Who are the parties for?
Anyone who wants to have fun playing outdoors in fields, woods and streams, making camps, dens, campfires and getting muddy. We can do parties for children from aged 4 to 16.

When are the parties?
We do them on Saturdays, holidays (see holiday dates) or after school on Fridays (April to October). Parties generally last for 4 hours, however for children under 5 we recommend a 2 hour party. Times range from 10:30am - 2:30pm, and then any 4 hour slot through the day e.g. 2pm - 6pm or even a party to end with a night walk e.g. 4pm - 8pm.

Where are the parties?
The parties start at Upper Swainswick House, BA1 8BU. We travel around Swainswick Valley, Little Solsbury or Charmy Down, all just outside Bath.

What happens on a party?
We get ready, talking about the equipment we need to take exploring – clothing, food, water, shelter, ropes. We set off usually on foot, aiming for the woods. We walk through a beautiful landscape - talking and playing, collecting materials for the fire, concentrating on navigating our way through the landscape e.g. sometimes we have to climb over and under trees and up and down slopes using ropes. When we get to the camp we settle in - build a campfire, set up rope swings and bridges for play, find an area to dig with trowls, build dens, explorer the woods, do craft activities, eat, visit the stream and mud slide. Play!
Depending on your child's interests we can focus on particular themes e.g. cooking on the fire and wild food foraging. Taking some batter and oil and foraging for wild food along the way like burdock roots and silver leaf roots, nettles. When we have the campfire we can dip them in batter and put in hot oil to make 'fritters'. We can bring other things which are even tastier made into fritters like sliced apples or even sweeter things like making pancakes. If you decide to bring a cake then we either have it out in the woods or have it round a table back in the garden/house.

You can search the blog for parties in the month your considering and the age of your child, e.g. "March party, turning 8".
Link to Oscar's party - December 11th 2010, turning 7
Link to Amber's party - September 4th 2010, turning 13
Link to Jack's party - January 24th 2009, turning 8, we met Elfina on this party

Hom much are the parties?
For prices, explanation of times, etc please click here. Please contact us to book or for more information.

What do the parents do?
Parent(s), of the birthday child, come along as well. We may give you some jobs to do but there'll be time to relax, look at the view and observe your child/children and their friends, getting to know their different characters. You are 'in loco parentis' whilst we are insured for all the activities.

What happens if it pours with rain?
The children really remember a party in the rain and talk about it for years! Good clothing is important and children should bring waterproofs. There is no such thing as poor weather, only poor clothing! We have extra clothing and we check children are properly dressed before we set out and loan them clothing if not. If it is raining before we set off we shelter, telling stories, playing games and when it subsides we go. If we are caught in a rainstorm whilst walking to and from camp we take shelter under an 'emergency tent' or tarpaulin, watch the rain clouds, have a chocolate biscuit, tell stories... If we have reached our camp in the woods the trees shelter us plus we have tarpaulins at the camp and a campfire so everyone can keep warm and dry if they want to. When it rains the ground is perfect for creating 'mud slides' down a slope. In our experience this makes for a very exciting and memorable party and the children really throw themselves into it. If it has been raining the sense of achievement is even greater at the end of the party because the children are proud of themselves for having overcome the odds and survived! Sophie's Party, October 26th 2010 is an example of seeing what it is like in the rain. Read the diary.

What is there to eat?
The picnic that we bring typically has carrots &/or apples, cheese, bread, sausages (already cooked), ketchup, marshmallows and something sweet like chocolate digestive biscuits. We bring everything with us. If you decide to do the picnic yourself the cost is £25 less, here is a list of what we tend to bring on the walks and feel works well.

Picnic list:-

• carrots and/or apples - If carrots, apples and biscuits can be at the top of the bag that would be great as we'll eat those first
• some favourite biscuits
• bottles of water for you all
• table cloth
• bread, already cut in slices
• ketchup
• sausages cooked beforehand , we recommend Terrys Butchers (01225 464655) at end of Walcot Street, they are a bit more pricy but absolutely delicious
• cheese for veggies
• marshmallows (FYI they melt if too near the sausages in the bag!)
  
• tin of baked beans and bag of spoons to eat out of tin
• some potatoes wrapped in foil for baking in the fire?
• If you make up some batter someone can make pancakes (let us know and we'll bring a frying pan and oil)
• Thermos of tea for yourselves