Rutland Outdoor Education Centre
BEST FOR
Ages 0-18
WHERE
Oakham
What it’s like
Woodland forest school days where kids feed farm animals, build bushcraft skills and take on proper risk-assessed outdoor challenges.
This is outdoor learning with actual mud involved. Kids head into the woodland for forest school activities, get stuck into bushcraft and farm camp, and spend real time with animals, feeding and caring for them rather than just looking through a fence. There's investigation work too, insects, plants and trees, the sort of thing that turns a walk into a proper hunt for what's living under a log.
The pony day activities and challenging play sound like the bit kids will bring up at teatime. Risk assessment is part of the offer here, which is a nice way of saying they let children climb, balance and test themselves rather than wrapping everything in cotton wool. That's a rare thing to find spelled out plainly, and it tells you the sessions are built for kids who want to do rather than watch.
Ages run right across the board, nought to eighteen, so this flexes from a toddler session to something a teenager could get stuck into without feeling babied. The Ducklings and Toddlers sessions run long during the week, 7:45am to 6pm, which works if you need proper wraparound care rather than a two-hour taster. The main weekday sessions run 10am to 3pm.
Booking is needed, so this isn't a turn-up-on-the-day sort of place. Given the range of activities on offer, from farm chores to bushcraft to structured forest school, it reads as a full day out rather than a quick visit, so leave the wellies by the door and plan for mud.
Need to know
- Best for
- Nought to 18, from toddler Ducklings sessions to teen bushcraft
- Sessions need booking ahead rather than turning up on spec
- Ducklings and Toddlers sessions run long days, 7:45am to 6pm, useful if you need full daytime cover
- Risk assessment and challenging play are built into sessions, so expect proper climbing and hands-on outdoor challenge rather than a gentle stroll
Plan your visit
What age is this suitable for?
It covers nought to eighteen, so there's a toddler-friendly Ducklings session as well as activities pitched at older kids like bushcraft and farm camp.
Do we need to book?
Yes, there's a booking link for sessions rather than turning up on the day.
What do kids actually do there?
Forest school activities in the woodland, feeding and caring for farm animals, bushcraft, pony days and investigating insects, plants and trees.
What are the opening hours?
Monday to Friday runs 10am to 3pm, while the Ducklings and Toddlers weekday sessions run longer, 7:45am to 6pm.
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