open Days please contact Ben on 07909241898 or email at

“The Outdoor Learning Company will encourage and support individuals of any age to reach their potential through inspiring outdoor experiences.”

All of our activities and services are based on the Forest School ethos, allowing opportunity for children, young people and adults to develop and learn through engagement with the outdoors and nature.

Here at the Outdoor Learning Company we offer a number of services where we can share our passion and inspire those who spend time with us. We currently run outdoor Pre-Schools and Holiday Clubs from a number of locations across Hampshire.

We also offer a range of training for professionals, so they too can inspire children into the great outdoors, and from our Hinton site we run two successful Forest School programmes for Home Educated Children.