Auchlone Nature Kindergarten opened its doors to children in May 2008. It is a small cosy nursery in the countryside on the Abercairny estate near Crieff in Perth and Kinross run under the direction and management of Claire Warden and Niki Buchan who have a huge amount of experience as teachers, consultants and nursery managers and a great love of nature and the outdoors.

The Nature Kindergartens are a vision and dream of Claire Warden, well known educational consultant who is in great demand as a speaker both in the UK and internationally. She is the European leader for the World Nature Action Collaborative and firmly believes that the environment is the third teacher, supporting children to learn about all aspects of the curriculum through connecting to and finding out about nature. The curriculum at the centre is based around nature. All of the opportunities are developed through natural materials found in the local environment or supplied through eco friendly and ethical trade routes.

The centre was officially opened by Jess Smith, author and Traditional storyteller from Scotland's Perthshire Travelling people. She entertained children and adults alike with her traditional stories and her knowledge of the woods which she shared with all during a woodland walk and sitting around the camp fire.

Auchlone caters for nursery children from the ages of 2 to 5 years and afterschool care and holiday camps for children up to 12 years. Children spend 80 to 90% of their time outdoors in all weathers in an environment that offers them challenge and freedom to experiment and explore in a very sensorial and experiential way.

The newly developed garden at Auchlone is very naturalistic and children have free access to this space as well as a small woodland area attached to the garden. The garden area was developed with the children and has a boat shaped sandpit for children to climb into, a small hill to allow children to experience slope and gradient, a willow castle designed and built by the eco committee of local school children as well as a willow tunnel. Children have helped to create a vegetable garden by building their own pollytunnel with some adult support. The garden has a geodome that children can use for shelter , warmth and to store the resources they might want to use or they could gather around the fire pit where they can help to make a fire and cook their own foods.

The woodland area attached to the garden is wild and although hazards have been removed children are able to experience and consider risk and do their own risk assessments - they know what to do if they are stung by the nettles and they are allowed to climb the trees and clamber over the exposed roots of fallen trees. This small enclosed woodland area leads on to a very large wild woodland site which children visit daily for extended periods of time with the adults. In this site they have created a variety of dens, created a fairy glen and constructed their own rope ladders and slides. They recently discovered a large fallen Cedar tree, helped to risk assess and then create a huge climbing frame out of it. The woodland site also has a large fire pit and shelter where children can gather to keep warm, cook a variety of foods or have a cosy chat.

Due to demand and the small size of the centres they are open to visitors through accredited training courses and a site visit when children are not present. For more information see our events page.