Forest School Residential Camps for Schools
About our Camps
Circle of Life Rediscovery runs unique, nature-based forest camps for young people in a beautiful woodland environment in Sussex. Our forest camps have a strong environmental basis, a range of activities to challenge and inspire and are above all, lots of fun!
“I slept alone in a shelter that I had made myself, I never thought I would be able to do that. I feel more confident and have overcome my fears.”
“I didn’t think that I liked camping but I have underestimated myself. The camp was amazing, I have not only learnt new skills but I have learnt to be grateful about everything around me. I have a new sense of confidence and believe in myself.”
Benefits - why are overnight residentials are so important?
Our camps offer the opportunity for participants to camp overnight in a woodland away from home, maybe for the first time!
While this can be daunting for some, it gives the opportunity for young people to learn new skills and fend for themselves from putting up their own tent, to lighting their first fire or cooking a meal!
National research shows the huge benefits overnight camps can have on young people, including:
- Improving resilience, confidence and self-esteem
- Boosting cohesion, engagement, and a sense of belonging within their peer group
- Improving knowledge, skills and understanding
(Learning Away, York Consulting 2015)
To read more about the benefits of residentials, please see our blog post.
What activities are on offer?
We provide catering and equipment for all activities. Each camp is bespoke and unique to your needs, activities are planned in advance with the school and can be linked to your current learning programme or national curriculum.
Activities can include:
- Firemaking: Match challenge, using fire steels, using ancient methods
- Blindfolded exercises: Deer stalk, drum stalk and awareness trail
- Creative activities: Woodland bling, clay, earth ovens, natural paint
- Tool Use: Carving and making whistles, pencils, spatulas, mallets, butter knives and wood animals
- Camouflage & stalking: Using natural camouflage materials and games
- Cooking and foraging: Cooking on the fire, wild medicine and crafting
- Teambuilding: using ropes; making chariots, tasks, catapults, water/shelter challenge
- Mapping exercises: Map making and navigation, finding key hidden objects, directions
- Tracking & casts: Tracking activities, exploring and signs, making animal casts
- Ropes and knots: Rope challenges, knots for frames/chariots
- Bird Knowledge: Bird language and pellets
- Large team games: Using 60 to 100 YP
- Other possible option: Climbing wall, falconry; fishing, tree climbing, tree planting
John Muir Award
Circle of Life Rediscovery has been offering the the John Muir Award on our camps since 2007.
This is a National Environmental Conservation Award that encourages people of all backgrounds to connect with, enjoy and care for wild places. There are four challenges are at the heart of each John Muir Award. To achieve an Award each participant must:
- Discover a wild place
- Explore its wildness
- Conserve – take personal responsibility
- Share experiences