Location is in the Dulwich and Herne Hill area
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We must teach our children to smell the earth, to taste the rain, to touch the wind, to see things grow, to hear the sun rise and night fall – to care.
~ John Cleal.
“Encouraging a child to go outside in all weather builds resilience, but more importantly it saves them from spending their life merely tolerating the ‘bad’ days in favour of a handful of ‘good’ ones – a life of endless expectations and conditions where happiness hinges on sunshine.”
– Nicolette Sowder
Our youngest participants, Mini Forester’s, who are just 3 years old will join the Little Foresters for the duration of the session. The children will be emersed in nature-based activities through hands-on and practical experiences set up by the leaders. The Mini Foresters children will spend their time at the base camp in the many different areas and learn about their natural world as well as joining the Little Foresters for a forest walk. We will have a camp fire snack and a packed lunch (early pick up is available at 12.30)
Our Little Foresters spend their session learning about nature by playing games and engaging in bushcraft and nature craft activities. We will also visit the local woods to collect, explore and learn about woodland life. We will have a camp fire snack and a packed lunch.
Our Adventure tribe children are in store for an action-packed session. Activities we offer are bushcraft such as whittling, sawing, drilling, fire lighting, tree climbing to name a few. Our sessions are skills based where the children learn about plants and foraging, outdoor cooking, shelter building, woodwork and learning about the natural world through practical hands-on experiences. We start our sessions at the base camp and explore the surrounding woodlands to gather resources for our activities.
Get in touch with us if you are interested in finding out more about what we offer this age group.
Jolly foresters holiday clubs are where children from 3 -11 years of age can engage in fun nature- based craft whilst developing practical skills in the outdoors
Whether you come along with friends or make new friends, you will always leave with many more friends! The sharing of tools and participating in activities will also help teach the children to work together as a team.
Time spent in nature is exhilarating and exciting for children. Their fascination in everything around them develops a strong will to participate and concentrate over extended periods of time.
Children will grow in confidence each and every time they join us. We build their confidence in the many different skills they learn and each time they visit us, they will get better at it and therefore boost their confidence.
Exploring natural environments can help spark a child’s imagination and creativity. When children are not surrounded by toys and synthetic stimulants, they are forced to connect with nature. They can think more freely, design their own activities using what they find around them.
Interacting with nature gets children moving. They won’t even realise they are exercising. The fresh air of the natural world is invigorating and children will boost their immune system by spending time outside all year round.
Children build their resilience through increased nature connections. By spending time in nature children can develop a sense of perception, adaptability, stress reduction and emotional wellbeing.
It is our aim to bring a love of the outdoors to all children who attend. We offer different clubs and sessions to suit your child’s age. As nature evolves so do our activities, no two days are the same at Jolly Foresters but you can expect your children to meet new friends and partake in activities and adventures such as:
Jolly Foresters was founded nearly 8 years ago with the aim of spending more time outdoors as a family.
We discovered the positive impact it had on us and wanted to share this with others. Living in a city like London can be overwhelming, but we found that we didn’t have to travel far to enjoy nature. We wanted to share this with others so Jolly Foresters was created.
Starting in a small house on the edge of Dulwich Park, Jolly Foresters was initially a club for parents and their toddlers. However, it quickly expanded to accommodate children of all ages, providing a space for outdoor activities, nature education, and friendship-building.
Our skills based sessions are for children who are 3+. We have 3 separate groups so children are with a group of similar aged children. Children above 11 are still more than welcome to book into the sessions if they are interested in what we offer. We are a skills based club where children attend to learn about bushcraft and nature. Children under 5 may only attend for a maximum of 4 hours.
You need to bring a nut free packed lunch and water. A In addition they should also bring a change of clothes including socks . In the winter months, children must come to the club already wearing their waterproof clothing and wellie boots with a fleece layer underneath preferably. Please pack gloves, hats and scarves as we are outside all year round.
In the summer months they should still bring water proof clothing as the great British summer can be wet. Children should be wearing long sleeves and long trousers as we encourage tree climbing, playing in the mud and walking through dense woodland at times. Children should wear closed toe shoes so that you don’t mind getting wet or muddy.
We provide morning snacks such as carrots and popcorn and afternoon snacks such as a hot chocolate and marshmallow and a rich tea biscuit.
The Adventure tribe group does cooking activities based on the basic principles of foraging. All allergies will be catered for.
We currently do not accept childcare vouchers.
Please only book a place if you intend to join.
We have a no cancellation policy. Please only book a place if you intend for your child to attend.
We understand that sometimes unforeseen circumstances can happen (medical and the likes) and you may need to alter or cancel a booking. We will do everything we can to accommodate requests for this. If we can fill your place if you give us enough notice (more than 1 week) we will be able to offer you a credit to your account minus administration fee of £5 per session booked. There will be no cash refund. Please note that one week before the booking is due, we will be unable to cancel or alter a booking.
It is expected that children attending the club adhere to our club rules:
On the occasion that a child is unable to follow the rules, we will talk to them in the first instance. If we find they are still unable to follow the rules, we will talk to their parents at pick up.
We use dangerous items such as fire, knives and saws. It is vital that during the sessions the children are able to follow instructions to keep themselves and others safe. If a child is a danger to others or themselves, we will have to ask the parents to come and fetch them. Cancellation caused by behaviour is non refundable.
All staff hold an enhanced DBS certificate.
There is always at least 1 first aider on site at all times who is trained in Paediatric first aid as well as outdoor first aid.
All of our leaders have either pediatric first aid or outdoor first and in addition to this we have bushcraft level 3 and forest school level 3 qualifications as well as qualified primary school teachers. Most importantly we all have a qualification in kindness, a love of the outdoors and a passion for working with children.
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