Our Little Story

  • OPENING DAY

    At Play In The Woods has been going since 2008 but it’s only since 2018 we have acquired a Woodland to call our own.

    Starting off 2018 in our new setting at Brickyard Woods in Chelvey we ran a February half term play and stay and it was well received by everybody that came along.

  • We have reached 1000’s if not 10,000’s of children already and the only way is up.
    Don’t forget to like our Facebook page at this point.

    We have over 2k Likes and followers.

  • The Team

    At Play is slowly growing. We offer high quality outdoor play. We’re a small but powerful team on a mission to improve the lives of children and their families. Are you ready to join us? If you care deeply about early childhood, getting kids outdoors, have a talent for both child and adult facilitating, you maybe who we are looking for!

  • Aims:

    • To provide an opportunity for individuals to develop, to learn and to enjoy themselves.

    • To provide a safe and non-threatening environment in which children can develop practical life skills, take risks, make choices and initiate their own learning.

    • To help children understand, appreciate and care for the natural environment.

    • To develop self-esteem, independence, confidence and a positive disposition to learning through the completion of small, achievable tasks.

    • To develop social and team working skills.

    • To enable children to be independent, self-motivated and considerate.

    • To be true to the forest school ethos and approach.

    • To develop a secure, happy and welcoming atmosphere.

    • To provide stimulation and varied learning activities appropriate to the child’s needs and stages of development.

    • To use the outdoor environment to provide activities for children, young people, adults with learning and mental health issues and their parents, carers and guardians including but not exclusively: ASD; Dementia, and special educational needs.

    •To use the outdoor environment to improve the health and wellbeing of the community.

    • Develop workplace skills through training in woodland crafts and manufacture of products made from woodland materials.

    •Run sessions designed to deliver training to professionals related to working in an outdoor environment with children, adults and individuals with special needs.

  • At Play helps to develop

    • Confidence and self-esteem;

    • Communication and social skills;

    • Physical skills;

    • Greater understanding and awareness of the natural environment;

    • Natural motivation and a positive attitude to learning;

    • The ability to recognise and manage risk;

    • Healthier lifestyles.

Meet Our Team

We have STAFF and VOLUNTEERS who assist in running our forest school sessions, planning activities and preparing resources.
At Play is a social enterprise existing to promote and benefit wellbeing in the community through reconnecting people with nature. We have a growing team of volunteers who help deliver our events who are also involved in the ongoing management of the woodland where we operate.

Sam Harrison
Sam HarrisonAt Play Host
Sam is a father of four. Trained with the original Forest School with shared characteristic from Bridgwater College. He is qualified in Forest School Lvl 3 & Leadership, cache qualifications in Play Work, City and Guilds qualification in teaching & behaviour in Children. Sam has ran after school clubs and is life long member of Scouting. He was a North Somerset play development officer and set up and delivered Forest Schools in a number of school. Completed Safeguarding and Domestic Abuse training, has participated in Child Protection courses. President of Lions International club and has Paediatric First Aid plus Forest School (Outdoor) First Aid qualifications.
Gary
GaryAt Play Booking Manager
Father of 2 grown up girls. Gary has the following qualifications: First Aid at Work, Foundation Certificate in Food Hygiene, Basic Health & Safety, Avon & Somerset Police Counter-Terrorism Awareness Level 2.
Enjoys working with children of all ages, has a DBS and is a licensed chaperone with North Somerset Council and the best washer up in the world also makes a killer cup of tea!
Kenn
KennWeb & Site Team
Kenn has been with us from the start helping dig out rivers and marking out pathways. Along with being a part of the working team, he is also helps when it comes to the website and running of the online booking system. A great supporter of everything we do and willing to chip in with anything that needs doing.

WHAT PARENTS SAY

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