FREE Growing Up Wild events, offering families the chance to get out and play in the Clyde Valley, are available this summer holiday.

Following the success of the fully subscribed spring Growing Up Wild play sessions, Heritage Lottery Fund supported Clyde and Avon Valley Landscape Partnership (CAVLP), have secured further funding from the William Grant Foundation to run a yearlong outdoor learning and woodland play project, starting with the summer sessions.

The sessions are being run by OutLET Play Resource and take place in the following locations:

Mauldslie Woods, Clyde Valley, every Tuesday from 28 June – 2 August

Lesmahagow Woodland Walk, every Wednesday from 29 June – 3 August

RSPB Baron’s Haugh, Motherwell, every Thursday 30 June – 4 August

Tickets can be booked through www.Growing-Up-Wild.eventbrite.com, but those interested in doing so are encouraged to do so quickly, following the popularity of the spring sessions.

Karen dobbins, Development Officer with CAVLP said, “We are really excited to be launching this project in the summer holidays with free, family woodland play sessions.  Feedback from previous programmes has told us that people want more woodland play and so the programme will run weekly in three locations throughout the summer.”

She added, “For many reasons, these days, children don’t get the opportunity to play freely outdoors, but we hope to change that. The summer sessions are a taster, but we hope that in the longer term people will be inspired to set up their own outdoor play clubs and CAVLP are here to help.”

CAVLP are offering support to any individual or groups who are interested in setting up outdoor play clubs. Interested parties can contact CAVLP on 01555 663 430 / info@clydeandavonvalley.com to find out more.

“OutLET Play Resource is a newly established local wild play initiative,” says Donna Marshall, CAVLP Manager. “The support and enthusiasm Jacqui has received in the first few months has been incredible and is testament to the amount of appetite there is for wild play.”

“We encourage anyone interested in setting up their own outdoor play clubs in the local area to approach us for advice.”

The summer play sessions are only a part of a wider project promoting natural play through Forest School training, an Outdoor Play conference and workshops in schools.

Growing Up Wild is just one in a number of national and international natural play initiatives, centred around www.thewildnetwork.com here in the UK. Natural play is widely acknowledged as much more than just fun – it is essential for children’s physical, social and emotional health and wellbeing. Yet, even a brief internet search will find a worrying number of reports on how little time kids get to play outdoors.  According to a report from the National Trust (Natural Childhood by Stephen Moss), fewer than 1 in 10 children regularly play in wild places.

For more information, or to book any of the sessions in Mauldslie Woods (every Tuesday from 28 June – 2 August), RSPB Baron’s Haugh (every Wednesday from 29 June – 3 August) and Lesmahagow Woodland Walk (every Thursday 30 June – 4 August), go to www.Growing-Up-Wild.eventbrite.co.uk.

For more information on what support is available for setting up a new, local outdoor play club, contact CAVLP on 01555 663 430 / info@clydeandavonvalley.com.

Clyde and Avon Valley Landscape Partnership
www.clydeandavonvalley.org