Parent and children groups: Group gets children and parents outside to discover nature

As a mum of two young boys Laura Sadler set up her group to offer parents and their children the opportunity to escape the everyday.
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She said: “I found that the local groups, although lovely, never really met my desire to get them outside or captured their nature loving imaginations.

Nature is the greatest playground and after months of taking my boys to the park, playing in our garden and exploring local land it got me thinking, there must be other parents like me seeking an outside space for their little ones where they can meet others with similar interests.”

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Laura’s Explorers opened its Easebourne group in May 2019, and has since set up a second venue in ancient woodland in Fernhurst.

Laura's ExplorersLaura's Explorers
Laura's Explorers

The group is run weekly and follows nature-led themes from bugs to trees, woodland animals to seasonal themes.

Each week there is a hunt in the woods, and each child is given an explorer pack at the start of the groups, these are home-made packs containing kit for the child for the group.

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Laura said: “Children are then free to explore the area, themed stations are laid out with play opportunities, crafts and activities which the children can enjoy if they wish to.

One of the activitiesOne of the activities
One of the activities
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“These groups are child-led and everything offered is there as an option. Children who attend for a month will receive a certificate and explorer patch and I am just in the process of putting together nature journals which will allow children to keep a diary of their time in the woods.”

It runs term time and during the school holidays and welcomes children aged 7 years and under.

She said: “Laura’s Explorers is not a Forest School, nor is it your traditional inside stay and play, this is the missing link in the middle. Offering a wonderful outdoor play area with the added bonus of weekly based themes, crafts and activities to ignite the imagination of children.

“This hidden gem has been created by my love and passion of getting children outside, I can set an area and lay out some great activities but it’s you and your child’s attendance and imagination which makes the group what it is. I am always open to feedback as this is what allows the group to evolve.

For more information, visit laurasexplorers.co.uk

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