WildPlay creates playful opportunities for children across Herefordshire to explore nature outdoors.
I am sure if we all think back to our own childhood’s we have memories of our encounters with nature. I used to spend hours trying to build a rabbit warren for myself only for the mound of earth to cave in when I started getting anywhere! It was amazing what I found on my way though!
It is this sort of childhood encounter that contributes to a life long interest and love of nature. Children’s opportunities to play and explore in nature have been reduced through a variety of physical and social factors, which include fear of traffic and strangers and poor spaces for outdoor play.
Children also tend to spend their time in a different ways. Much of their free time is spent with technological babysitters like computers and television or in after school clubs and holiday play schemes.
This is where WildPlay comes in. We feel that it is important that children have formative, positive experiences with nature in order for them to grow up to be adults with a love for, and wish to care for the natural environment.
WildPlay offers:
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Environmental play activities for children and families.
» Click here for further information.
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Environmental play training for adults and young people
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A WildPlay membership scheme offering access to resources, ideas and inspiration.
» Click here for further information.
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A ‘Where Wild Things Play’ guide to exploring and playing outdoors.
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The WildPlay Kitbag will give you some ideas of wild activities you can do.
» Click here for further information.
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Wildlife Watch groups – run by volunteers, supported by Herefordshire Nature Trust, Watch introduces children to nature in their own local communities.
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An activities page on this website also provides plenty of information and ideas for playing in nature.
WildPlay Projects
WildPlay Nature Rangers
Nature Rangers have been having lots of fun playing with you this year... we have been playing in Ross on Wye, Ledbury, Hinton, Bromyard, Leominster, Hunderton, Newton Farm. Thanks for joining us and keep your eyes here for more news in the Spring! In response to children’s request to play in woods and streams near their homes we’ll continue to bring nature play to green spaces near front doors and local nature places.
Contact Jo Dainty for more information on 01432 356872 or email: wildplay@herefordshirewt.co.uk
To keep you going here are a few of our favourite pictures from the past year! Can you spot yourself?
WildPlay Rangers
The WildPlay project is continuing to work with Marches Housing Association to make sure that children on housing estates, particularly in North Herefordshire, get the chance to engage with the natural environment. The WildPlay Rangers run activities where the children live to help them discover the nature on their doorsteps.
We are working in Partnership with North Herefordshire Children's Centres to provide fun and inspiring outdoor play sessions for under 5’s throughout the spring, autumn and winter seasons. At the same time we have taken the opportunity to help them develop their outside green spaces. This has been taking place in Wigmore, Conningsby and Kington Children's Centres and Shobdon and Weobley Primary School where North Herefordshire Children's Centre run groups every week. We have worked with both children, parents and staff to create ponds, living willow tunnels, benders, and natural art spaces in the hope that it will help them to take ownership of their wonderful outdoor spaces! We provide parents and Sure Start staff with new ideas for playing outdoors and helpful handouts so they can recreate ideas in the centre or at home. Most of our craft activities can be created by reusing household items or natural materials which can be found in a local wood or green space.
WildPlay Rangers have also been working in Bromyard with CSO Sue Berret... more to come next Spring!
Here are some of the pictures we took of Wildplay fun this year!
Where Wild Things Play
We’ve been exploring Herefordshire’s nature gems for the past 3 years! 3995 of you have attended events, meandering in meadows, wandering in woodlands and roaming beside rivers and over 4000 of you have done our nature trails. Our generous funding from Heritage Lottery finishes Spring 08 but fear
not, you can still:
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Get hold of your copy of Where Wild Things Play; Explore! A guide to places to play and activity ideas. Click here to download a copy or call 01432 356872 to get one sent in the post.
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Go exploring with one of our family activity nature trail sheets.
» Click here for more information.
