Forest school, children’s parties and woodland wellbeing near Exeter
I cannot express how much I love welcoming people into our woodland environment. As well as setting up the forest school sessions and woodland birthday parties, being able to bring my experience as a complementary practitioner into the woods has been a dream come true.
From an early age I have loved all aspects of the natural world.
My aim is to create the same amazing forest school opportunities but one that welcomes parents to stay, to be there for those children who struggle to stay alone, who deserve a space where they can grow at their own pace, a space to still take risks and have adventures but where they know their safety net is available if things get tricky for a moment. Equally a space where parents can feel supported and unjudged. Where everyone is encouraged to be themselves.
My passion for forest school, trees and the outdoors came later.
Deciding to home educate my son when he was 8, forest school has been an environment in which he has thrived, and I am lucky to now have him as one of my forest school helpers for the Tangled With Nature family forest school sessions. As a child with additional needs, school was a struggle for him and after a few traumatic years we decided that his mental health was more important than the need for him to stay in a system that could not support him and we took a leap of faith into the world of home education.
Although the outdoors is an amazing environment for my son, not all the forest schools we attended allowed parents to remain on site with their child and this was one of the factors that led me to qualifying as a forest school leader.
As a mum with a child with high separation anxiety the constant battle to be able to stay at clubs and groups was frustrating and I wanted to be able to offer families something different.
Not all children – or adults – develop at the same rate. And this is absolutely fine. We are all different. Maybe your child isn’t ready to go it alone at groups yet. May you are not ready for your child to go it alone at groups yet. Both are totally ok. Attending things with your child will still allow them to develop independence, but you’ll also be developing a wonderful bond with them through shared experiences.
My aim is to create the same amazing forest school opportunities but one that welcomes parents to stay
A space that allows parents to be there for those children who struggle to stay alone, who deserve a space where they can grow at their own pace, a space to still take risks and have adventures but where they know their safety net is available if things get tricky for a moment. Equally a space where parents can feel supported and unjudged. Where everyone is encouraged to be themselves.
Evolving and developing over many years I have brought several aspects of my work together to build Tangled With Nature
Combining the mindful nature of woodland crafts and forest bathing, with natural therapies such as aromatherapy and reflexology, all in our magical woodland, is an opportunity to promote wellness and calm in the outdoors.