The SHACs Winter Woodland Adventure Days
Christmas Holiday Dates Now Available
Please click on the links for your preferred location below.
"The Surrey Hills Adventure Company Holiday Adventures are located @ Belmont Preparatory School, Holmbury St Mary and New for 2019 our New Sites Wigwam Woods at Birtley House Estate Bramley and Viking Camp at Buckland Park Lake Reigate.
The SHAC at Belmont School - Holmbury St Mary - Nr Dorking Click Here
The SHAC at Birtley House Estate - Bramley - Nr Guildford Click Here
The SHAC at Buckland Park Lake - Buckland Nr Reigate Click here
The SHAC at Buckland Park Lake - Buckland Nr Reigate Click here
The SHACs Woodland Adventure Days are an innovative, proven way of allowing young people aged between 6 and 12 years old to develop and grow by spending time outside in a safe and supportive environment. We encourage our young attendees to be free whilst engaging them in valuable learnings that come from spending time outside in a natural environment, this is supported by an extremely well qualified team with years of experience in the outdoor education sector helping young people to learn new skills, make new friends and have some time for freedom of mind. To support this we have a strict “No Tech” policy.
Our Adventures are based on the true principles of “Forest School” teaching techniques, proven to increase children’s motivation, confidence and communication skills but with a massive emphasis on fun and freedom. The young people in our care get to really choose how they spend their time with us. We supply the knowledge and experience but we will be led by them in order to deliver what it is that they want to do with their time with us allowing them to make decisions and lead the way for us to follow.
Your child will take part in engaging, motivating and achievable tasks in a safe woodland environment with a team of instructors that are 2nd to none in this environment. They will have the opportunity to learn about using tools and managing campfires, experience real Bushcraft techniques, join in with wide games that encourage independence and learning, build dens and shelters, rope swings, natural crafts, bridge building, wildlife spotting and tracking and hammock time! Time for young minds to develop and process.
Accompanied by fully trained instructors, they will make new friends and learn new skills whilst having huge fun guaranteed. We are not here as child care we are here to assist in the development of young people that care about the environment and want to learn more without knowing they are learning.
We are #TeamSHAC
The range of activities we offer is constantly developing, but a typical session could include:
- Shelter building
- Crafting from natural materials
- Tracking
- Environmental art
- Safe fire making
- Games
- Using tools
- Green woodwork
- Assault courses
The general age range for young people attending our woodland adventures are from 6yrs - 12yrs old and children are with us from 10.00 am until 4.00pm. (packed lunches and suitable clothing will need to be supplied by you) We run our adventures in all weathers with the exception of high winds and Lightning storms.
CLOTHING
We Believe in the ethos “No such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes.”
Children turning up with the wrong clothing is the biggest problem we have. Having the right clothes and shoes can make the difference between your child having a great time and being miserable. It’s up to you to make sure they come properly equipped, so please follow these guidelines.
You need to provide your child with appropriate foot- and outer-wear – stout shoes or boots are essential, plus warm clothes and a waterproof outer layer (top and bottom) – so WATERPROOF COAT AND TROUSERS. Long sleeves and long trousers also.
FOOD
You need to feed them! We expect you to provide your child with food for the day, which should include:
- A mid-morning snack
- Lunch
- A mid-afternoon snack
- Drink for the day
MEDICATION AND MEDICAL INFORMATION
The Session leader and assistant both hold a current outdoor first aid certificate, specializing in first aid in the outdoors. However, it is up to you to ensure that we have your child’s current medical information at the beginning of the session, and that they also have any medication (i.e. epi-pens and inhalers) with your child’s, name, medication and time of last dose/incident written clearly on the outside.
