Children's Workshops
Forest School Workshops for children ages 4 yrs+.
Children's School Holiday Workshops
We had a wonderful time offering children's forest skills workshops, during the school holidays in 2023 & 2024.
Our next school holiday workshops will be in April 2025.
BOOKING WILL OPEN SOON.
Workshop Dates:
14th, 15th & 16th of April 2025
Age: 4 -11 years
Times: 10:30am to 2:30pm
Cost & Booking: £25 per day. Book through this website.
Childcare vouchers/tax-free childcare accepted.
Or buy as a gift with our Gift Voucher.
FREE through HAF for children who are eligible for free school meals - please book through CABS website.
Location: Hazel Wood, Jubilee Road, Plump Hill, Mitcheldean
Food & Drink
Drinks and lunch will be provided.
Food is served in a buffet style to enable children to serve themselves and choose what they eat.
See our Spring menu, activities, staffing, site & other information in our Welcome Pack.
Structure of the day:
10:30: Arrival and meet at base camp
10:40: Opening Circle - Introductions, what's on offer today, who to speak to if you need help or are upset or worried, drink and snack.
10:50: Crafts/Bushcraft Workshops
12:30: Lunch
1:00: Crafts/Bushcraft Workshops
2:00 - Active Outdoor Games
2:15: Closing Circle at base camp
2:30: Parents/carers collect children at the gate.
Spring staffing:
Mon: Sarah, Helen, Georgie, Jess, & John
Tues: Sarah, Helen, Georgie, Jess, Charlie
Wed: Sarah, Helen, Georgie, Jess, Matt & John
Read more about us on our team page.
If your child receives free school meals, you can book these workshops for FREE through the Gloucestershire County Council CABS website.
If you haven't used HAF before, register and create an account on the CABS Website.
Build confidence, self-reliance, self-esteem and resilience by...
Learning new skills, developing skills and building independence, at our Forest School Workshops for children.
Our workshops are SEN and neurodiversity friendly. Please contact us in advance to discuss your child's individual needs to ensure we are able to appropriately support them.
"Our daughter Hetty, who has autism, attended Hare Forest School sessions and really enjoyed them. The inclusive team made us comfortable from booking to drop-off, answering all our questions. This kind of support is rare in the Forest of Dean, where there are few activities for neurodiverse children.
Child-led, outdoor, creative activities are so beneficial for neurodiverse children. It’s important for parents to have a few hours to themselves and for children to gain independence."
Lucy and Paul - Hetty's Parents
Sites
Our children's workshops run from Hazel Wood, Jubilee road, Plump Hill, near Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire. Our children's workshops are fully outdoor for the duration. See Our Sites Page for more information about our sites.
Activities
Bushcraft Activities include:
Fire lighting skills | Preparing Food | Woodcrafts | Den & Shelter Building | Herbal Plant ID | Foraging Herbs | Knots & Lashings | Whittling | Cooking on the Fire | Popcorn & Marshmallows
Art & Craft Activities include:
Willow Weaving | Clay Modelling | Hapa Zome Printing | Textile Crafts | Wet Felting | Jewellery Making | Making Natural Paints | Painting & Drawing
The following will also be on offer:
Exploring the Woodland | Paddle/Play in the Stream (if the water is low) | Child-led Sensory Play | Active Group Games | Mud Kitchen | Child-led imaginative play | Group Time at Basecamp
Childcare Vouchers, Universal Credit payments & Tax-Free Childcare Accepted.
Or buy as a gift with our Gift Voucher.
Staff Team
Our Children's Workshops are run by Sarah, our Level 3 qualified Forest
School Leader & qualified primary teacher. Sarah has a decade of experience in teaching and is supported by an experienced team.
See our Meet the Team Page for more information.
Structure of Children's Workshops
Our Workshops are child-led, following the needs and interests of the children attending each day. Children choose what they would like to do and when, within the structure of the workshop. Activities will be adapted to the skills and needs of the children by our specialist team.
Please see below the timing structure, staffing and further information for each workshop type. Please note these are rough structures and are flexible around the children's needs and desires on the day. Drinks are always available throughout the session.
Booking
Booking for our weekly children's workshops is through our website in half term blocks. You will also find a taster where you can book one week before committing to a block booking. This enables you to see if your child enjoys forest school before booking the block. We are Ofsted registered and accept childcare vouchers and tax-free childcare. Bursary places are available for families on very low incomes.
Our School Holiday Workshops are bookable for individual days or weekly blocks. If your child is eligible for free school meals, please book through the CABS website, where our fully funded HAF workshops are listed. Register for a CABS account here.
Please subscribe to our mailing list (at the bottom of the page) to be the first to hear when booking opens for a new holiday or half term block, and to find out what else we re doing.
If you have any queries, please get in touch.
Read more about the benefits of Forest School, the philosophy and how we manage risk, on our page 'What is Forest School?'.