A Little Bit Wilder Ltd

What it’s like

Woodland sessions where kids light fires, build dens and swing from a slack-line, tucked 600 metres into Stapleford woods.

This is proper outdoor stuff: fire-lighting and cooking on a campfire, den building, foraging, and a rope set-up of hammocks, a climbing net and a slack-line for when they need to burn energy in a more physical way. Stay & Play sessions are open to any age, so it works whether you've got a toddler who just wants to poke about in the leaves or a ten-year-old ready to learn actual bushcraft skills. Full day holiday sessions are pitched at 5 to 14 year olds and pack in a lot more, cooked lunch included.

£10 for a Stay & Play session isn't nothing, though a sibling ticket at £7.50 softens it if you've got more than one child in tow. The full day holiday sessions are £40, which feels steep until you count the cooked lunch, campfire snacks and drinks that come with it, plus a 10% saving if you book six or more spaces together. There's also a 3 Counties Bushcraft Group running by the night, £10 for adults and £5 for under 16s, for anyone who wants to go back for the overnight version of all this.

You'll want proper shoes and clothes you don't mind getting muddy or a bit smoky, because campfire cooking and den building don't stay clean. Parking is easy, there's a good car park at Main Stapleford Woods on Coddington Lane, but it's a 600 metre walk through the woods to get to the actual site, so factor that in with a buggy or a reluctant walker. Picnics are welcome if you fancy bringing your own food alongside the campfire snacks.

If it's a birthday coming up, they do a Forest School party for up to 12 children, two hours, £150 for the basic package with nature crafts, fire-lighting and a campfire snack thrown in. It's a genuinely different kind of party to a soft play or a hall booking, and the smell of woodsmoke is the bit that'll stick in their memory long after the cake's gone.

Facilities

Need to know

Best for

0 to 14, though the bushcraft skills suit the older end more

Parking

Ample parking at Main Stapleford woods car park, Coddington Lane, LN6 9LE

Food

Hot and cold drinks and campfire snacks included in sessions

Parties

Forest School style birthday parties for up to 12 children, 2 hours, basic cost £150, with nature crafts, fire-lighting and campfire snack

Worth knowing

Save 10% when booking 6 or more spaces in one go for full day holiday sessions

• Wear clothes and shoes you don't mind getting muddy or smoky
• It's a 600 metre walk from the car park to the site through the woods
• Book six or more spaces on a full day session together to get 10% off
• The overnight 3 Counties Bushcraft Group runs separately at £10 a night for adults, £5 for under 16s

Plan your visit

See all Forest School & Outdoor Learning in Nottingham · Things to do in Nottingham