holiday activities for kids
At TRIBE, a holiday full of fun, learning and friendship awaits.
Each school holiday, join us at our woodland centre for full days exploring the wonderful world of bushcraft. For ages 8+, your child will develop great new skills, find awesome new hobbies, and make friends. Deep in the centre of ancient woodland, your child will reconnect with nature away from the distractions of modern technology, and will learn to work with other children to creatively solve problems and have a fabulous time.
Adventure Days courses are for those in the age bracket 8-11 and the Discovery Days for those aged 12-16 with a different theme on each day.
As an OFSTED Registered provider you can use your Tax Free Childcare, Childcare Vouchers, and UC Childcare Element with us. Check out the OFSTED page for more info on each option.
BUSHCRAFT ADVENTURE DAYS - AGES 8-11
For the younger children at the beginning of their bushcraft journey, TRIBE Adventure Days is the perfect place to start.
Explore the most important and fundamental aspects of bushcraft, combined with fun educational games and problem solving challenges.
Each Adventure Day covers a different selection of activities, and so for a comprehensive bushcraft experience, book onto each unique day across the holidays.
- FIRE LIGHTING – Learn to build ‘The Perfect Fire’ and light it using a ferrorod; of course, this wouldn’t be the same without toasted marshmallows too.
- SURVIVAL BRACELETS – Test your crafting skills by making a useful survival bracelet that you can keep handy for any time you need some cord.
- SCAVENGER HUNT – Explore the woodland in search of items useful to any aspiring bushcrafter.
- WOODWORKING – Learn to safely use a bushcraft knife as you carve a functional tent peg to use later on.
- SHELTER BUILDING – Learn to build a watertight shelter using tarps, paracord and the tent peg you made yourself.
- NATURE WALK – Explore the woodland learning all about the plants and trees here, and importantly for every bushcrafter, what they can be used for.
- WATER FILTERS – Use gathered materials from your surroundings to construct an effective water filter capable of clearing the debris from natural water sources, ready for boiling.
- WILLOW WEAVING – Keeping with the water theme, use willow to weave a fish to take home.
- WATER PURIFICATION – Remember the water you filtered? Well, if we were to use it then it would also need boiling. Practice fire lighting and building a fire designed to boil water quickly.
- CAMPFIRE COOKING – Yum! Bread twists cooked over a campfire are amazing, especially when you’ve made the fire yourself.
- CAMOUFLAGE & CONCEALMENT – See how well you can blend in with your surroundings with our camouflage games and challenges.
- FORAGING & TRACKING – Explore the woodland searching for food and animal tracks and most importantly learn how to forage safely.
- WOODWORKING – Carve a “Mini Try Stick”, the perfect project to try out lots of different techniques.
- TRIBE VILLAGE – Let your creativity and ingenuity show through as you add to the TRIBE Village, whether that be a natural shelter, fence, path, bridge, and bench.
- BUG DETECTIVES – Get close to the ground in search of creepy crawlies – where do they live, what are they called…
BUSHCRAFT DISCOVERY DAYS - AGES 12-16
Whether new to bushcraft or not, TRIBE Discovery Days provide an extra level of detail and challenge.
Discovery Days go deeper into the art of bushcraft and give children the chance to excel at the subject.
The techniques and skills developed on the Discovery Days will help make the children feel like they belong with nature, and vital to any child’s mental and spiritual development.
- FIRE LIGHTING – Learn to build The Perfect Fire and light it using a ferrorod; complete the Fire Ladder Challenge and celebrate with toasted marshmallows.
- CAMPFIRE COOKING – You’ve learned how to light a fire, now you can cook on one. You’ll learn the best part of a fire to cook on whilst making some tasty bread twists and/or chocolatey bananas.
- SCAVENGER HUNT – Explore the woodland, following clues and riddles in search of items useful to any aspiring bushcrafter.
- WOODWORKING – Learn to safely use a bushcraft knife as you carve a functional tent peg to use later on.
- SHELTER BUILDING – Build a watertight shelter using tarps, paracord and a tent peg you have made yourself. Get to know a few useful knots that make this quick and easy.
- CORDAGE SURVIVAL BRACELETS – Make strong cordage using techniques that can be applied to many different natural materials. Fashion this into your own special bracelet.
- WATER CARRY CHALLENGE – Sometimes when you need water, it’s not where you need it. With guidance, experiment to find different ways of transporting water to where it’s needed using only nature.
- WATER FILTERS – Following the WATER theme, use gathered materials from your surroundings to construct an effective water filter capable of clearing the debris from the natural water source you have found.
- BRIDGE BUILDING – Spend the afternoon building bridges over the woodland’s streams. Try out different designs and test out against other teams.
- TRIBE VILLAGE – Add your own elements to the TRIBE Village, a sturdy model village built using natural materials. Build a shelter/ house, weave fences, lay paths, or decorate the village… let your creativity run wild.
- TRAPS – Learn how to make a trap (and for those unsure, no animals will be involved), the importance of being responsible with them, and see if you can set them on your own.
- FORAGING & TRACKING – Explore the woodland searching for food and animal tracks and most importantly learn how to forage safely.
- WOODWORKING – Carve a “Try Stick”, the perfect project to try out lots of different techniques.
- WILLOW DREAMCATCHER – Weave a sturdy ring from willow, web it with natural cord, and decorate. A perfect fireside craft developing a selection of skills.
- NATURE WALK – Take a multi-sensory walk around the woodland, learning about the different plants, trees, animal and fungi. Take notice of the natural world and appreciate it’s beauty and also usefulness.
BUSHCRAFT CHALLENGE DAYS - AGES 14+
Bushcraft Challenge Days are aimed at young people aged 14-17. The days include similar themes to the Adventure and Discovery Days, however at a higher level. The young bushcrafters joining a Challenge Day will learn some really useful and exciting skills that will form a solid base for continuing these hobbies in their own time. Every day is full of excitement and skills, however book onto the full set for the best experience.
- FIRE LIGHTING – Learn to build The Perfect Fire and light it using a ferrorod; of course, this wouldn’t be the same without toasted marshmallows too.
- WILLOW DREAMCATCHER – Weave a sturdy ring from willow, web it with natural cord, and decorate. A perfect fireside craft developing a selection of skills.
- ADVANCED FIRE LIGHTING – Starting a fire by rubbing sticks together??? Well, this afternoon you’ll get to have a go at just this, trying out advanced techniques including bow drill and hand drill.
- SHELTER BUILDING – Just like the younger bushcrafters, you’ll build a waterproof shelter, HOWEVER first you will learn the knots you need to build it completely independently (don’t worry, we’ll be on hand to support where needed). You’ll finish one step closer to your first wild camp.
- SURVIVAL BRACELETS – You will have a choice of 2 different designs to make; done well, your survival bracelet will not only look great, but will also store a long length of paracord for any time you might need it.
- NETTLE CORDAGE – Making cordage from natural materials has always been an important skill, and nettle known as “the flax of the landless”. You’ll learn how to harvest nettles without being stung, prepare them, and twine cord by hand.
- WATER CARRY CHALLENGE – Sometimes when you need water, it’s not where you need it. With guidance, experiment to find different ways of transporting water to where it’s needed using only nature.
- WATER FILTERS – Following the WATER theme, use gathered materials from your surroundings to construct an effective water filter capable of clearing the debris from the natural water you have found.
- BRIDGE BUILDING – Spend the afternoon becoming a civil engineer, building bridges over the woodland’s streams. Try out different designs, including “The DaVinci Bridge” and test out against other teams.
- CAMPFIRE COOKING – As a team, you will get a fire ready to cook on, learn to fillet a fish and Ponasse it over the fire.
- WILLOW TRIVET – Whilst your fish is cooking, you will make a woven tension tray plate from willow.
- TRAPS – Learn to make a selection of simple traps, find all the pieces you need, and practice setting one yourself. Know how to take it down and the importance of doing so.
- WOODWORKING – Learn to safely use a bushcraft knife and practice lots of different carving techniques by making a TRY STICK.
- NATURE WALK – Give your hands a break from carving by going on a nature walk around the woodland, learning to identify many of the trees, plants, fungi and animals or the wood and know their importance.
- WOODWORKING – Expand your tool skills by making a bushcraft CUP using saws, knives, and batons, as well as a couple of very useful knots.