St. John Ogilvie
Working with St. John Ogilvie Early Years in Bourtreehill, Woodland Wakeup modeled outdoor learning and activities to staff, children and parents at drop-in sessions in a local park, getting everyone involved and increasing nature-connectedness and wellbeing in this community.
Seeing the children’s independence and confidence grow by participating in outdoor activities has been amazing. Woodland Wakeup has had a positive impact children and the staff team. It has been lovely as a team to get outdoors together while working with the children in a totally different environment and experiencing opportunities that are new to us. It’s been fun and exciting, looked forward to coming on a Friday, it gave staff a nice wee boost to end the working week.
Woodland Wakeup will have a lasting impact on our organsiation. I learned and experienced lots of different things while attending the sessions and got lots of ideas for things that I could adapt and bring back to the setting and introduce as part of our planning for our outdoor environment. I would recommend Woodland Wakeups services to other families /organisations.
It has been fantastic, I have really enjoyed coming along. I would just like to say the staff running these sessions that we have met have been absolutely brilliant, so helpful, approachable and welcoming, they helped make it such an enjoyable experience.
Lauren, Child Development Officer
[The sessions improved me and my families’ wellbeing because we were] Outside and doing things I don’t know how to do. Kids wouldn’t experience this as we don’t know how to start a fire. [I usually] Won’t pick up bugs [but the Woodland Wakeup staff did to show my kids].
[Coming to Woodland Wakeup sessions has made my family more likely to get out into nature together because] We now want to go camping. Have Woodland Wakeup’s sessions made you more aware that spending time in nature is good for you and your families’ wellbeing? The kids look very happy. More boring at park
Really good how we were approached by staff. Made us think okay we will give it a go. Really good for kids.
Katie, parent
[These Woodland Wakeup sessions increased me and my families’ wellbeing because they] made me go outside more and made us go outside more together. My kids enjoy going outside more [since coming to sessions]. [We are more aware that spending time in nature is good for wellbeing because sessions] made us feel good. [Sessions have] made [more local] families spend more time outside.
Steph, parent
We were on the way home looking for squirrels when we stumbled across the session. We were made to feel very welcome. After that I made a tepee with my oldest son. He enjoyed it. The other boys ended up on the ropes between the trees and the hammocks.
I thought it was quite good. there were quite a lot of things I didn’t know. I learned about some knots and I have never sat and made a fire myself and I’m 32. It is good to get the kids back to the basics. The boys loved seeing the fire getting made and toasting the marshmallows and taking part using the fire steels. I would always have just used a lighter to make a fire so this was different.
The boys really enjoyed it. I just was good to get time out.
They were boggin by the end of it! It got us out of the house for a few hours. My youngest told his mum all about it and their gran. They talked about it a lot after.
If we were to come across something similar again the boys would want to share their experiences. Hopefully we can get to more sessions.
David, parent