Groups and Parties                                                                 Home

• see below for children's parties and group activities including castaways and fairy gardens

• click here for general group visits   including guided walks, overnight camping, bbqs and barn hire

CHILDREN'S PARTIES AND GROUP ACTIVITIES

                                                       WHAT CAN WE DO? 

Lots of ideas for a great day out!

Here is a summary of our activities, more details below.

                                                  With a leader

Name of activity                           Age range            Length of activity

1. Castaway                                  6-11                      2 hours

2. Kids camp                                 3-6                       1 hour

3. Survive in the wild                    8-13                     2 hours

4. Fairy/elf gardens                       3-8                       1 hour

5. Woodland monsters                  3-6                       1 hour

6. Teddy bears' picnic                   3-8                       1½ hours

7. Woodland games                      6-11                     1 hour

8. Bug Hunt                                   6-11                     1 hour

9. Quiz Walk                                 7-12                     1 hour

                                                  On your own

Castaway, Teddy bears' picnics, BBQs, Wild camp, Wild cookout, Trails

We are very flexible – if you would like to do something else, or for a different length of time, call to discuss ideas. Click here to get a printable booking form for children's groups.

Call us on 01825 830509 for further information or to make a provisional booking.

                                                     With a leader

• All these activities are led by an enthusiastic and experienced member of staff.

• Prices include admission so you can stay as long as you like before and after the activity.

• All activities involve getting dirty, so wear old clothes and waterproofs if wet. All activities are outdoors in the woods, and normally continue through showery weather. Phone in the morning if bad weather is forecast.

• Unless otherwise stated, bring a cake or picnic tea to enjoy in the picnic or play area after the activity.

• A prompt start is essential - make sure party guests arrive in good time.

• Parties can be run every day, usually with a 11.30 am or 2.30pm start.

1. Castaway Our most popular activity for birthday parties and for groups like brownies and cubs. We have information and booking form especially for it – please click here or ask to be sent details. Lasting 2 hours; we build shelters in the woodland and cook sausages and marshmallows over a camp fire.

CASTAWAY PARTY:
£91.50 for 2 hours Maximum 16 children (12 if under 7). Age range 6-11. Minimum 2 adults to accompany. Price includes 4 adults; extras pay usual admission charge.

2.  Kids camp  Camp building for little ones. Build a woodland camp with your friends! Make a shelter for your toys or yourself, a look-out post, flags and get yourselves camouflaged. Bring a picnic and birthday cake to enjoy in your camp after the activity.

KIDS CAMP PARTY:

£63 for 1 hour. Maximum 16 children. Age range 3-6. Minimum 3 adults to accompany. Price includes 4 adults; extras pay usual admission charge.

3. Survive in the wild Been on a castaway? Now try testing your survival skills in a woodland. What can you find to eat? Where would you get water? Will your shelter stand up to wind and rain? Can you light a fire with a flint lighter or a magnifying glass? Make your fire good enough to toast marshmallows!

SURVIVE IN THE WILD PARTY:
£91.50 for 2 hours. Max. 15 children. Age range 8-13. Minimum 2 adults to accompany. Price includes 4 adults; extras pay usual admission charge.

4. Fairy/elf Gardens  Find the magic place and listen to a story about woodland fairies and elves.  Make a fairy or elf garden in the woods and make a crown or wand to take home.

FAIRY/ELF GARDENS PARTY:
£63 for 1 hour. Max. 16 children. Age range 3-8. Minimum 1 adult to 2 children. Price includes 8 adults; extras pay usual admission charge.

5. Woodland monsters  Go into the dark woods in search of a monster! Listen to the story of the Gruffalo, get camouflaged with masks to take home, then follow the clues to his hiding place... Stickers for all. Accessible to buggies (some rough paths)

WOODLAND MONSTERS PARTY:

£63 for 1 hour. Max. 16 children. Age range 3-6. Minimum 1 adult to 3 children. Price includes 8 adults; extras pay usual admission charge.

6. Teddy Bears’ picnic Bring your teddy bears (or bunnies or dogs) for an adventure in the woods. Find the naughty bears who have run on ahead and collect some yummy things for your bear’s tea (please bring carrier bags!). Make a little woodland house for your sleepy bears, then have your own picnic tea amongst the trees (bring a few sandwiches, a drink and a few biscuits or similar). Then play some games with the bears on the way back!

TEDDY BEARS’ PICNIC PARTY:
£71.50 for 1½ hours. Max. 16 children. Age range 3-8. Minimum 3 adults to accompany. Price includes 4 adults; extras pay usual admission charge.

7. Woodland games Have fun with traditional party games in a woodland setting.
Hunting and team games, and find out what the old man of the woods has left behind.
Small prizes for all.

WOODLAND GAMES PARTY:
£63 for 1 hour. Max. 16 children. Age range 6-11. Minimum 2 adults to accompany. Price includes 4 adults; extras pay usual admission charge.

8. Bug hunt Discover and identify the creepy crawlies in the wood – find out who lives where and who eats who! Make a model of your best bug and record it in a special book to take away with you. Spring and summer only.

BUG HUNT PARTY:
£63 for 1 hour. Max. 16 children. Age range 6-11. Minimum 2 adults to accompany. Price includes 4 adults; extras pay usual admission charge.

9. Quiz walk Team fun investigating woodland wildlife. A fast paced exploration of the woodland followed by a running around quiz to see how much you remembered! Small prizes for all. Ideal for cubs and brownies.

QUIZ WALK:
£4.00 per child (min £52.50) for 1 hour. Max. 20 children. Age range 7-12 Minimum 2 adults to accompany. Price includes 4 adults; extras pay usual admission.

                                          On your own - activities to run yourself

10.  DIY Castaway  Run your own camp-building party! We are sorry but we cannot allow fires with this option but you can hire a BBQ afterwards. Build a shelter with woodland materials for the children and/or their toys, and enjoy a woodland picnic. Click here for a "How to..." sheet, and book on children's parties booking form.
£5 plus normal admission or group discount rate if 15 or more people.

11. DIY Teddy Bear's picnic  Run your own picnic party! Click here for a "How to..." sheet, with the activity structure, hints and tips and a map for you to run this hugely enjoyable party yourself. Especially suitable for young children. Book on children's parties booking form.
£5 plus normal admission or group discount rate if 15 or more people.

12. Explore on your own Follow the signposted ¾ mile woodland trail or the ¼ mile easy –access path with quiz, discovery sheets and spotter sheets. Enjoy the adventure playground. Explore wherever you like –build a camp on the way! Devise your own games or scavenger hunt.
ADMISSION ONLY (FOR BOOKED GROUPS OF 15+)
Adults £3.05 Concessions £2.60
Children 3-15yrs £1.85 (Helpers for disabled free)

13. Bring a picnic or hire a BBQ stand Enjoy your picnic in the grassy picnic area overlooking the paddock and the wood or near the adventure play area. There are two fixed barbecue stands available for hire – one near the play area and one in the grassy area, and one portable stand. Please bring utensils!
Use of barbecue stand £4.00,  bag of firewood £4.00, charcoal £5.50
Lighting charge £4.75 per stand (if required). Usual admission charges.

14. Wild cook-out Use our traditionally–built shelter deep in the woodland
(20 min walk) for a really secluded campfire. Click here for info and booking form.

15. Wild camp Cook your dinner over a fire, watch the stars and camp out
in our wooden shelter deep in the woods. Click here for info and booking form.

16. Party bags are available at  £2.40 each.  They contain  two fun toys, a Wilderness Wood pencil and a fun sweet, in a recycled paper carrier bag. Price £2.40 each. Please order on your booking form. Toys rotate periodically.

17. Trail guides and activity sheets are available to help you
understand and enjoy the wood.
Trail leaflets 25p, quiz, spotter, discovery and activity sheets 15p

GROUP VISITS

2. Find out about Wilderness Wood with a guided walk and demonstration, lasting about 1¼ hours; fascinating and entertaining. Up to ¾ mile distance. For the less mobile we use the “easy access” path (¼ml). If wet, a talk and demonstration in the barn. Choose from:
A. “About Wilderness Wood” – find out how the wood ticks from the people that run it – including its history, wildlife and how we grow wood. Can include a demonstration – have a go yourselves!
B. “Poison, glue and magic” – peculiar and interesting old uses of plants. Especially good at bluebell time (April/May).
C. “Woodland fungi – death or dinner?” (Sept/Oct). Look into the amazing world of toadstools, with Anne Yarrow.

GUIDED WALKS/ DEMONSTRATIONS: 
Adults £5.15; concessions £4.60; inc. admission. Minimum £52.50
 

3. For children. Adventure play area, and endless scope for games. Very popular for birthday parties. The trail has quiz and discovery sheets, and there are seasonal spotter sheets. Please click here for full details of creative fun for children’s groups and birthday parties.
 

4. Bring a picnic, or hire a BBQ stand Enjoy your picnic in the grassy picnic area overlooking the paddock and the wood or near the adventure play area. There are two fixed barbecue stands available for hire – one near the play area and one in the grassy area, and one portable stand. Please bring utensils! You also need admission tickets.
Use of barbecue stand £4.00, bag of firewood £4.00, charcoal £5.50
Lighting charge £4.75 per stand (if required).

 

5. Wild cook-out Use our traditionally–built shelter deep in the woodland
(20 min walk) for a really secluded campfire. Click here for further information and booking form.
 

6. Wild camp Cook your dinner over a fire, watch the stars and camp out in our wooden shelter or a tent deep in the woods. Click here for further information and booking form.
 

7. Enjoy delicious teas and lunches in the timber barn or tea garden including ploughman's lunches, freshly filled rolls, locally-made soup, local farm ices, Sussex cakes.
Souvenirs and woodland products to browse and buy.

 

8. Hire the barn. A unique timber building (with woodstove) that you can hire for your exclusive use; including kitchen. From 5.30 / 6.00pm only.  Barn seats 56, with additional seating for 25 in shelters in the tea garden behind the barn.

Kitchen includes hot washing water, dishwasher, kettles and urn, microwave, hot plate and two shelves in fridge. Excludes use of crockery and cutlery.
Barn hire: £50 for up to 4 hours, plus £50 deposit, plus admission.

  Wedding hire  Prices on application.

 

9. Trail guides and activity sheets are available to help you understand and enjoy the wood.
Trail leaflets 25p, quiz, spotter, discovery and activity sheets 15p