A Greener Childhood

08/11/2022

To all my lovely customers, I have sent you an email with some news. I am really sad to say that I will no longer be running Forest Play sessions at the Wyre Forest. It has been an amazing journey and I have loved meeting you and your children; I feel honoured to have been part of their childhood.
I have been offered a very exciting job at a small local school for children with additional needs. It is a lovely environment and they are looking for someone to develop the outdoor learning for their children. After coping with being self-employed during the pandemic, the uncertainty of the economy right now is just one step too far. A salaried role and the security it offers is so attractive.
I am afraid that there will be no more forest play sessions at Wyre with me, although I am sure that the fabulous Forestry England team there will be looking to find someone to set up as soon as they can.
Thank you so much for all your support, it has meant such a lot. I will miss you all and will look back on these last few years with very fond memories.
Thank you, carry on your adventures, climb those trees, spot those bugs, get outdoors and leave a muddy trail behind you!

25/10/2022

AUTUMN ART WINNER....

I found it exceptionally difficult to judge the entries, it was clear that so much effort had gone into them all so well done everyone. I hope it was an enjoyable little project for you all! I enlisted both my children to vote for their favourites and we have a winner...

1st Place - Jude - he worked so hard and enjoyed himself so much that he created not 1, but 3 wonderful pieces of art!

We also have 2 runners up...
* Chloe for your amazing stick man - you know he is my favourite character!
* Monty for your concentration and amazing sticking skills

Well done Jude, Chloe and Monty! If you are at the Halloween party I will have your prizes there, otherwise I will drop your parents a message to arrange to get the goodies to you :)

22/10/2022

AUTUMN ART COMPETITION
LAST DAY TO ENTER!
If you have attended the Forest Play sessions this past half term then you are able to enter a piece of art into this Autumn's Art Competition. It must be made from things found in nature like leaves and seeds etc. Please send it to me on messenger, email or whatsapp.
WINNER & RUNNER UP WILL BE ANNOUNCED TOMORROW

18/10/2022

Last year I gained my qualification as a Tree Baby guide and you may have noticed that I have recently been working over in Sandwell delivering some of these wonderful sessions for new parents and their babies. The sessions are funded by Sandwell Council and focus on using nature as a tool to help relax and bring some quietness to our chaotic and stressful lives. The sessions are free for new parents living in Sandwell and can be booked via their website at www.bookwhen.com/book4changes
Today I was extremely pleased and grateful to receive this recognition for my Tree Babies work with Sandwell.

11/10/2022

Todays has been a Tree Baby day at Sandwell Valley in partnership with the Sandwell MBC parenting team. I’ve had some lovely mums talking through strategies to cope with the pressure of everyday life. We have focused on some nature photography to pull us back into the present and we’ve fed the ducks. Sometimes it’s the simple things that we need to reintroduce I to our lives 🥰

10/10/2022

This weeks Forest Play sessions has been all about leaves 🍁 We have made leaf rubbings and threaded leaves on sticks to make snug bug hotels. We have talked about all the different colours and had fun trying to find the biggest leaves 🥰

10/10/2022

It’s world mental health day today and I just wanted to share a wonderful photo of the Wyre Forest - it’s one of my favourite places to just sit and relax and just “be”.
In todays modern world we are just in too much of a rush to notice nature as much and that was my main aim for A Greener Childhood; to reconnect families with nature. Nature helps us slow down and ground ourselves in the here and now. We are designed to be outside but do we actually really notice what surrounds us?
Children are great at noticing the little things, but as adults we are not so great. We rush. We need to slow.
My challenge for you this week is take 5 minutes to sit outside and REALLY notice what surrounds you. Put your phone away and focus on nature. Look up at the clouds, look down at the ground, spot patterns and colours. Think about your breathing and allow yourself to relax.

29/09/2022

The weather is looking a little lively for tomorrow so I am watching forecasts carefully! At the moment we are ok for the Forest Play in the morning as the wind doesn't seem to be picking up until the afternoon....BUT I will do a last check in the morning. IF the session is cancelled you will receive an email from me and an option for refund or to rebook. I will also monitor the situation in the forest continually to ensure everyone's safety.

27/09/2022

Want to know how to get FREE parking at the forest as well as great discounts?
Forestry England offer a great membership pass, for an annual fee of £40 you get unlimited free parking and lots of great discounts! If you come to Forest Play regularly you will soon reap the rewards. If you can’t stretch to membership now, drop a few hints for Christmas! A years’ worth of forest fun, sounds good to me!

Save money and get free parking for a year, plus a range of great benefits and discounts with Membership to Wyre Forest. By becoming a member, you'll help support our forests and maintain the facilities for you and your family to enjoy. You'll also receive seasonal e-newsletters so you can discover....

26/09/2022

Our first week of Forest Play is done and I have met lots of wonderful new people ready for adventures. As well as all the free play options available, we have looked at tree seeds in our Autumn theme. We chatted about why the seeds need to travel from the trees to find space to grow and we made our own paper helicopter seeds just like the sycamore trees do

23/09/2022

We all know it’s good for our health to be outdoors, so how fantastic does this sound? Pregnancy & yoga with babies too. I love the sound of the Sunday morning session…

Join us for yoga at Wyre Forest!

Next week we are launching a brand new weekly yoga timetable. We have some fantastic local instructors delivering a variety of classes in our Community Discovery Centre (located next to our ranger office).

Join Yoga with Sophie or YogaBellies Worcestershire for some relaxation and wellness in the beautiful forest setting. Please contact the instructors directly to book your place.

See the full timetable here - www.forestryengland.uk/wyre-forest/yoga-wyre-forest

*More classes and instructors coming soon!