Wild Lives Forest School CIC

Wild Lives invites you and your young explorers for forest school adventures in Warley Woods, an award winning green space and richly diverse woodland full of inspiration and natural wonders!

Please scroll down to see our current schedule of events

Each session is full of play and exploration with seasonal, nature-based experiences on offer, such as den building, mud kitchen, natural crafts, bug hunting, campfire cooking, treasure hunts and games, among many other things. Forest school takes place in all weathers and seasons, working with the nature's rhythms, connecting learners to the seasons and the woodland. This helps to build resilience and encourages us to find the joy in every day, not just the sunny days! We provide a positive, supportive, child-centred environment with qualified and experienced practitioners on hand to inspire and nurture young minds. We support children to take age appropriate risks and face achievable challenges that help them to grow and develop in confidence, using hands-on learning and real tools. Your young explorers are free to play and follow their own interests, learning and developing whilst building their relationship with the natural world, with themselves and with each other.

Get in touch by email to laura@wildlivesforestschool.co.uk or via Instagram www.instagram.com/WildLivesForestSchool or Facebook www.facebook.com/wildlivesforestschool

Make a donation We are a not-for-profit social enterprise offering funded places on our programmes to families in need. You can donate to our Pay It Forward pot which funds places for local children and adults who otherwise wouldn't be able to attend. You can donate any amount to the Pay It Forward fund by clicking the donate button below. We know that not everyone can donate, so there’s no pressure. But if you are able, small amounts add up and make a difference for local people.

Our sessions

Little Wild Ones - For children ages 1 – 5 years
For your youngest explorers and a parent/carer, this programme of weekly sessions is all about child-led play and adventuring! Join Laura, one of our forest school leaders, for fun making mud pies, swinging in the hammock, balancing on the slackline, and exploring the woodland and the creatures that live there. Sessions often include stories and activities designed to inspire curiosity and creativity. We support children to begin to develop a connection to the natural world by experiencing it as a joyful place to play - somewhere that they will grow to love and want to protect. There will be the chance to use some simple tools and to cook on a campfire during the programme.
We encourage adults to join in the play and take some time to connect with other local parents/carers and enjoy the benefits of spending some time together outdoors in nature.
See schedule below for dates and details. Bookings are taken for the half term and the cost includes a snack and drink for the children.
Adults and non walking siblings are free of charge.

Forest Friends
For children age 2-5 and their parent/carer. These sessions are kindly funded by Sandwell Council as part of their Change programme and they are free of charge for Sandwell families to attend. Please visit their website for more information and current sessions available to book https://bookwhen.com/book4changes

Home Ed Adventurers
For home educated children we offer two groups - one forest school group for children aged 5 and over with their grown ups, and a bushcraft club for children aged 10 and over. These groups are led by Bracken, one of our forest school leaders, and are designed to develop considerate, independent and responsible learners with a love and appreciation for the outdoors. We build confidence and practical skills through a combination of guided activities with roots in bushcraft and outdoor learning, and child-led play.
Wednesdays
Bookings are taken for a block of sessions or individual sessions. Please see schedule below for dates and more details.

Wildlings holiday club - For children age 8-11 years
Join two of our forest school leaders, Laura & Bracken, in the school holidays for a day of outdoor play and learning, with shelter building, basic tools, fire lighting and campfire cooking. These days are designed for a small group of children age 8-11 who are confident to attend without their parent/carer. Please see schedule below for dates and more details.

Young Wildlings holiday club - For children age 5-8 years
This group is designed for children aged 5-8 years who are confident attending without their parent or carer. We spend the day playing, exploring, crafting, and learning in a hands-on way. We will be building dens, self confidence and self esteem, developing practical outdoor skills, social skills and team working, cooking lunch on the campfire, facing challenges, developing connection to nature and most importantly - having fun! Please see schedule below for dates and more details.

Family Bushcraft & Forest School Days
Join experienced bushcrafter and forest school leader, Bracken, for a day of learning new skills together as a family, helping you to connect with the woodland and with each other. Various dates throughout the year, see schedule below and click on the date for more information and to book.

Forest Fathers
Step into the wild for an unforgettable day of bonding, learning and exploration. Forest Fathers is a men and children-only bushcraft experience designed to strengthen family connections while learning essential wilderness skills. Led by our male leader, Bracken.

Wild play in Warley Woods
For children of all ages and their grown ups. Join us for some seasonal family adventures in Warley Woods. These sessions run on various weekends and school holidays throughout the year. See the schedule below for current dates and to book!

Wild Tribe in Bournville Park
These weekend forest play sessions are provided for local families in partnership with Friends of Bournville Park and provided free of charge thanks to funding from The National Lottery. For children of all ages and their parents / carers. Various dates throughout the year - see schedule below and click on the date for more information and to book.

Grounded
A woodland gathering for women aged 16+. Come and enjoy the peace of the woodland with a cup of tea around our campfire and try a range of woodland crafts and skills. Various Saturday mornings throughout the year. See schedule below.

Wild Women
Our annual woodland wellbeing retreat for women takes place around the Summer solstice. We gather together to relax and enjoy some time in nature, with seasonal natural crafts, bushcraft, yoga and delicious vegan food cooked on the campfire.

School trips and private bookings
Bring your class or group for a unique learning experience in Warley Woods tailored to your area of learning or interest, or just full of lots of brilliant outdoor play and adventure! Please get in touch for more information and availability.

Our Wild Lives team....

Laura and Nicole are our founders. They have their own free-range children and can often be found walking, camping, climbing, exploring and cooking on a campfire. Working and playing in nature has had a hugely positive impact on them professionally and personally and they were inspired to create Wild Lives to help others experience the benefits too. Amid concerns about declines in play, physical activity and nature connection, increases in mental health difficulties, and the dominance of technology, Wild Lives provides time and space to play and explore, to find joy and wonder, and to learn and develop in nature. We firmly believe that all humans benefit hugely from regular opportunities for play, physical activity and time to 'just be' in nature.

Laura is an approved Therapeutic Forest Practitioner, mental health first aider and trained in safeguarding, food safety and data protection. She has spent her career working with children and families and has a wealth of experience in outdoor learning and play work. Wild Lives follows the Forest School ethos and principles for good practice (see https://www.forestschoolassociation.org/what-is-forest-school/) and we love to nurture people's innate drive to play, learn and connect to the natural world.

Bracken runs our bushcraft sessions and home-education groups. An experienced bushcrafter and forest school leader, he spent his childhood outdoors, growing up in South Africa and was mostly home educated himself. His passion is to teach and inspire people to gain the skills, abilities and confidence to be happy, healthy and live purposefully in a sustainable and human way. Check out his website: www.brackenoutdoors.com

Katie is a forest school leader with a passion for play. When not in the woods building dens and splashing in puddles, she can be found making things from clay and wood in her workshop. Katie has over 20 years of experience working in the creative arts, helping people to express themselves and build practical skills. She also runs Ampersand Projects, an organisation that connects people to nature through creative play. See more of Ampersand's work here: www.ampersandprojects.org

Juliet is one of our forest school assistants, supporting our early years and school groups. She is a qualified forest school leader and storyteller. Juliet enjoys introducing storytelling into her Forest School sessions, using woodland materials, puppets, and folk tales to help children learn about the natural world and develop their creativity. Juliet also leads her own forest school sessions and shares her stories with children and families all over the West Midlands.

Becky is one of our forest school assistants and volunteers supporting our school groups. Her forest school journey started as a parent with her own children. Motivated by experiencing first hand the huge benefits of Forest School for children and adults, she is currently training to become a level 3 Forest School practitioner. Aside from working with Wild Lives, Becky works with children of all ages as a peripatetic and classroom music teacher, with over 20 years experience working across schools in Birmingham.

All of our leaders hold appropriate forest school/teaching qualifications, public liability insurance, enhanced DBS disclosures and level 3 first aid qualifications.