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The Original Monthly Mentoring Nature Adventures: First Saturday of the month, Sussex

This group has been gathering one Saturday each month for nature adventures since Sep 2012.  We started with just one group of 12 children and now have 3 full day groups with up to 16 children in each group.  
Practical information:
Ages:
The full day groups are for 7-14 yr olds, running from 10am-4pm.  
We also have a morning group from 10-12.30 for 3-5 yr olds and an afternoon group from 1.30-4pm for 5-7 yr olds.  Ages are secondary to where the children are at in themselves and are only there as guidelines.  

Investment:
We strive to make this accessible and sustainable over time.
The cost per session for the full day group is currently £30/day with half year commitment following a trial session.  We can apply sibling discounts.  

The cost for the half day groups is £18/session with half year commitment following a trial session.

What we do:
We explore how the landscape has changed over the months and what is funnest to play with, forage, check out and investigate that month and develop our woodland skills.  We have a whole Nature Connection Curriculum and Approach that you can read about on our About page.

​​Summer 2015 May, Jun, Jul

Playing with rope lines
Our first session up near Plawhatch
Tasting sweet-grass
Gathering and braiding sweet-grass
Almost finished bark pouch
Creating the 'sand mold' for pewter casting with Matt
Melting the pewter in a crucible
Anjali's pewter cast shell!
Dyllan's pewter cast mini axe

​Jan - Apr 2015

​Sep - Dec 2014

Lighting a fire with the bowdrill
Gathering wood sorrel
Whole community planting trees gifted by Alice and Ollie
Whole community planting trees gifted by Alice and Ollie
A birthday cake to cook on the fire!
We made a tree swing
Swinging

May, Jun, July 2014


Feb, Mar, Apr 2014

Playing 'Otter Steals Fish'
Checking out some fresh tracks
Getting the fire going
Enjoying our lunch!
Fun on rope lines!
Pancake batter with foraged nettle tips
Cooking pancakes
Making leaf prints
Making leaf prints
Apr - baby hornbeam leaves
Playing seagull tag
Playing seagull tag
Preparing to cast a badger track
Mixing the plaster
Clay bunny
Clay eggs and birds in nest



Nov, Dec 2013

Water filtration challenge
Burning out a spoon bowl
Almost finished spoon
Mix for bird feeder - lard and bird seed
Making a bird feeder
Playing 'Deer Stalk'
A bowdrill coal
Drawing a map for the other team to find their treasure
Drawing a map for the other team to find their treasure
On a treasure hunt
The treasure!


Sep, Oct 2013

Summer term: May, June, July 2013

May: playing hiding games
May: Browsing fresh hawthorn leaves like deer!
May: preparing wood for whittling
May: buckwheat pancakes
June: making clay leaf prints
June: clay creatures
June: Alexanders first bowdrill kit - getting burned in
July: celebrating Alexander's first bowdrill coal
June: getting ready for 'wolves and deer'
July: playing Flinch!
July: natural face paints, chalk and charcoal - badger!
July: clay and charcoal natural facepaints
July: the stag beetle!
July: clay painted bugs - having a closer look
July: weaving a little tipi shelter
July: a hazel fairy's new home!

Feb, March, April - 2013
tracking, leaves, shelters, balance beams, games, whittling...

Feb: Bat and moth
feb: bat and moth
Feb: tending the fire
Feb: up the beam
Feb: up the balance beam backward with a full cup of water!
Feb: some clay to add for camo
Feb: cooking bannock bread over the fire
tracking at the stream
the massive leaf pile...
cosy!
March: the big jump
and a great squishy mat for rolls!
whittling using the gypsy knee technique
whittling
April: balance beams
April: mini raft with birch bark roof

From Autumn to Winter 2012