Home Ed Explorers
About
🌳 HOME ED EXPLORERSA monthly woodland adventure for home-educated children aged 5–15
Adventure • Friendship • Freedom • Nature • Confidence
🌿 What is Home Ed Explorers?
Home Ed Explorers has been created especially for home-educated children who want to spend time outdoors, make new friends and learn through real-life experiences.
There isn't a set lesson plan that every child has to follow.
Instead, children are encouraged to explore, discover, create, play and follow their own interests, with experienced Forest School leaders providing optional activities, guidance and challenges throughout the day.
One child might spend the morning building a den with friends. Another might want to learn how to safely use a woodland tool. Someone else might explore the woodland, make something from natural materials or simply enjoy some good old-fashioned outdoor play. There is space for all of it.
🔥 What might we get up to?
Every session will be different, depending on the season, the woodland and, most importantly, the children.
Activities and experiences may include:
• 🔥 Fire lighting and campfire cooking
• 🏹 Archery
• 🌲 Den building
• 🪓 Safe and experience-appropriate tool use
• 🌿 Woodland exploration
• 🍂 Nature crafts
• 🫐 Foraging
• 🪢 Rope work
• 🧭 Survival skills
• 💦 Mud and water play
• 🍁 Seasonal woodland activities
• 🌳 Free play and child-led exploration
Children will also have opportunities to develop problem-solving, creativity, teamwork, resilience and independence through hands-on experiences.
🧭 Child-led, with plenty of opportunity to learn
We believe children learn enormously when they are given the freedom to choose, explore, experiment and take appropriate risks.
Home Ed Explorers combines child-led Forest School with optional leader-led experiences.
Children don't have to take part in every activity. They can choose what interests them, spend time developing their own ideas and return to activities when they're ready.
Our role is to provide a safe environment, introduce new experiences, offer encouragement and challenge, and give children the space to discover what they can do.
The woodland is the classroom, and curiosity is encouraged.
💚 Why Forest School?
Forest School provides children with opportunities to learn in ways that simply aren't possible or as enriching as indoors.
A child choosing to carefully balance across a fallen tree is developing physical confidence.
A group choosing to work together to build a den is developing communication and teamwork.
Learning to use a tool safely develops concentration, responsibility and independence.
Working out how to light a fire develops patience, problem-solving and perseverance.
Exploring the woodland encourages curiosity and connection with nature.
And sitting around the campfire with new friends?
That's simply one of the joys of being outdoors together.
👣 A woodland community for home-educated children
Home education can offer children incredible freedom, and we want Home Ed Explorers to complement that freedom by providing opportunities for community, friendship and shared experiences.
Our sessions welcome mixed ages, allowing children to learn alongside one another and develop friendships with children at different stages of their home-education journey.
We hope Home Ed Explorers becomes more than somewhere children come for a few hours each month.
We want it to become a woodland community where children feel comfortable being themselves, trying new things and discovering what they're capable of.
🛡️ Safety, boundaries and independence
We encourage children to develop age-appropriate independence, confidence and risk awareness, whilst ensuring clear safety boundaries are maintained.
Our woodland area is not completely fenced, so children must understand the importance of staying within our designated boundaries and following our safety instructions.
Appropriate risk is an important part of Forest School. Children will be supported to understand and manage risk rather than being prevented from experiencing every challenge.
If your child has additional needs, or there are any circumstances that may affect their ability to follow our safety boundaries or instructions, please contact us before booking. We are happy to discuss your child's individual needs and determine whether Home Ed Explorers is suitable for them.
👩🏫 Who leads Home Ed Explorers?
Home Ed Explorers is led by experienced and qualified Forest School practitioners who are passionate about outdoor learning and helping children develop confidence, independence and a genuine connection with nature.
Karen
Karen is a qualified teacher, Level 3 Forest School Leader, WILDpassport Practitioner, Outdoor and Paediatric First Aider, and is currently training as an Outdoor Mental Health Practitioner.
Heather
Heather is a Level 3 Forest School Leader, Therapeutic Forest Practitioner, Outdoor and Paediatric First Aider and delivers basic Yoga for Forest School.
Together, we aim to provide a safe, welcoming and encouraging environment where children can explore, take on challenges, learn practical skills and enjoy the freedom of the woodland.
🎒 What should children bring?
Home Ed Explorers takes place outdoors, whatever the weather, so children need to come prepared to explore, get muddy and enjoy the elements!
Please bring:
• A packed lunch
• Plenty of drinking water
• Waterproof coat and trousers
• Warm layers
• Sturdy, suitable footwear
• Spare clothes
• Hat and gloves during colder weather
• Any personal items your child may need during the day (just not electronics)
Sessions will run in all weather conditions unless high wind gusts make it unsafe to use the woodland.
A campfire snack will be provided during the day.
Children can eat their packed lunch and snacks when they are hungry rather than having to wait for a set lunchtime.
There’s a toilet and hand-washing facility available in the woodland.
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📅 Session Information
First session: Wednesday 9th September 2026
Time: 10am – 3pm
**Introductory offer for the 9th September 2026, each paying Explorer can add a non-paying Home Educator for FREE**
Location: Skitters Woods, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan
Exact location and arrival information will be provided following booking.
Frequency: Monthly, with the possibility of additional sessions as demand grows.
Age: 5/6 (year 1 age) –15 years
Maximum group size: 12 children
Booking: Places are booked per session, so there is no commitment to book a block of dates.
Price: £35 per child
Sibling discounts are available.
Date
Wednesday 30 September 2026 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM (UTC+01)Location
Wise Oak Forest School,
Skitters Woods, , Woodedge,, A-in-M, Wigan,
Contact Form
Home Ed Explorers
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