This is a type of outdoor education where children visit the reserve, learning personal, social and technical skills, and offering opportunities to achieve and develop confidence through hands-on learning in an outdoor environment
Our Forest Schools use the reserve as a means to build independence and self-esteem in children – whilst having fun activities.
Run for age 6 – 12 year olds, a typical itinerary is:
Muddy Faces Forest School An afternoon of celebration:
- 1:30: Meet at Jubilee 2 Centre Queen Margaret School, York Road, Tewkesbury, GL20 5HU – we will walk down to the reserve from here.
- 1:45 – 2:30: Arrival and light refreshments
- 2:30 – 3:00: Nature Quiz a chance to test out your knowledge of the natural world
- 3:00 – 3:30: Project overview, thanks and presentation of gifts a chance for us to tell you a bit more about the project and to thank all of those who have helped to make the project a success
- 3:30 – 4:30: Child-led tour of the nature reserve A chance to find out a bit more about the nature reserve and to see some of our Forest School activities ‘in action’
- 4:30: End
Activities include
- Construction of log piles and ‘bug hotels’
- Bug hunts and sweep netting
- Plant and tree identification
- Small mammal, reptile and amphibian surveys
- Night time nature walks
- Natural arts and crafts
- Developing bushcraft skills (basic whittling, constructing shelters & campfire cooking)
- ‘Hide and seek’ type games
- Scavenger hunts
- Orienteering… and many more!
What are the youngsters saying about it?
“I loved it when we got to climb trees, I felt proud because I could climb the trees myself”
“My favourite bit was building dens and cooking on the camp fire”
“I felt very excited … you made me happy when I was shy”