Home-Ed Forest School Community Day
A monthly woodland day for home-educating children aged 5–11 and their families
A different kind of Home-Ed Forest School
The Home-Ed Forest School Community Day is a monthly, full-day session designed for home-educating families who want more than a short activity slot.
Running from 10am–3pm in Warley Woods, the day gives children the time and space to settle into the environment, explore, and take part in meaningful activities without being rushed.
With a small group of up to 12 children, a consistent monthly rhythm, and a shared campfire meal included, the sessions are designed to support both children and parents.
It’s a low-pressure, child-led day where skills, confidence, and community can build naturally over time.
At a glance
Monthly Sessions
Runs once per month
Full Day
10:00am – 3:00pm
Ages 5-11
For home-educated children
Small Group
Maximum 12 children
Warley Woods
Sheltered woodland site
Experienced leader
Bushcraft and therapeutic training
Campfire meal
food included each session
Flexible attendance
Stay, step away, or drop off
How children use the day
Over the course of a full day, children move through different stages of play, exploration, and focused activity.
With enough time available, they are able to settle into the environment, follow their interests, and take on more meaningful challenges as the day unfolds.
Settling in and finding their feet
At the start of the day, many children need time to move, explore, and reconnect with the space. This might look like climbing, running, or open-ended play.
Given enough time, this naturally leads into more focused activity as children begin to engage more purposefully with what’s around them.
Taking on projects and building skills
As the day develops, children begin to take on more involved activities.
This might include woodwork, shelter building, fire lighting, or cooking. With time to return to ideas and adapt their approach, they build both practical skills and confidence in what they can do.
Working independently and with others
Children often move between independent work and collaboration.
They begin to share ideas, solve problems together, and support each other in projects. This builds not just skills, but communication, cooperation, and a sense of shared achievement.
What children experience
Each session includes a mix of open-ended exploration, practical skill-building, and guided activities.
- Safe use of tools such as knives, saws, drills, and carving tools
- Fire lighting and campfire cooking
- Shelter building and woodland construction
- Woodwork, carving, and simple practical projects
- Nature-based crafts and seasonal activities
- Open-ended woodland play and exploration
Activities vary from session to session, but always focus on building confidence, practical skills, and a sense of capability in the outdoors.
A space for community as well as learning
A shared experience, not just a drop-off session.
For parents, the day offers something that shorter sessions rarely do — time.
Time to step out of the usual rhythm, to have real conversations with other home-educating families, and to feel part of something consistent rather than something occasional.
There is less pressure to arrive, stay briefly, and leave again. Instead, there is space to settle in, get to know people, and build relationships over time.
For many families, this becomes just as valuable as the activities themselves.
For children, being part of a consistent group helps familiarity and friendships develop more naturally.
Over time, this supports confidence, ease in the environment, and a stronger sense of belonging within the group.
What our Forest School families say
A day in the woods
Flexible for families
Families can use the day in the way that works best for them — whether that’s staying for the full session, stepping away for part of the day, or dropping off if their child is ready.
Shared campfire meal included
Each session includes a substantial campfire-cooked meal, prepared and shared together as part of the day.
This isn’t just a snack — it’s a central part of the experience, giving the group time to pause, eat, and connect around the fire.
Practical Details
- Location: Warley Woods, Bearwood (sheltered woodland site, toilets nearby)
- Time: 10:00am – 3:00pm
- Ages: 5–11
- Group size: Maximum 12 children
- Price: £49.50 per session of booked as part of a block
- Booking: Sessions are booked through Wild Lives Forest School
A regular space to build, belong, and grow
The Home-Ed Forest School Community Day is a simple, consistent part of the month — a place where children can build confidence through real experience, develop practical skills, and be part of a familiar group over time.
For families, it offers a chance to step into the woods, connect with others, and become part of something steady and supportive.
Testimonials
The detail, depth of knowledge and flexibility in the sessions is perfect. It also means my son, who is neurodivergent, has found it really accessible.
Bracken is really responsive and thoughtful in his planning, taking my son's needs into consideration. It has given us loads to follow up on in our home learning.
Genuinely one of the highlights of our week."
Friendships are developing and it’s a beautiful process to watch. Bracken is inventive, patient and kind. We are so grateful to have access to such a great experience in our beloved woods”
We have attended for quite some time now and have enough experience to give this review weight.
The sessions are relaxed yet focused and incredibly engaging but the child is free to do something different if that's what their interest leads them to and Bracken supports in any way he can help with that. The children have picked up various skills and knowledge during the sessions including, wood carving, drilling, sawing, fire lighting, making their own fire strikers, cooking from scratch over a camp fire in collaboration with others, making wooden toy cars and so much more. During the activity the children learn lots of new information such as identifying which type of tree the wood they're using has come from, the name of the tool they're using whether it be an impact driver or a hand brace drill, how to use embers to make the bowl of a wooden spoon etc.
Bracken is an incredibly welcoming, engaging and skilled leader. He follows the child's interest and ensures all children are heard. If a child is reserved or not as engaged he will make the effort to give them attention and accommodate their needs. He also gets to know each child on an individual level and adjusts his communication to that which suits the child. He is gentle, patient and considered in his approach.
I couldn't recommend Bracken's forest school sessions enough. We love our time out in the woods with Bracken."
We look forward to every weekly session, there's always a wonderful activity to take part in and plenty of free play.
We have been attending Forest School sessions for over a year now and my boys have so much fun!"
Bracken is extremely accommodating and attentive to their individual personalities and needs, and the child-led approach to the activities and sessions leads our group down some really interesting paths. Attending Bracken's sessions has directly positively influenced my daughters' confidence in themselves and their abilities. And while our family already loved being out in nature, forest school has given us a new appreciation for it, with all the incredible changes we see at the Warley Woods base camp even week to week.
My favourite thing about the sessions is watching the children organise themselves to tackle problems, obstacles, and challenges together in really innovative ways with just the gentlest of guidance from us adult observers.”
