Pegs and Marshmallows

It's not everyday that pegs and marshmallows crop up together, however they were the basis of our end of term party this week

The evening started with a few games of "pegs in the wood". First the teams head out into the woods to choose their base where they will store their stash of pegs. The aim is to get as many pegs as possible from their base clipped onto the line, however to do that they must get past the defenders. Anyone who's caught must hand over their peg and go back to base to get another.

After that it was a short walk through the woods to get to the camp fire, which is of course where the marshmallows came in, a camp fire wouldn't be quite the same without them.

The term may be over but this weekend we will be at the Jubilee Green Sports Day, there are lots of activities planned some on bikes, some without. We'll be there with the badge maker.

Timmy's Travels

On Spring camp we placed Timmy the travel bug into a geo cache by the campsite.

Since then Timmy has been traveling around the country, first to South Wales where he visited three different caches, then on to Cornwall where he has visited the Eden project. He's visited two other Cornish caches, and the people who currently have him report that they are going over to Essex soon and will be taking him to a new cache over there.

So far he has travelled 206.3 miles.

Fun at the Fair

This afternoon we were at Stoke Lodge School's summer fair with our new badge making machine.

Lots of children and even a few adults stopped by to make a badge, there were some fantastic designs.

There was lots of interest in the group, we gave out quite a few leaflets and raised a bit of money in the process. We're hoping to take the badge maker out to a few more events over the summer so do watch out for us.

Waiting list for September 2012

Elfins are our younger age group at Bradley Stoke and are aged 6 - 9 years old. Providing places are available children are able to join the group at the start of the term when their sixth birthday falls.

However places are filling fast, if you have a child of elfin age, or who will be six during the next school year and is interested in joining the group please contact us about joining the waiting list.

Pioneers are our older age group, 10 - 12 years old. We have only recently started running Pioneers at Bradley Stoke and so still have spaces in this group. If you have an older child who is interested in joining please get in touch.

If you would like more information please contact Jenny and Daniel on 0117 9093969 info@southwestwoodcraft.org.uk

Summer plans

Hooray, the weather has been great for playing outdoors, time for those big games that just don't fit inside. This week we were out on the field playing touch blue, a game involving finding items of a certain colour. IT was impressive to see just how many things the children found in what a first sight looked a very bare field.

Indoors the pioneers have started making leather pouches. Last week they worked out their designs and made templates, this week they have started cutting them out. There will be a lot of work going into these, finshing with a handmade wooden button.

The Elfins have been making underwater mobiles, last week we used tissue paper and glue to decorate sheets of card ready for making our underwater creatures. We should have been cutting them out this week, but I forgot to bring the decorated card so we extended our game session instead. Still the games were fun, and next week we'll get back to the mobiles.

Spring camp 2012

Well we're back from camp, though even after a night in a real bed I think some of us are still catching up on missed sleep!

When we got to the camp-site it was raining, the advance party had already arrived and put up some shelter and were busy working on the kitchen tent. Once the children arrived we started getting their tents up. Putting up a tent you have never seen, in the rain is not the best way to start the camp!. Fortunately after heavy rain overnight Saturday and Sunday were both dry.

Queuing up for Breakfast on Saturday Morning

Mmm eggy bread and beans

Our walk out the the geo cache, where we left Timmy to start his own adventure

And having a rest along the way

After lunch we had some craft actvities, paper marbling and making our own juggling balls

Of course if you m make juggling balls you have to try them out

 There was also bushcraft, everyone paid attention to the safety talk

Before settling down to work

Saturday night was rounded off with a campfire and a chance to make a campfire toffee apple and learn a few songs.

Sunday morning everyone had a chance to make a camp badge, to add to their badge hangers and remind them of them camp. There there was time for a quick game of capture the flag before we had to take the tents down and say goodbye to everyone.

Off to camp with Timmy

It's an an exciting weekend for our group with several of us off to Spring Camp. We're heading out to the Forest of Dean on Friday evening for 2 nights away, sleeping in tents and meeting people from other groups in Bristol. Some of us have been to camp before while for others this will be a new experience.

There are plans for lots of time outdoors exploring the area, crafts, games, bushcraft and or course no camp would be complete without a campfire. The weather over the last couple of weeks has not been ideal for camping but with our waterproofs on we're not going to let a bit of rain stop us.

We've got a new member of the group coming along with us, meet Timmy

Timmy won't be coming back with us though, he's a travel bug. On Saturday morning we're hunting a local geo cache. We'll put Timmy in the geo chace with a message form Woodcraft, then we're relying on other geo cahes to help Timmy travel, they can take him and move him to a new geo chace. We'll be able to follow his progress so watch out for updates of where he's been.

The rest of us will be coming back, hopefully happy and probably tired and with photos of the weekend.