4-10yr old Drop Off Sessions

Inspiring Children Through Positive Outdoor Experiences

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When

During the school holidays usually on a Friday: 10-1pm
There is optional early drop off at 9am by prior arrangement.
Click Here to see session dates

Where

All our sessions are held in the beautiful grounds of Pickhurst Infant Academy, West Wickham, Kent.
For drop off sessions we DO NOT use the main entrance of the school but the gate on Eastry Avenue, Hayes, Kent BR2 7PQ

Map

Who

These sessions are for any child age 4-10 years old.
We aim to be fully inclusive as we possibly can, so if your child has any learning needs, physical disability or behavioural issues please let us know before hand and we will work with you to make their experience as smooth running as possible. We are unable to offer 1:1 care for a child but of you have any concerns please contact us to discuss, prior to booking a session.
Some children come with siblings or friends, whereas many come alone – all children will have made lots of new friends by the time they leave – if your child does not know anyone please do let us know and we will keep an extra eye out for them.

What to wear

The wood can be muddy, even in the Summer, so we recommend old clothes, waterproofs and outdoor shoes/ boots. Wellington boots are best, whatever the time of year as even if it’s not raining it can still be wet and muddy on site.
Please wear: Old clothes, layers are best, a hat, gloves and scarf if cold and sun hats in the Summer,
DO NOT wear: Sandals, flip-flops, shorts, short sleeves.
We recommend arms and legs are covered, even in the Summer, this helps protect your child from scratches, bites and sunburn.
Please apply sun cream (and insect repellent) prior to leaving home.

If your child does not have appropriate clothing and complains, or is upset because of this you will be called to collect them immediately.

What to bring

We advise that you always send your child with waterproofs as the weather can quickly change.
Any medication must be handed in to a member of staff on arrival.
Hats, gloves and scarf are essential if it is cold.

Your child will need a clearly named water bottle.
They DO NOT need a change of clothes
You may wish to put a towel on your child’s car seat for your journey home!

Lunch

We offer a cooked lunch for £3, this includes a hot dog sausage (cooked on the campfire) served in a roll (with ketchup /mustard if required). A carton of juice, a packet of crisps, fruit, vegetables and a chocolate bar such as a Kitkat (or similar). If your child would like our lunch please email and let us know and pay the £3 at the gate on the day. We can accommodate most dietary requirements, if we know beforehand. However, if your child would prefer to bring their own packed lunch, please send them with a packed lunch in a clearly named bag (no nuts, or nut products please).

Parking

There is no parking on the school grounds, parking is all on the surrounding roads, park up and walk to the school gate where you will be met by a member of the team.

Buggies

Can be brought into the woods but most people find baby carriers/ slings easier once on site.

Weather

The session will go ahead even if pouring with rain, our ethos is there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing. The only time we cancel a session is due to thunder and lightening, or high winds are forecast. We will attempt to contact you should we have to cancel, so you can make alternative childcare arrangements/ collect your child early from the session.

Toilet

We have a portable toilet in a tent on site. If there is any reason your child cannot use our toilet in the tent please let a member of the team know prior to the session.

A typical session (timings approximate)

  • Optional early drop off at 9am
  • 10:00 Arrival & registration
  • 10.05 Walk to Forest School site
  • 10.10 – 10.20 A short introduction to the days opportunities and the Forest School rules.
  • 10.20- 11.45 Your child can enjoy playing and exploring the site, mud painting, den building, bug collecting and identification, playing, woodland games, forest art, making a leaf kebab, tree climbing, making a dandelion crown, making an insect house, potion making, bark rubbings, making a trail, tool work, collecting wood for the camp fire. There will always be a craft on offer such as making a bird feeder or planting a seed.
  • 11.45-12.15 Lunch
  • 12.15-12.30 The opportunity to toast a marshmallow
  • 12.30-12.50 A team game such as a scavenger hunt/ free choice
  • 12.50-12.55 Tidy up and walk to the gate
  • 1pm Home

How much does a session cost

  • £25 for one child
  • £45 for a two siblings
  • £65 for a three siblings
  • Optional early drop off £8 per child

Family tickets are for siblings only.

Cancellation

If for any reason you need to change your booking to a different session please email us and we’ll do our best to help.
If you need to cancel your booking please do let us know as soon as possible, by email. The sooner we know the more likely it is we can fill your spot and offer a refund. If you let us know at least a week in advance of your session we will give you a full refund via Paypal (less any Paypal fees incurred).
Less than a week in advance, and we will need to find someone else to fill you spot before we issue any refund.
If we need to cancel a session due to severe weather conditions or unforeseen circumstances, we will offer you an alternative session but if you would prefer to be issued a refund we will offer a full refund via Paypal.We cancel sessions very rarely and only when it is too dangerous to be in the woods – a little bit of rain won’t put us off!

Booking

You can book individual or several sessions. Bookings can be made through our online booking system.

All places need to be pre booked and paid for prior to the session. This is so we can plan the resources accordingly and ensure we don’t exceed the capacity of the site.

You can check our booking pages to see if there are spaces at the last minute. You are able to book a slot right up until 30 minutes before a drop off session starts.