08/12/2025
Wonder Woods is hiring a part-time playworker to join us starting this September!
https://linktr.ee/wonderwoodschi to apply!
Pictures of the written info below:
Join Our Team
Playworker
Start Date: September 2025
Part-time, employee status
Pay: $20.00-$22.00/hr DOE
Schedule: Wednesdays & Fridays, with potential for growth; This position runs on a similar schedule to a school with holiday breaks. Option for full-time hours in the summer.
Location: NW Chicago (Labagh Woods, Bunker Hill Woods, Walking Stick Woods)
Position Summary: Playworkers are responsible for facilitating play in natural spaces for children ages 0-12. This work includes creating playscapes with simple loose parts (such as sticks, fabrics, and mud kitchen items), fostering child-led pretend-play, bringing children to interesting sites in nature to stimulate further play, and gathering groups for circle time, meal time, and nature walks. Playworkers must be comfortable assessing potential risk in the woods, and facilitating play without interfering in it. Playworkers do not lead play or participate in it– they facilitate it. Candidates for this job must be willing to work in a mixed age environment, with children who are diverse racially, developmentally, and temperamentally. This job requires responding to children respectfully, kindly, and holistically. It also includes integrating principles of justice, respect, and liberation into the school environment. We favor self-directed learning and emergent curriculum, and experience with these learning methods is preferred. Our program runs fully outdoors except in a few inclement weather conditions e.g. it’s under 15F at 10:00am. Candidates for this job are encouraged to learn more about the practice of Playworking before interviewing with us. Expertise or experience with Playworking is not required, but an openness to embrace the practice of Playworking is necessary.
Who We Are: Wonder Woods is a 501c3 non-profit program akin to many of the forest schools currently flourishing across Western Europe and the U.S. that follow in the tradition of indigenous land-based models of learning. We meet in all seasons and (almost) all weather and operate in various locations within the Forest Preserves of Cook County. A forest school is a type of educational philosophy that takes place in forests or woodlands. We help children form a kinship with nature and each other. We believe they learn best when they are exploring topics they want to learn about while doing so in natural spaces. We support self directed learning and help children discover their own interests by inviting them to explore different topics through various games, activities, materials, skills, and child-led free play. We are a queer-affirming and future-oriented organization. We embrace change and commit to learning, unlearning and adapting in order to live our values and prepare young people to remain in relationship with the natural world on a rapidly changing planet.
Health Benefits:
We do not offer any health benefits to part-time workers at this time
Essential Duties:
Reliability (it is important you come to all work days you are scheduled). Please note that, while all locations are accessible via public transit, some locations are more difficult to reach.
Share our commitment to the practice of playworking including unstructured play and risky play
Foster an environment for social, emotional, and cognitive growth.
Set up play areas that encourage children to develop through play
Design and lead Circle time including but not limited to songs, poems, and games.
Provide responsive care to all children by adapting daily caregiving routines and plans to the interests and needs of the individual child and the group.
Facilitate conflict resolution using non violent practices.
Communicate children’s progress and challenges with coworkers and ED
Maintaining commitment/respect for Wonder Woods values
Dedicated to engaging in the practice of observation and continually building observation skills.
Set up and break down tasks daily
Remove hazards and litter from the site and neaten up or wipe down bathrooms as needed
Work collaboratively with colleagues and supervisors.
Fill out Incident Reports should they occur
Engage in clear, regular communication with the Ex. Director, co-workers, kids, and caregivers to solve problems, build programming, and foster the Wonder Woods mission and goals
Playworkers should be improvisational, flexible, and hardy. Working with children in all weather conditions requires an ability to problem-solve quickly and adapt to changing environments while remaining responsive to the children and our natural surroundings. In accordance with our community philosophy, the person filling this position may occasionally be required to carry out or assist with other tasks in addition to the duties listed on this job description.
Qualifications:
Experience working with children 3-13, either in a formal or non-traditional educational setting
The ability to be patient and playful, serious and silly
Maintain personal comfort while assisting children for 6-8 hours each day in all weather
First Aid/CPR certification
Must be able to pass a background check
Physical Requirements:
Able to work in all weather for 6-8 hours/day
Able to stand, sit, and kneel on terrain in all weather conditions
Able to lift and carry up to 50 pounds; pull 130 pounds in a wagon
Able to walk on varied terrain while assisting children
Able to perform first aid; maintain a calm demeanor while in the presence of blood/injury
Drivers license (preferred)
Preferred Experience and Skills:
Experience in fields such as playwork, nature art, wilderness preparedness, woodworking, tracking, natural science, knot tying, fiber arts, etc.
Experience with social emotional learning frameworks or knowledge of human development.
How to Apply:
For consideration, apply here.
First round Interviews will be virtual. 2nd round interviews will be a paid in-person working day
