Acorn Play

Growing Minds with DofE

Welcome to Acorn Play 🍃🐿

Forest School- inspired outdoor learning in the heart of an ancient woodland, near the beautiful town of Cheltenham Spa.

Experienced Infant Teacher and EYFS Specialist founded and facilitated 🎨🌷
https://bookwhen.com/acornplay Welcome to Acorn Play 🍃🐿

🍃 What is Acorn Play? Acorn Play is a new Forest School-inspired outdoor learning group set in the heart of an ancient woodland, Lineover Wood. We welcome toddlers, pre-schoolers, school-aged children, and their families, to join in our magical woodland adventures in a

safe, secure, and stimulating outdoor environment.

🍃 What is the aim of Acorn Play? Our Acorn aim is to get more young children connecting with and developing a deep love for nature, in an environment that helps them to learn through adventure and play. We mirror the Forest School ethos and its Scandinavian roots, while weaving elements of the Early Years Curriculum into our activities and themes. Our holistic approach invites children to freely follow their curiosities alongside others, make new discoveries using natural resources and open-ended activities, and learn simple bush-craft that stimulates imagination and creativity. The beautiful red cedar trees at our base camp offer a sheltered space for our community to come together for group times, led by an experienced Primary Infant teacher and EYFS specialist.

🍃 Who is Acorn Play? Acorn Play has been founded by Hannah Hart; Teacher, Facilitator and Forest School Leader. The session includes two group times with Hannah- a ‘welcome wake up’ and a ‘together time’, where families can engage in a range of music, singing, storytelling and drama. A healthy snack and delicious hot chocolate are also included, and will be cooked on the camp fire once the children are settled in the natural space.

🍃 Booking

For little ones, returning to familiar outdoor space nurtures confidence and self-awareness, while building respectful relationships both with nature and with each other. A block booking with us will therefore enhance your child's experience at Acorn Play. We also offer a discount for a block booking. With regular attendance we can introduce camp fires, tools for bushcraft and many more enriching opportunities for you and your child/ren. Acorn Play your new Forest School community and we welcome all who wish to join and adventure with us 👋

*** We are offering introductory taster sessions at a discounted price from April-May ***

16/08/2026

🧡✨🧡 BOOKING OPEN 🧡✨🧡

Our term-time sessions are back, and they are on the best day of the week… MONDAY 😃🍂🌱⭐️🍁🎵🐛🙏

Come and start your week with your little one in the fresh Autumn air with woodland walks, nature crafts, simple tool work, community campfires, singing, stories and yummy snacks!

👀We have a limited number of spaces, so book now to secure your spot 👀

🍂 Starting Monday 21st September | 10:30am 🍂

Link in the bio or email [email protected]

16/08/2026

15/08/2026

✨🍂 Introducing LITTLE EXPLORERS 🍂✨

Our term-time forest play for young children and families is back! We can’t wait to EXPLORE the woods with you 🧡

Join Acorn Play Little Explorers for a morning of magical unstructured play and adventure in the heart of an ancient woodland 🌳

🌱Mondays | 10:30-12pm | Ages confidently walking + 🌱

- includes a mid-morning snack 🥐and organic milk 🥛

👋 Booking opens TOMORROW- 16.08.26👋

14/08/2026

🤩⛺️Our FINAL session ⛺️🤩

✨ Acorn Play Adventure Plus! ✨

We’ve been in the woods a week, and every session has left precious memories in all of our hearts 💚🌳💚

We hope that all of the children that came to our drop off forest school this week had as much fun as we did 😃😃😃

We’ve been getting so many positive comments from families, with many children returning again and again after having the best adventures in the woods.

Please do leave your feedback below ✏️ 📝 we always love reading the things the children have said 🥰

Until half term the next half term… (watch this space!)

Thank you 🙏

12/08/2026

- Day TWO ✨⛺️🥰

Acorn Play Adventure Plus ~ a summer holiday camp like no other because … 👀

✅ We are outside all morning (and in the shade 😎)

✅ We use tools and have fires to cook yummy breakfast (most children had seconds!) 🥣

✅ We make new friends 🦋🦋

✅ Our teachers are FULLY QUALIFIED and we all just LOVE being outdoors in the woods. It is the best fun!

☀️Another wonderful, wholesome morning ☀️

11/08/2026

✅🌱🫶 Day ONE 🫶🌱 ✅

The first day of our Acorn Play morning drop off (Adventure Plus) happened this morning and…

🤩 IT WAS BRILLIANT 🤩

Wonderful children, wonderful woodland and wonderful PLAY 🌿⛺️🍄🪶🔎🪵🥾🦋🌳

10/08/2026

🌿⛺️🪵 Base Camp V2 🪵⛺️🌿

With the car park being closed for timber harvesting 🌳 we have a new route to base camp ⛺️ 🥾

If you are booked onto our sessions this week, your children will start their day with a lovely well-being walk through this beautiful setting ☀️🙏🍄🦋🌏🌱

There are blackberries to pick 💜

Birdsong to hear 🪶

Nature to spot through the glades🔎

🍄We can’t wait to take everyone on this journey to base camp 🍄

Meet you where we will check in and begin our morning 🦊 🦊 ☀️ ☀️

Thank you so very much for accommodating us in your car park 🚗

09/08/2026

✨🌻🌸 Why THIS is MAGICAL 🌸🌻✨

This is why I created Acorn Play -

✨ Connecting with families 🌱

✨ Connecting with nature 🌷

✨ Connecting with community 🌏

The opportunities to develop Forest School and its ethos of letting children have a go, take risks, develop their sense of self-worth and connect with nature doesn’t have to always be in a beautiful woodland…

Community events like this are really special and nurture all of these things too 🥰

… and it’s not just the children who thrive, it’s the adults as well … 🌱🌳☀️ including me 😃

Thank you so much and 🙏 See you in October 🎃

07/08/2026

💜🍓 Acorn Play 🍓💜

@ The Grange, Charlton Kings

It’s amazing how you can transform a space for PLAY with a few simple resources, a wonderful community and nature! ✨🌱🌳

Thank you for having me Charlton Kings Parish Council

05/08/2026

‼️📣 Lineover Timber Felling 📣‼️

🌳 If you are booked onto our Adventure Plus drop off Summer camp next week, this is important news! 🌳

Read on … 👀

We’ve been given very short notice about the timber harvesting/felling happening this year, but it has been brought forward to one of our busiest times - the Summer holidays!

But… we’ve been busy behind the scenes coming up with a grand plan, so that we can go ahead and ensure maximum safety for everyone😃✅👍

After meeting the Woodland Trust manager today, we’ve risk assessed the site, looked at safety measures and decided on the following:

✨ We will meet families in The Fox car park for drop off and pick up 🦊

✨There will be three members of staff walking the children to basecamp, with a maximum of 18 children (ratio 1:6) The walk is ten minutes and avoids the car park along the Cotswold Way, which is still open for walkers 🥾

✨High visibility vests will be worn as we walk to base camp as a group. Children will be walking in pairs 🐥🐥

✨Risk assessments will be amended to reflect the work happening (loading logs), which is ONLY happening in the car park and will not affect us inside the woodland ⛑️✅ The logs will be loaded onto trucks once per day and it is highly unlikely to be during our session times.

✨All of this information will be sent via email and by the end of next week it is likely that the car park will be back open! 💌

If you have any questions or concerns please do send a message or email [email protected]

We are very sorry for this, and have been given very short notice. The works are essential for maintaining bio diversity and woodland health. Thanks for your understanding 🙏

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Location

Cheltenham

Website

https://bookwhen.com/acornplay

Address

Lineover Wood
Cheltenham
GL544HG

Acorn Play

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