We understand the importance of free play & self exploration for children...which makes the Hidden Valley the perfect setting for children & parents choosing to home educate.
Our private woodland site at the Hidden Valley has so much for your kids to engage with & explore. We have mud kitchens, swings, slides, giant spider webs, tree forts, slacklines, fairy trails, a resident bug-a-pest hotel and a huge ‘basecamp’ shelter with fire pit and long banquet style tables for arts and crafts.
The campfire is the heart of our woodland camp. We gather around it to check in, share news and stories, and see what’s new in the woodland. At the end of each session, it’s a place for reflection, where children can share what they enjoyed and discuss plans for the next week.
We use the campfire to cook a variety of foods like popcorn, pizza, sweetbread, nettle tea, and, of course, marshmallows. We will explore different fire lighting techniques and learn to build various types of campfires, building on knowledge and allowing the children to take the lead on this as they progress.
During their time with us, children will get hands-on experience with bushcraft tools, including knives, axes, and saws. We encourage exploration of the surroundings, with walks to see the Dartmoor ponies and 2 valais sheep who reside on site.
We understand the beauty of home education means that children can learn at their own pace and although we are not an academic setting, we want children to thrive and grow throughout their time at the Hidden Valley.
We focus on building social skills, helping kids make friends, work well in groups, and treat each other with respect. Problem-solving is key here, and we prepare kids to tackle challenges with confidence and creativity.
We place a heavy emphasis on kindness and mindfulness which has been a core value of our sister company, Creating Kinder Kids, since day one.
We help kids manage their behaviour and understand their own feelings and those of others. We also aim keep them physically active and strong, ready to take on any physical challenges they might face. We have a beautiful yoga deck amongst the trees and our founder, Kat, is a yoga teacher for both adults and kids alike. We can incorporate some yoga and mindfulness into the days as and when desired by those attending.
In short, we want kids to leave Hidden Valley with a thirst for learning, further developed social skills, and the confidence to face whatever comes their way.
We understand each child will have different needs and therefore we offer these days with the option of full drop off or parents/carers staying on site throughout the session.
These sessions also enable home ed. families with younger siblings the opportunity to explore, discover and grow together, alongside older siblings and other children. We find that there are huge benefits to mixed age groups working and playing together.
Wild Passport Offering
The Wild Passport is an outdoor learning curriculum which takes inspiration from bushcraft, forest school, and other nature-based programmes.
It is based upon a progressive, skills based curriculum which can be monitored and achievement recorded against criteria in five different areas; Woodcraft, Shelter, Fire, Nature, Rope. These different skill areas are delivered and developed across five different levels; Beginner, Advanced Beginner, Intermediate, Proficient, Expert.
A physical passport (which must be purchased from us for a one-off cost of £6.00) is used to document and record achievement against each learning objective across the Wild Passport curriculum.
Certificates are awarded for the completion of each level of the award. More info re. the Wild Passport can be found here; WILD Passport
Ages: For kids aged 5 - 15 Venue: The Hidden Valley Grayshott, GU26 Dates: Wednesday 26th February - Wednesday 2nd April
Time: 9:30am - 3:30pm. Cost: £45 per day (6 week block bookings only)
NB - We are offering the first 2 sessions of this 6 week block as ‘trial’ sessions. The last thing we want is families paying for a service that does not meet their child’s needs, so we will happily refund the remaining 4 sessions if this was the case.
(Sibling discount available upon request - email here for code. You can then enter this code at checkout)
