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At the Woodland Play Centre we are able to offer a range of activities and programmes.
For a detailed list of all our forthcoming events please view our Woodland Calendar
Woodland Playschemes
Woodland Playschemes are for children and young people aged 8 to 14 years old. The challenge is to offer parents / carers an alternative environment for children to enjoy the outdoors, where they can explore, climb, get wet, muddy and dirty, look for bugs, learn about and feel the natural elements. Allowing children and young people to get close to nature, acquire new skills, freely play in wild spaces, appreciate and understand the natural environment.
With access to plenty of wild spaces we offer a wide and stimulating range of activities during the school holidays such as;
Den building, environmental art, fire lighting, campfire cooking, wide games and most of all have fun!
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Please keep an eye on our Woodland Calendar for our event details.
The dates for the Summer Holidays are already posted along with some other events taking place with the Forestry Commission, so you can start planning & booking now.
All times 10.00am to 4.00pm
(Dates and times are correct at the time of printing)
Price: £20.00 per child, per day
Places are limited
and must be booked in advance
From this year it
is hoped to run some weekend family workshops, where
children and their parents
can come to play in the woods together.
Keep an eye
out for dates or contact us direct to register your
interest.
Contact us for a booking
or download Booking
form
Click Here to
view our Terms and Conditions |
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Example day plan…..
- Arrive
- Head to base camp, find tree cookies, set scene with boundaries & house keeping!
- Activity: Fire lighting
- Make a hot drink on the campfire
- Activity: Make a natural musical instrument
- Lunch – sausages!
- Activity: Shelter building
- Whittle a stick & toast marshmallows
- Activity: Animal tracking
- De-camp, leave behind only traces of footprints
We provide a rich and varied programme of activities, as play is personally directed and motivated by each individual child we make sure there are plenty of opportunities and operate a flexible approach to responding to the play cues.
We work on a 1:8 adult to child ratio, are affiliated with Young Somerset and members of the Institute of Outdoor Learning (IOL).
Children’s play environments should create a safe and stimulating, yet challenging play experience in which it encourages children to explore the natural world. Activities offered will be the play experiences that a child both needs and enjoys, whilst at the same time building on their knowledge and interests.
Woodland Birthday Parties
Fancy a birthday party in the woods sitting around a campfire toasting marshmallows?
Birthday parties will be tailored to meet an individual child’s age, ability and desires. Activities can include;
- Den building
- Environmental art
- Bug hunting
- Fire lighting
- Campfire cooking
- Bushcraft / Survival
- Wide games
Themed parties on request such as; Survival, Cowboys & Indians, Nature Detectives or Fairy parties are available.
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Times
Parties are usually half a day with times generally 10am - 1pm or 1pm - 4pm.
These times can be negotiated and whole days can be catered for on request. At least one adult (parent / carer) must accompany and be responsible for the group at all times. Meals are not provided as a general rule, although can be on request. Light snacks and drinks are provided.
Cost
As of 1st April 2009 there will be changes to the Party price structure, they have gone up after a review and there is more flexibility with different packages available.
Contact us for further information; we can always discuss your requirements.
Parties are not just for children, so contact us for further information or download a booking form.
Click Here to view our Terms and Conditions |
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Woodland Adventure Days
Think you are too old for woodland playschemes?
The Woodland Adventure Days are aimed at teenagers or adults wanting a day out with friends. Themed and structured days can be catered for such as:
- Survival skills
- Team building
- Bush craft
- Camp craft skills
Projects for parents and their children to play naturally together in an environment that lends itself to magical experiences, inspiration and creativity can be organised during the week or weekends.. watch this space for further information, dates or contact us.
Summer holiday action and adventure days
Some new and exciting days with the Woodland Play Centre's brother company will be taking in place during the summer holidays for young people aged 12-16years such as; Surfing on the North Devon Coast, Costeering, Absailing, Climbing and Mountain Biking on the Quantocks.
Please keep a watchful eye on our Woodland Calendar for dates.
The Woodland Adventures can also be booked to suit a private booking, if that is of interest please contact us for further information.
Woodland Educational Visits
We are able to offer educational day trips to pre-school, primary or secondary schools for a class or group to spend the day outside. Where using the natural environment to enhance core curriculum in a fun, safe, hands-on and exciting way. The trip organiser should contact us to discuss
how activities can be linked to the curriculum
in order to make the day a day the children will remember!
Forest School Programmes
Forest Schools are described as
a ‘Classroom without walls’. Traditionally a Danish concept Forest Schools are a unique way of educating children outdoors, using the environment as a learning tool.
‘Forest School is a unique educational experience. Its principle purpose is to tailor an educational curriculum to a participant's preferred learning style (rather than vice versa). Its philosophy is to encourage and inspire individuals of any age through mastery of small achievable tasks in a woodland environment, to grow in confidence and independence so that they can develop a sense of self-worth.’ www.bridgwater.ac.uk
Forest Schools are a growing and developing notion within the UK, where research has identified an increased number of children having little access to outdoor spaces for structured education or free play.
Forest Schools benefits
- Increased Self-esteem & Confidence
- Social Skills
- Independence
- Concentration
- Physical Activity
- To manage risks
- Higher level of understanding and appreciation for the natural environment
Forest School programmes for pre-school, primary or secondary school children are designed to be attended on a weekly or fortnightly basis for a term or ideally a full academic year, as they do in Scandinavia. Each programme is tailored to meet the curriculum in an outdoor environment, along with a host of holistic development.
Benefits to each individual
- Each session is learner-led
- Learning through play
- Structured activities are set up through small achievable tasks in order to help build confidence
- Activities such as shelter building, using tools can be linked to the curriculum
- Sessions are delivered by trained Forest School Leaders
- Group sizes consist of no more than 16
- All groups must be accompanied by a member of staff from the school
Forest Schools are about the Process rather than the Outcome an individual child goes through.
Are you are interested in providing a Forest School Programme at your school? We are able to advise on appropriate training courses, please contact us to discuss.
"Forest School is an inspirational process that offers children, young people and adults opportunities to develop confidence and self-esteem, through long-term, regular and positive hands-on learning experiences in an outdoor/woodland environment."
(Devon Forest School Network, 2004)
Professional Training
Louise has planned and led a number of inspirational practical and theoretical workshops for leaders and carers of children / young people,
both locally
and nationally. Her workshops explore ideas, concepts and ways to encourage adults in using outdoor spaces for play.
If you would like Louise to deliver at your conference / seminar or book any professional training days please contact to discuss. Recent events were the Forest Education Initiative (FEI) National Networking day in Scotland and Just Play Conference in Cambridgeshire.
In order for children and young people to benefit from the outdoors safely, it is crucial for adults to feel comfortable and be competent in the facilitation within their own setting. The Woodland Play Centre will provide relevant theoretical, practical workshops and training.
Woodland Training for adults
' Playing with the Elements ' is an exciting three day playwork training course for anyone who works with children aged 4-16 years that wants to enable and facilitate high quality outdoor play for children. It is a recognised and endorsed level 3 training course by SkillsActive .
The course will be delivered by two very experienced trainers Louise Kennedy from the Woodland Play Centre and Tilda Western from The Magdalen Project, both will bring a wealth of knowledge and experiences to the course. Both trainers will ensure the course offers a playful, interesting, hands-on and informative training programme.
Click here for more details on costs and dates.
This course is aimed at playworkers but is open to all. Please note the start date will now be 26th June 2010.
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