Hi there! I’m Kathryn, the Wildchild Officer for Transforming the Trent Valley.

Thank you for joining me for another blog post.

Last Friday was the first session back for our Wildchild events and we had an amazing time!

As you may have seen from my previous blog posts, I’ve been very busy creating resources for families to enjoy during lockdown. I have really enjoyed making how to sheets and trying new crafts. Now I am really happy to be able to set up sessions for families to once again enjoy the outdoors safely.

If you cast your mind back to Friday, you might remember the weather was very mixed; strong winds, sun patches and occasional rain. Thankfully we are prepared for all weathers. This particular mix just made the session feel more wild and interesting. It was definitely a little entertaining to start with, both mine and my colleague Kath’s reflexes were tested trying to secure the equipment on the mat, as some smaller objects tried to escape into the wind. For the record: WildChild Team 1 – Windy Weather 0.

All set up for a socially distanced, Covid-aware WildChild session at the Burton Washlands.

We decorated a willow tree with amazing clay faces!

And went on a mini beast hunt where we found a scuttling beetle.

We successfully set up our Wildfamilies nest, a sanitation station and covered the nest with equipment for the children to enjoy. A wonderful wildfamily joined us and even though the weather was still on shuffle, everyone enjoyed connecting with nature and being creative.

We filled the time with a range of nature activities and because of how spacious the site is the children were able to run round safely.

Some highlights were:

• Exploring to complete a scavenger hunt
• Finding some incredible mini beasts including a massive beetle
• Decorating a willow tree with clay faces
• Making a mini bow, that worked really well
• Sitting in the sun drawing

Our session came to a close when three bells echoed from across the Washlands, we had to pack away and clean the equipment. It was fantastic to be back in Trent Valley and a great session to start back with. I am really looking forward to my next Washlands session this Wednesday.

To join us for more Wildchild events, keep an eye on our events page or follow us on social media.

Have fun!

Kathryn

• Let’s make a Pom-Pom Swan.
• WildChild Blog: A Sunny Afternoon.