28/08/2026
🌳 The Final Day of Summer Camps 2026 – What a Summer! ❤️
And just like that… it's over.
20 days of summer camps. 10 days in Glossop. Hundreds of children, thousands of adventures and one very tired Forest School leader writing this with a rather large lump in her throat!
Today was the very last day of all our summer camps for 2026, and after another incredible year in Gnat Hole Woods, we have packed everything away, said our farewells and headed back up that winding track for the final time this summer. And yes, there may have been a little tear or two.
Every year I think, surely it can't get any better than this? And every year, somehow, it does.
And because it wouldn't quite be a summer camp finale without a little weather drama, we had another soggy day, with a big downpour arriving right in the middle of lunch! Thankfully, it didn't last long and before too long the sun was back out again.
We've spent a LOT of time in the stream this week, and today was no exception. The children have been completely snake mad this week, so naturally we had to build Snake Island! There has been digging, exploring, building and plenty of stream-based adventures going on. We've also been digging for more precious stones, and today I brought along an extra special bonus… my metal detector!
Oh my goodness, they loved it! There was some very serious treasure hunting going on as the children scanned the woodland floor, waiting for that all-important beep. Sadly, we didn't uncover any buried treasure or ancient woodland secrets, although we did find a few coins that had been left behind from some of my pirate parties! Not quite the treasure haul we'd hoped for, but the excitement of searching was definitely worth it!
And then, as if the final day couldn't get any more exciting, we had a very special visitor into the woods. Meet Hobbs, a magnificent three-year-old Harris hawk, who came along with Oliver.
What an incredible opportunity for the children to see such a beautiful bird up close and personal. Once again, the tribe absolutely loved it. They were fascinated by Hobbs and asked so many brilliant questions. And, just like with the bee visit earlier in the week, I was incredibly proud of how quiet, calm and respectful they all were around such an amazing animal.
We learned all about what Hobbs eats, just how incredibly powerful those talons are, where Harris hawks live in the wild and what they hunt and how they hunt it. We learned so much more too, and the children were completely enthralled. It's these experiences that make our camps so special—being able to meet animals that many children would otherwise only ever see in books, on television or from a distance.
A huge thank you to Oliver for bringing Hobbs along and sharing his knowledge with us. We're keeping our fingers crossed that Oliver and Hobbs might return for Easter camp, which is the perfect time of year for flying him. That would be rather special!
This summer we have welcomed so many new faces into our woods, alongside so many of our wonderful regulars who come back year after year. And what a bunch of children they have been.
We've watched them become completely absorbed in their woodland world. We've seen resilience, creativity, laughter, friendship, kindness, curiosity and confidence grow throughout these camps. We've watched older children help younger ones, seen friendships form between children who had never met before and watched children try things they weren't sure they could do—and then beam with pride when they succeeded.
We've watched imaginations run wild, and we've watched children simply be children. No screens. No pressure. Just woodland, fresh air, friends, freedom, adventure and the opportunity to explore.
And of course, there have been plenty of the usual Forest School essentials: muddy hands, muddy bums, wet wellies, soggy socks, chocolatey faces, burnt marshmallows, a LOT of sticks and enough woodland creations to fill a small museum!
We've built dens, crossed streams, climbed, swung, whittled, crafted, dug, explored, made fires, cooked, played games, hunted for treasure, panned for quartz, made potions, created fairy homes, learned about bees, met Hobbs the Harris hawk, eaten crumble, pizza, French toast, toffee apples and an alarming amount of marshmallows. And that's only scratching the surface.
But it's the little moments that I'll remember most. The conversations around the fire. The jokes. The children inviting us into their games. The friendships. The questions. The discoveries. The moments when they came running over to tell us something incredibly important that they'd just found.
Those are the things that make Forest School so special.
I genuinely feel so incredibly blessed to have the team that I do. Every single one of my staff brings something special to Inside Out Forest School. They are passionate about the outdoors, caring, nurturing, they love working with children, they love education and they are creative, professional, patient and enthusiastic. Most importantly, they genuinely care.
They don't just turn up and supervise children. They get involved. They climb, craft, play, listen, encourage and laugh. They get just as excited as the children do when something brilliant happens.
Thank you. ❤️ I couldn't do this without you.
And to all the parents, carers and guardians who have trusted us with your wonderful children… THANK YOU.
Thank you for bringing them to us, thank you for trusting us, thank you for sending them back covered in woodland, thank you for the spare clothes and wet wellies, thank you for listening to all their stories when they got home and thank you for supporting our little business.
We know how precious your children are, and it is a privilege to spend our days with them.
And so today we said goodbye to Gnat Hole Woods for another summer. We packed away the equipment, tidied up our little woodland camp, said our goodbyes and walked back up that winding track for the last time.
There were definitely a few watery eyes.
Because after 10 days of sharing this incredible place with such a wonderful group of children, it feels strangely quiet when everyone has gone home.
But what a summer.
20 days of Inside Out Forest School summer camps, and every year it just seems to get bigger and better.
I'm absolutely shattered as I write this, but underneath the exhaustion is the biggest, warmest feeling of gratitude.
What a privilege this job is.
And finally, if you've enjoyed your child's time with us this summer, we would be SO incredibly grateful if you could spare a couple of minutes to leave us a glowing review on Google.
For a little independent business like ours, reviews really do mean more than you know. This year has been particularly challenging for many businesses working in education and children's services, with significant cuts affecting the sector, so every review, recommendation, share and kind word genuinely helps us.
If your child has come home happy, exhausted, full of stories, covered in chocolate and asking when they can come back… we'd love you to tell the world! ⭐️❤️
Thank you for an absolutely incredible summer. Thank you to our children, our parents, our amazing team, Oliver and Hobbs, and of course, Gnat Hole Woods, for another summer of magic.
Until next time…
Stay wild, keep exploring and we'll see you in the woods. 🌳❤️🔥
SUMMER CAMPS 2026 — THAT'S A WRAP! 🎉
Esther 🌿
