Our session leaders are experienced SEND professionals, and our camps aim to give every child the opportunity to spend quality time in nature. We aim to give as many children as we can a wonderful experience that they will remember for the rest of their lives.

Available Dates:

19th-22nd August (7-16 years)

Our four day programmes generally run as follows:

• Monday (10am-3pm): Meeting with the children at Treacle Valley for some fun outdoor games, and some sensory activities to switch on our senses and learn about some of the creatures we might find in the outdoors. Lunch is our special bannock bread, cooked by the children over the campfire!
• Tuesday (10am-3pm): Exploring the woods and taking part part in environmental activities and games, with some creative and artistic activities thrown in as the day goes on. Today is pancake day, don’t miss the spectacle of Rich attempting to toss a pancake without either burning it or flipping it into the fire.
• Wednesday/Thursday (5pm-midday, overnight camp): What an experience! Sunset games, fireside storytelling, a walk in the woods at night, marshmallows, breakfast around the campfire. For many children this is their first experience of camping and being away from home and they are always so excited and happy to join us. Children are accommodated in our giant bell tents and will only need minimal camping equipment – a sleeping bag and a torch – everything else is provided.

The format for young people aged 11-16 is similar but the activities are more mature and have a bushcraft/conservation focus. We generally include activities such as firefighting, knife and axe work and tracking with this age group.

The full programme costs £120 per child for the full four days. We can offer sibling discounts if you are booking places for more than one child. Our holiday clubs run at a small loss each year and we do not currently receive any external funding to provide them, but we want to be able to offer these experiences to as many children as possible. We understand that times are tough for lots of families, so if you would like your child to join our Treacle Valley Adventures but cost is an issue, then please let us know and although we can’t promise we will see what we can do.

For more information, please contact Rich at rich@taleblazers.org.uk or to book a place please complete the Microsoft Form below.

We have also ‘twinned’ our new toilet with a toilet in Nepal through Tearfund’s Toilet Twinning scheme, so a Nepali village has also benefitted from the installation of our loo! Rich and Elaine have a soft spot for Nepal, having spent some time out there in the early 2000s, so we loved to be able to support this brilliant scheme.

Mental Health Benefits

• Stress relief: Crafting can be a great way to relax and de-stress. The repetitive nature of many crafts can help to calm the mind and body.
• Improved mood: Engaging in creative activities can boost the production of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. This can help to improve mood and reduce anxiety.
• Increased self-esteem: Completing a craft project can give you a sense of accomplishment and boost your self-esteem.
• Cognitive stimulation: Crafting can help to keep the mind sharp and improve cognitive function.

Physical Health Benefits

• Improved hand-eye coordination: Many crafts require fine motor skills, which can help to improve hand-eye coordination.
• Reduced pain: Crafting can be a distraction from pain and can help to reduce its intensity.
• Improved sleep: Engaging in relaxing activities like crafting can help to improve sleep quality.
• Strengthened social bonds: Crafting can be a great way to socialise and connect with others.

Additional Benefits

• Creativity: Crafting can help you to tap into your creativity and explore new ideas.
• Productivity: Crafting can help you to be more productive by providing a focus and outlet for your energy.
• Mindfulness: Crafting can help you to be more mindful and present in the moment.
• Sense of community: There are many crafting communities online and in person where you can connect with other people who share your interests.

Why not come along to a Taleblazers session and try some of our crafting activities for yourself? 

The big task of the day was the tarp line and Karl and I arrived early to get the rope in place. We harvested some saplings from the newly-levelled car park area and the team got to work sharpening these into points to use as stakes. Chris meanwhile was salvaging some boards to build a raised fire pit, removing old nails and screws and working with Hollie to cut them to size. It was an amazing team effort with everyone chipping in and showing the children how to use the knives!

The results are fantastic, I can’t believe that this overgrown patch of woodland has become such a wonderful space in such a short space of time and I am so grateful to everyone for all their efforts.

Making wooden cookie figures

Using a saw and a drill, we made these charming wooden cookie people out of natural materials found in the woodlands, using some cut hazel and some bark shavings for legs. Aren’t they cute! Don’t be deceived by their name; they are sadly non-edible. A wooden ‘cookie’ is a round cross-cut of wood.

Making popcorn – Bushcraft style

Bushcraft popcorn: an open fire, some sieves lashed to some Hazel — and voila — popping popcorn! We have added some sugar, butter and cinnamon for a winning combination.

Looking for signs of wildlife

As we move through the woodland, we can look for badger sets, tracks, droppings, fur, or owl pellets to try and guess what might live in or visit the area. Sometimes, we’ve even spotted deer on our wildlife camera!

Making dens

As the old adage goes, we are estimated to survive for around 3 weeks without food, 3 days without water, and 3 hours without shelter (depending on conditions). In bushcraft, we practice our shelter building skills, letting the students lead and offering constructive feedback.

Hanging out in hammocks

With the trees above us, there’s nothing nicer than lying back and listening to the birds. On some sessions we’ve been more noisy, and played instruments (kazoos!) we’ve crafted, or bongos we’ve brought. We’ve meditated, we’ve cocooned, or swung gently in the breeze. And if we’re feeling a little more energetic, we might burn some of it off by tackling the slackline!

Slacklining is a great way to stay active while also improving balance, focus, and coordination. Plus, it’s just plain fun! It’s amazing how quickly they can make progress, developing confidence after a few turns up and down the line.

Students are encouraged to work together to figure out the best way to use the slack line and help each other out as they learn. It’s a great way to build teamwork and cooperation skills — all from just something so simple as two sturdy trees and a line.

If you visit us at one of our Earthworks community days, you’ll have to come and give it a go!

The journey to craft a kazoo out of natural materials was an adventure for Emily and the bushcraft students. With their knife, a saw, some coppiced Hazel, and a blade of grass they set off on a quest to make music!

We were thrilled at how engaged the students were as they tried different techniques and experimented with different blades of grass and ‘post-box’ sizings to produce different sounds.

It wasn’t an easy task, but our students worked hard and managed to produce a kazoo each. After some tweaking here and there (and quite a bit of laughter) they had perfected the art of making a sound that was a bit like a dying peacock.

Not only did they learn something new, but they also had a lot of fun doing it. Nothing beats hand-crafted music! Now, time to annoy some dogs…