The latest “What’s On?” is now available from the centre or can be down loaded here: 180601BL WhatsOn July_October JD ii
It includes our Summer Holiday “Wild Days Out” activity days, further information about, and booking of which, is via the Trusts on-line “shop” here: https://shop.hiwwt.org.uk/product-category/events/.
A lovely short film of our Easter Wild Days Out can be viewed here if you would like to find out a little more about them: https://youtu.be/6I2MukbbMWI
Enjoy!
I’m sure there are a few parents, and not a few grandparents who can relate to that blog title ;- D
In this case it does actually refer to the theme of our school holiday activity “Wild Days Out” this half term, which, on Wednesday and Friday, explored the pre-requisites of survival – shelter, water, fire and food…
Starting with SHELTER our teams were tasked with designing and constructing a waterproof shelter using the minimum number of poles. Shelters complete the children entered them for a quick test deluge courtesy of a watering can. The finished designs were as varied as the children themselves, some more effective than others!
Shelters completed the next task was to set about trying to clean some rather disgustingly leaf, stick and mud ridden WATER using an old bottle, an old (clean – at least to start with!) sock and whatever other materials they could source from the nature reserve around them. The results were surprisingly at least as varied as the shelters had been but all of the teams really enjoyed this challenge, even those whose end result somewhat resembled the bottom of a beer barrel! The next step would of course been to boil and then drink it, but, rightly or wrongly my risk assessment of the activity stopped us at the filtration stage…
After lunch the children some children just relaxed and enjoyed each others company whilst others set out on some ad-hoc bug hunting in the lush vegetation of our Willow Wood glade, particularly enjoying all of the damselflies that took flight whenever they charged through the grass, Thomas employing his hat to catch them surprisingly effectively!
FIRE next – again with mixed results, although to be fair everyone did get there in the end.
On Wednesday, with the older children, we even got as far as making and baking some damper bread for our FOOD before packing up and heading home. Didn’t quite get that far with the younger ones, but everyone had a lovely day, including the staff. The highlight? definitely the water filtration challenge!
Due to a combination of staff sickness, staff leave and generally just being VERY busy I never did manage a Wild Easter Wild Days Out blog, so, just for the record, here are some pictures of what we got up to in April and do please take a look at this short film that was made on the day – surprisingly good given that I had to speak in it 😉 – https://youtu.be/6I2MukbbMWI
We’re busy planning our summer holiday programme now and will be releasing activities and dates shortly, so watch this space!
Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve 