Nature Play - if the 'outdoors' is something you feel is important for your children

[clarebells]

NATURE PLAY is...

A child-led play group

For all ages

Deep in the woods

Every Thursday regardless of the weather

and its free

The purpose of this group is for letting babies and children 'go' in nature, to play, explore and connect.

In order for our children to bond with nature and the earth they must spend time in it and on it. We have a beautiful woodland safe place for our children to play, right in this big city.

Its good for babies: In the first two years of life your baby's brain is operating in the frequency range used in hypnosis; delta and theta, these are pure download states. Babies are downloading EVERYTHING at four billion bits per second! So to be in nature and on the earth is to be connected.

Its good for toddlers and older children: Children need to play for their brains to grow to their full potential, to evolve in their imagination and creativity. Please don't bring any toys into the woods, there are plenty of 'sausages', 'horses', 'houses' etc there already.

Meeting point: On the edge of Sydenham Hill Wood, on Cox's Walk there is a bridge named Pissarro's Bridge, we meet here every Thursday at 10.30am sharp.

What to bring: Food to share, a cup for tea, picnic blanket, wet weather gear if its raining.

What to expect: The lovely people at London Wildlife Trust have given us a flat clearing area off the beaten track, there are some steps, uneven paths, kissing gates and hills involved to get there... so pushchairs should be replaced with slings or shoulder rides.

FREE

Mums, Dads, Caregivers, Nannys, Homeschoolers - all welcome.

We ask that you have 1 child per adult and no more than 3 children under the care of an adult for safety reasons.

For more information please join the Nature Play : South East London facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nature-Play-South-East-London/207738685928324 or (if you are not on facebook) feel free to email me at [email protected].

Please visit http://www.nature-play.co.uk for more information.

[nylonmeals]

What time is it?

[clarebells]

10am Thursdays... sorry 'bout that.

Clare

[sunbob]

Hello, this sounds lovely. Is it on during the Easter holidays?

[bluesuperted]

It's the highlight of my week!!! Missed you guys today but we went up this afternoon with Grandad instead :)

[clarebells]

Yes sunbob, every week, rain or shine!

Okay, so we did 'officially' have a break over the Christmas period, however there were some hardcore Mums who kept going anyway!

[Bellenden Jo]

What is the top age that could come? Just thinking of things to do with the kids in the Easter hols. Mine are 6 and 9.

Thanks

[The Nappy Lady]

This sounds wonderful, but if 1 child per adult it's impossible for me. :-(

I would be there in the school holidays otherwise with my 7 & 3 year old. Does the 1:1 rule apply even if 1 child is over 5/6 (or whatever?).

[Fuschia]

Doesnt it mean you must have a child with you to attend, but no more than 3?

[clarebells]

Yes, it means you (the adult) have to have at least one child, no more than three. That way making sure we don't have anyone one without kids turning up. And no more than three because you the adult are responsible for the child(ren) you have with you at Nature Play.

There is no top age as such, so all ages welcome.

Clare

[bluesuperted]

Oh I was also always a bit confused by that sentence! In second week of Easter Hols I might come with hubby. Can we please share our one child ;)

Maybe it should say 'every adult must be accompanied by one child (unless two parents/carers attending for same child) but no more than three kids under the care of a single adult for safety reasons'

It's a bit of mare to write all that in a sentence!

Molly come along!

Xx

[clarebells]

I like this new re-wording, shall update the fb page, lovely, thanks.

[Pickle]

This sounds fab, I'll come along with my 3 in the holidays

[Otta]

Sounds lovely, but have to ask. Who the Hell would turn up to this without a kid?

[clarebells]

Well, you just never know do you.. and to be fair this is the first 'family' specific page I have put the word out to.

The group has been running for a year now through an open facebook page and word of mouth.

Its always good to cover yourself - if some odd person does actually turn up without kids (which would be rather odd, but could happen), then it is easier to point out that we don't allow such things as stipulated in the group info.

Good idea, no?

[The Nappy Lady]

Aha thanks & sorry for being thick & misunderstanding - in my defence I was reading it in haste, honest gov!!

Lovely idea - hope to be there some time (often work Thursdays, but not always in holiday time).

[Fuschia]

I have too many kids, boo hoo

[Ruth_Baldock]

Fuschia, I'll team up with you and share some ;) I only have two (ha, only!)

[born&brED]

This sounds brilliant! I hope to be there with my 2 this week - thanks for this, Clare!

[sophiechristophy]

Nature Play totally rules - I had been going with my daughter up until we moved to north london a couple of months ago, and loved it so much that we started a Nature Play North London branch up here! Really recommend it to anyone - you will be amazed by how your children play, and by how each week is different. The mum's are so lovely too.

[Spooner]

This sounds absolutely brilliant but unfortunately I am outnumbered by children. Please repost if you ever run it at a weekend as I imagine a lot more people could come as they'd be 2 parents available rather just 1 during the week.

[Susan]

Can I ask if this is on tomorrow? would love to get out with the boy are a few days in the office...I think he would like it after a few days at his 'office' as well

Thanks

[wellington]

It's on every Thursday (except around Christmas) ;-)

[Susan]

Excellent, anyone know if a small maclaren is a really bad idea (the boy currently really dislikes the very expensive Ergo sling we bought!!!)

Thanks

[clarebells]

Some people have done it in the past, it just involves lifting the stroller over a fence and up a few steps at the end - there is always some one with a spare hand to help with that last leg.