East Midlands Forest Education Network Skills Festival 2024 (SOLD OUT)
About
Friday 26th April - Registration, networking, workshops followed by campfire dinner, night walk and camping. Arrival from from 3pm. Helpful information will be sent to you in advance.
Saturday 27th April - Registration and Networking from 8.30am Workshops start at 9.30 (details of workshops below) You will be able to choose one from each of the three sessions.
Buy weekend tickets (Both Friday and Saturday) £65
OR Saturday only tickets £45
SESSION 1 (9.40 -11.10)
Connecting through song and music making with Lauren - Explore the use of singing and music making in outdoor sessions with children. The workshop will include singing together, ideas of songs to use, an exploration of different instruments that can be made for forest school and ways to use instruments in your sessions. Please bring your own ideas to share too. Any instruments welcome.
Taking the Curriculum Outside with Nicki - Some practical ideas of how to cover National Curriculum objectives outside. Examples of activities from Maths, English, Science, Art, Geography and Technology across Key Stages FS – KS2.
Mini Beasts: Beyond the plastic pots with Bethan - Take a fresh look at different approaches to engaging learners with the tiny creatures who keep us all alive.
Willow Workshop with Nita - Nita is a Leicestershire artist who has made willow structures for many events and exhibitions. In this workshop you can make a simple willow form, a sphere or obelisk. Learn about this traditional craft and its uses, as well as the different types of Willow.
Simple Machines- A Car! with Mark - Mark has designed and developed this workshop where you will learn new or refresh existing tool skills whilst crafting a small wooden model car as an aide to memoire for the 6 simple machines of engineering. Inclined Plane, Wedge, Screw, Levers class 1, 2 and 3, Wheel with Axle and Pulley. Learn how to incorporate these elements into your own work.
Out of the Bag with Tara - Having something to pull out of the bag when running sessions can be a real help. This workshop is a chance to pick up ideas and have a chance to create a new item to add to your bag of tricks.
Bull Roarers with Rupert - A Bull Roarer is a flat lozenge shaped piece of wood that is spun on the end of a long string to make a loud, low frequency sound that can be heard over long distances in ‘the bush’. You will be using a small axe and knife to shape the hardwood blanks before refining the shape with carpenters’ rasps and sandpaper. Bull roarers can be used to engage students with the idea of vibrations causing sound. With practice they can be carved to produce different frequencies
SESSION 2 (11.40 -13.10)
Fairy Furniture with Luke - Make a small world furniture set using the principles of large-scale furniture building. We will look at a few versions before constructing your own set to take back to your setting. A few woodworking techniques will be covered as well as different ways of joining legs. This fun and informative workshop should prepare you to have a go making larger items for your Forest School.
Beyond Popcorn with Bracken - This workshop will introduce you to some quick and easy food options that you can make with a variety of ages even with limited session time. Vegan and other options available, all food needs to be eaten!
Connecting through song and music making with Lauren - Explore the use of singing and music making in outdoor sessions with children. The workshop will include singing together, ideas of songs to use, an exploration of different instruments that can be made for forest school and ways to use instruments in your sessions. Please bring your own ideas to share too. Any instruments welcome.
Work and Play with Natural Materials with Dave - Take a closer look at some common natural materials, understand their qualities. Then learn to create simple but safe structures, hoops, strong cordage and more. From this, a whole range of learning opens, widening and deepening your understanding and enabling you to pass skills on to others in your own unique ways.
Make Natural Paints and Pigments with Kirsty - Bushcrafter, Kirsty has recently returned from her visit to the Maasai, so there will be some tales to tell as well as; utilising stone, mud, clay, berries, and other natural materials you will recreate stone age pigment and art.
Simple Machines- A Car! with Mark - Mark from Forest Cool Crafts has designed and developed this workshop where you will learn new or refresh existing tool skills whilst crafting a small wooden model car as an aide to memoire for the 6 simple machines of engineering. inclined plane, wedge, screw, levers class 1, 2 & 3, wheel with axle and pulley. Learn how to incorporate these elements into your own work.
Out of the Bag with Tara - Having something to pull out of the bag when running sessions can be a real help. This workshop is a chance to pick up ideas and have a chance to create a new item to add to your bag of tricks.
SESSION 3 (14.00 – 15.30)
Beyond Popcorn with Bracken - This workshop will introduce you to some quick and easy food options that you can make with a variety of ages even with limited session time. Vegan and other options are available. All food needs to be eaten!
Carving Spectacular Spatulas with Luke - Use greenwood and sharp tools to make a functional spatula or spreader for Forest School. We will select appropriate timber, split and shape the wood down to size. You will have guidance on appropriate cuts, stop cuts, axe safety and whittling techniques. Learn to safely and accurately use bladed tools to give you more confidence for future projects. Everybody should leave with a usable item!
Willow Workshop with Nita - Nita is a Leicestershire artist who has made willow structures for many events and exhibitions. In this session you can make a simple willow form, a sphere or obelisk. Learn about this traditional craft and its uses, as well as the different types of Willow.
Make Natural Paints and Pigments with Kirsty - Bushcrafter, Kirsty has recently returned from her visit to the Maasai, so there will be some tales to tell as well as the opportunity for you to utilise stone, mud, clay, berries and other natural materials to recreate stone age pigment and art.
Forest Bathing with Karen - An introduction to Forest Bathing. Slow down and tune in to your senses and the season. Enjoy the feelings of peacefulness and calm that connecting with the woodland can bring.
Nature Inspired Jewellery Craft with Chris - Local SEN Teacher Chris will demonstrate the techniques involved in pewter casting over the campfire to make nature based designs. Have a go yourself and discuss how you might run the activity for a small group.
Bull Roarers with Rupert - A Bull Roarer is a flat lozenge shaped piece of wood that is spun on the end of a long string to make a loud, low frequency sound that can be heard over long distances in ‘the bush’. You will be using a small axe and knife to shape the hardwood blanks before refining the shape with carpenters’ rasps and sandpaper. Bull roarers can be used to engage students with the idea of vibrations causing sound. With practice they can be carved to produce different frequencies.
Location
Park Farm Training Centre (W3W Worms.spilling.pelting)
Ibstock, LE67 6PD
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