Workshops, Wellbeing and Inset Days

Wildwood Adventures offers bespoke workshops and inset days.

Bespoke workshops/ Topic-based Outdoor Learning

Why not immerse yourself in a curriculum focused activity and bring it alive outside. From Art to English, Vikings to plant lifecycles, the holistic approach makes these sessions memorable and appeal to all learning styles.

We can tailor the sessions to work with the time available, group number and ages.

  • Literacy such as the Gruffalo through performance, scavenger hunts, cooking Gruffalo crumble on an open fire, clay crafts.
  • Maths; rain gauges, stick towers, squirrel counting game.
  • Stoneage, grinding grains to make flatbread, bow and arrow practice, firelighting, reflection on how they lived. Immersing ourselves in Stoneage culture.
  • Art; a look at a specific artist such as Van Gogh, charcoal art, landart or natural artists such as Andy Goldworthy.
  • Bugs and minibeasts : hunts, stories, making them, writing kennings, getting to know your own site and the world around you.
  • Celebrate Earth Day: Holding Earth Day celebrations outside and focusing on our role in nurturing the wellbeing of Earth through simple discussion, games and activities.

Wellbeing Programmes:

With the uncertainty in our current times children’s emotional, social and physical wellbeing can be supported through an outdoor programme. The ethos of Forest School is based on supporting a child’s wellbeing and development through carefully designed programmes which have the flexibility to be guided by the children’s needs.

Current research highlights the need for a considerably different approach to schooling in the future. “Now is the time to return to more humane approaches concerned with the fundamental wellbeing, and secure positive development of the child. Without this there will be no results that have true meaning and deep personal value to the child in terms of their preparation for adulthood.”  A Recovery Curriculum – Evidence for Learning

Transitions can be difficult times for children too. Transition projects to support children moving to Secondary school have involved team building challenges leading to purposeful communication and appreciation of others, open discussion groups and a practical project such as making mallets, orienteering or mini-raft building to provide a tangible reminder of their tools for transition.

Developing a child’s connection to nature at a time of change can support their well-being and resilience and nurture important neural pathways. The sessions aim to guide children to celebrate nature and each other’s differences as they embark on a new venture.

“It is now well understood that humans ultimately depend on the health of the planet for their wellbeing” Peter Garrett.

Inset Days:

For something a bit different why not bring your staff together in a woodland setting. The inset days support wellbeing and provide practical skills to take back to the classroom.

Why not try outdoor cooking and foraging to bring your team together. Learn new seasonal crafts or outdoor learning techniques.

The inset day can focus on a mixture of skills and wellbeing or provide space to explore issues and strengthen bonds between staff. A relaxed approach to bringing the best out of your staff in the outdoors.

Taster days for teachers and/or children:

Come and experience Forest School in a woodland setting near your school. Whole or half day sessions available. The best way of understanding the benefits of something is to try it out. So why not come along to a woodland site as a group of teachers or a class and get stuck in.

Some of the wonders you might experience; children expressing awe about the snail they found, observe a child who struggles to articulate in class speaking more freely. Another who cannot focus in class whittling contentedly with a peeler, remembering a place in nature that brought you joy. Just being in nature is well documented for increasing serotonin and reducing anxiety. The less quantifiable benefits to a child’s wellbeing, through physical play, increased verbal communication, problem solving, self-discovery through nature, managed risk taking and sensory experiences, are huge. Just come and see for yourself and find your own connection to nature.