The Hive Forest School Training
BEST FOR
Ages 2-11
SETTING
Outdoors
WHERE
London
What it’s like
Outdoor holiday camps and forest school missions where kids build, forage and cook on fire from 9:30am to 4pm.
The days here run on themed missions rather than a timetable of activities, so a "Grow Cook Eat" week might mean foraging, growing food and actually cooking it on a fire, while a "Creative Outdoors" mission has kids making films or putting on a performance outside. Most of it happens with little or no screen time, though the site says some missions bring in apps for identifying plants or iPads for coding and movie-making when that fits the theme.
Camps take ages 3 to 11 and run 9:30am to 4pm, with a morning break, an hour for lunch and an afternoon break built in. There's also a Little Forest School Camp with a tighter 1:4 ratio for the younger end, and a forest school nursery for ages 2 to 5, though that only runs Monday and Tuesday and there's no part-time option, which is a real commitment if you're juggling other childcare days.
Facilitators are a proper mixed bag, teachers, artists, bushcraft experts, even a beekeeper, and there's always at least one paediatric first aider on site. Kids run rain or shine here, with school buildings as the fallback if weather turns dangerous, so pack proper waterproofs and wellies rather than hoping for the best. Lunch is a nut-free packed one from home, and extended care from 8:30am to 6pm is there if the standard day doesn't fit your work hours, though it's supervised play only with no food provided.
Booking has to be done in advance and cancellations need a month's notice before camp, with no refund for arriving late, leaving early or missing a day. That's a firm policy worth building into your plans rather than discovering on the morning you're running late.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- 3 to 11 at camp; nursery covers 2 to 5 on Mon-Tues only
- Booking
- Online booking available. Childcare vouchers and Tax-Free Childcare accepted
- Food
- Children bring nut-free packed lunch
- Camps are registered with Ofsted on the Early Years and Childcare Registers
- There's always at least one certified paediatric first aider on site
- Childcare vouchers and Tax-Free Childcare are accepted for booking
- Medical or allergy details go on a form sent after you book
Plan your visit
What ages do you take?
Camps run for ages 3 to 11, with a Little Forest School Camp for younger children at a 1:4 ratio. The nursery takes ages 2 to 5.
Do we need to book in advance?
Yes, and cancellations need a month's notice before the camp date. There's no refund for late arrival, early departure or missing a day.
What happens if it rains?
Missions carry on rain or shine as long as everyone's got good waterproofs. If the weather turns genuinely dangerous they've got school buildings to retreat to.
What should my child wear?
Comfortable sporty clothes, trainers, a waterproof jacket and wellies if rain's forecast, plus a sun hat in hot weather.
What about food?
Kids bring a nut-free packed lunch. Extended care outside the main hours is supervised play only, no meals provided.
Can I drop off early or pick up late?
Extended care runs from 8:30am to 6pm for an extra cost. Pickup after 6pm is charged £5 per 5 minutes.
Is the nursery full-time only?
It runs Monday and Tuesday, 9am to 3:30pm, and part-time places aren't available.
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