The sessions will last up to 6 hours. During this time the group will get a chance to make new friends, explore our beautiful woodland site and take part in optional activities. Our base camp is located within Merrist Wood Collage campus containing 400 acres of private woodland to adventure in!

 

The main focus of a Forest School session is for the children to explore and learn through self lead play. Along side this  we will also have some planned  activities that the children may choose to take part in.

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Any planned activities are optional and are always seasonal, this may include:

 seasonal woodland crafts, fire lighting, marshmallow toasting and campfire songs, den building tree climbing wild food foraging and cooking, bush-craft and more!

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Our holiday clubs are the perfect way for your child to step outside and enjoy the great outdoors in a safe and caring environment. 

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In order to ensure each child has the best possible experience we like to keep the groups relatively small, so there are limited spaces on each day, we recommend booking early to disappointment

 

Its super important to come along prepared to our sessions as we spend the whole day outside in the wood in all weathers. If it rains, the children will learn how to put up a shelter and build a fire to keep warm and dry.

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8.50-Drop off 

Meet group in car park and walk to woodland site

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9.00- Site Introduction

Rules, toilets, boundaries, staff, days activities

9.15- Free play

Children can explore the site, mud kitchen, den building, ice breaker game

10.15- Optional activities

Children broken into smaller groups to do activities on rotation

(all the activities are optional children are given free choice whether or not to take part)

11.30- Walk and explore

The children will be given a choice whether they would like to go for a walk to explore the surrounding woods, this may include foraging or a scavenger hunt

12.20- Quiet reflection time/free play

once the children have finished lunch they can have some quiet time to let their tummy's settle. This may include story time ground art or simply  sitting under a tree to take in the woodland/cloud watching.

12.30-  Optional  activities

Activities re-start and continue on rotation, children that want to just simply explore and play can also do this

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13.15- Campfire /cooking

Learn the art o primitive fire lighting, keep warm and sometimes cook a meal or make a hot drink

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14.15- Leave no trace

Children are now asked to help put the woodland back to its original state by tidying away all resources, mud kitchen toys, and kit. We explain the importance of respecting the woodland space and leaving it as we found it

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14.30- Evaluation of learning

The whole group will come together to re-cap the days learning before going home. Its always important to reflect upon and process the days journey in order to transfer experience and knowledge.

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