Forest School Spring Sessions

Booking is now open for our next set of Forest School sessions aimed at 2-5 year olds in Rowntree Park.

Friday 28th of February-  3rd April 2020  10am-11.30am

Places are strictly limited and must be booked in advance – see below

Magical moments being nurtured in nature

It is so important for children, and adults, to spend time outdoors in nature. Forest school is more than just sessions outdoors.  It is a specialised approach that is learner centred and aims to promote the holistic development of the child.  Through hands-on practical learning, Forest school fosters resilience, confidence, self-esteem, independence and creativity and encourages children to take risks within a supportive learning environment set in nature.

We provide the setting and a range of activities and resources.  The sessions are child-led and they can explore what interests them, facilitated by our qualified Forest School Practitioner, Christine.  In our woodland area we have hammocks, slacklines and other similar equipment set up in each session.  Each week will have focus activities such as foraging, campfire cooking, mini-beast hunts, fire lighting, woodland crafts, storytelling, weaving,  and natural paint making and more.

Child-led learning and exploration

Rowntree Park Forest School will be themed around a nature topic but essentially child-led so they will evolve naturally according to individual children’s interests and abilities.  There will be lots of time for free play and exploration of the individual’s interests as well as focused activities.

Time to develop, connect and grow

Forest School’s ethos recommends a range of continuous sessions rather than one-off ad hoc sessions, therefore we are offering a six-week course aimed at preschoolers (2-5 year olds).  Homeschoolers are also welcome.

Due to the nature of the activities, places are strictly limited and must be booked in advance. Parents stay and engage with their children and learning at the sessions – fun, relaxing, mindfulness for all!

Save money on the sessions AND help your local park?

You can become a member of Friends of Rowntree Park for just £5 a year per household.  For this, you get discounts at our events, monthly newsletters, 10% off in the cafe for the year whilst helping support our volunteer work in maintaining and improving Rowntree Park.  You can join here:

www.rowntreepark.org.uk/membership

If you would like further details about membership or Forest School sessions, then please get in contact with Abigail at membership@rowntreepark.org.uk

Big Kids Forest School 2020

 Join us for monthly Saturday Forest school/bushcraft session aimed at children aged 6 and over.   The next available dates are:

Saturday 18th of April 1-2.30pm 

Saturday 16th of May 1-2.30pm 

SPECIAL event for 5-8 -year-olds

We are also running a special session for 5-8 year olds: Saturday 16th May 10.30-11am

Those who have been attending 6-12 Forest School can opt into their usual afternoon group OR choose to be with children their own age. Those with siblings can opt into whichever group works best (don’t need to split up). 

We started running these sessions in September 2019 and they have proved very popular.  The sessions have continued to run each month and tend to sell out.  The sessions will get children outdoors and engaging with nature. Sessions will include a mix of:

• Fire lighting and campfire cooking
• Bushcrafts – using tools, knives, drills and saws to create
• Nature based arts and crafts

Each session will have a particular focus.  You are welcome to attend a session as a one-off or come as often as you’d like.

All sessions include hot chocolate and marshmallows (or suitable alternatives) that the children will make on the open fire or using the Kelly Kettle.

The sessions will take a Forest School approach – Forest school is more than just sessions outdoors. It is a specialised approach that is learner-centred and aims to promote the holistic development of the child. Through hands-on practical learning, Forest school fosters resilience, confidence, self-esteem, independence and creativity and encourages- children to take risks within a supportive learning environment set within nature.

The sessions are run by our forest school trained volunteer Christine. All very reasonably priced for experiences that are utterly priceless! All profit goes back into our volunteer work in maintaining and improving the park too!

Only  £6 for members and £7 for non-members.

Not a member? You can join for just £5 a year. Not only would you be helping our volunteer work in the park, but you also get a discount to all our events and 10% off in the cafe for the year. Join before booking your place – it comes straight through, so go ahead and buy a members place!

www.rowntreepark.org.uk/membership

Places are strictly limited, so book your place using the link below:

Buy

Special morning event 10.30-12pm

Important info

Tickets are non-refundable, but you are welcome to sell your ticket if you get the buyer to contact us. If we have to cancel the event then all money would be refunded.

There is no physical ticket – Paypal confirms and we will send you an email within a week of payment. Any questions then please email – (abigail at membership@rowntreepark.org.uk)

The sessions are aimed at children 6+ and they should be accompanied by an adult. No adult ticket is needed.   Your child is welcome to come with another adult who has other children at the event.  If you need to bring a younger sibling along, just let us know.  They are welcome to come but will not be able to use the resources.  If you’d like them to use resources then please buy them a ticket. They would need to remain under your strict supervision as we aim our sessions at older children.

We email all those who have booked on around a week before – check your emails, including junk mail!

When Rowntree Park is closed due to floods, we have access to Danesmead Wood which is 5 mins walk from the park (just across Millenium Bridge).

Photograph Competition 2019

A huge thank you to all who entered our Photograph competition that closed at the end of October 2019.  We had a lovely range of images showing different aspects of the park.  All finalists images will go into a display to be hosted in Rowntree Park reading cafe at the start of 2020.

All finalists also get a 12×8 print of their image.  Prints are also available to buy for just £3 – all money raised goes toward our volunteer work in the park.

You can see the images of the finalists below.

The names of the finalists are: Jane Dickins (reflection and lychgate), Barney Sharatt (ducks, mercury’s head, and mercury in shadows) Helen Barlow (squirrel), David Thomas (gates and horse), Victoria Hughes (ballerina and bubble), Sophie Hillier (park cafe, ducks, swan) Theo Hughes age 5 (ladybird on apple).

The overall winning image, chosen by our judges was by  David Thomas of ‘The Horse’ and he will receive a voucher for the cafe.  The runner up was by Barney Sharratt of Mercury in shadow.  A huge thank you to all who entered.  No specific skill or cameras were needed, just a willingness to share your lovely pictures of the park. We love these images.

Forest School Sessions – 2-5 year olds

Booking is now open for our second set of Forest School sessions aimed at 2-5 year olds in Rowntree Park.

Friday 8th of November to Friday 13th of December 2019 10am-11.30am

Places are strictly limited and must be booked in advance – see below

Magical moments being nurtured in nature

It is so important for children, and adults, to spend time outdoors in nature. Forest school is more than just sessions outdoors.  It is a specialised approach that is learner centred and aims to promote the holistic development of the child.  Through hands-on practical learning, Forest school fosters resilience, confidence, self-esteem, independence and creativity and encourages children to take risks within a supportive learning environment set in nature.

Sessions will include: Den building, foraging, campfire cooking, mini-beast hunts, fire lighting, woodland crafts, storytelling and natural paint making and more – all run by  Christine, our Very Young Friends group leader, who has taken her official training to be able to offer these amazing sessions that are exceptional value for money.

Child-led learning and exploration

Rowntree Park Forest School will be themed around a nature topic but essentially child-led so they will evolve naturally according to individual children’s interests and abilities.  There will be lots of time for free play and exploration of the individual’s interests as well as focused activities.

Time to develop, connect and grow

Forest School’s ethos recommends a range of continuous sessions rather than one-off ad hoc sessions, therefore we are offering a six-week course aimed at preschoolers (2-5 year olds).  Homeschoolers are also welcome.

The six-week block begins on Friday 8th November and the last session is Friday 13th December.  Each session runs from 10am-11.30am

Due to the nature of the activities, places are strictly limited and must be booked in advance. Parents stay and engage with their children and learning at the sessions – fun, relaxing, mindfulness for all!

Save money on the sessions AND help your local park?

You can become a member of Friends of Rowntree Park for just £5 a year per household.  For this, you get discounts at our events, monthly newsletters, 10% off in the cafe for the year whilst helping support our volunteer work in maintaining and improving Rowntree Park.  You can join here:

http://www.rowntreepark.org.uk/membership

If you would like further details about membership or Forest School sessions, then please get in contact with Abigail at membership@rowntreepark.org.uk

Rowntree Park History Project

Rowntree Park is so important to many of us, and a great place to spend time together as a family, relax and unwind.  The park has changed many times over the years since it’s opening in 1921.  We are inviting children aged 6-13 (approx) to join us for an interactive History session about the park where we can explore it’s past, present and possibly it’s future.

The session will lead to children starting to plan a way they’d like to share their findings with the public.  This may be a though a piece of art, a story, a poem or making a short film.  Their work will be displayed in the cafe and used on social media (films).

This is a session for children to really get to know their local park and what it has meant to people over time – they can find out about the music that used to happen weekly, the aviary, the swimming pool, the boating lake, the colourful characters that were the park keepers and more!

The session takes place on Sunday 24th of March 10-11.30am in Rowntree Park  Cafe.  The ticket price includes a drink and a pastry for children.  All events are run by volunteers, and children remain the responsibility of their parents/carers.  Abigail who is running this event, and involved in many of our children’s events, is a qualified teacher (history specialism).  Parents can have a relax in the cafe whilst the session is on – a perfect Sunday morning!

Not already a member?  You can join Friends of Rowntree Park for just £5 a year per household.  As well as priority/discount entry to events, you also get 10% off at the cafe for the year, monthly newsletters and the knowledge you are supporting our volunteer work in the park.

Join today! http://www.rowntreepark.org.uk/membership

Any questions regarding the project, please email Abigail at membership@rowntreepark.org.uk

Tickets are non-refundable, but you are welcome to sell your ticket on – but please let us know who it goes to so we can get in contact.

*Pictures courtesy of ‘Ruby Florence Lea’ and York Press archives.

The Dawn Chorus – Bird and Breakfast Event

Join us to hear the dawn chorus in Rowntree Park on Saturday 6th of April 6am-7.30am.

We are running a one-off special event to hear the sounds of the day starting.  We will watch and listen to birds, there will be some additional activities for children,  a stove to keep us warm and we will be cooking breakfast over the fire. A perfect start to a Spring day!

Bring a chair and a blanket and we (and nature) will do the rest!

The event is open to all ages and there are discount tickets for Friends of Rowntree Park members.  Single people, friends, families – all welcome! Bring your own binoculars or borrow some of ours.

We will meet at the Cameron Grove Gate entrance to the park at 6am.  Tickets must be booked in advance via the links below.

*Family ticket is 2 adults and 2 children under 18 or 1 adult and 3 children

Once you have paid you will receive an instant confirmation from Paypal and within a week a confirmation from us. Tickets are non-refundable but if you resell your ticket, please provide details to us.

Breakfast includes a bacon or sausage sandwich and a hot drink – cooked outdoors!  Vegetarian options are available and other allergies/intolerances may be accounted for – but please email before purchasing a ticket.

All events are run by volunteers (with appropriate training and skills)  and any profit made from our events goes back into the maintenance and improvements in the park.

Please email membership@rowntreepark.org.uk for further details.

Music in Rowntree Park!

We are excited to announce that 2018 has been the year that we have brought music back to Rowntree park!  With regular performances happening through the Spring and summer. Come down, bring a picnic, sit back and enjoy the music!

Music was such an important part of Rowntree Park when it first opened.  The original bandstand was located by the lynchgate until 1929,  and then later moved to south side of the park.  The bandstand was repaired in 1953 but by 1969 was showing major signs of damage, and further flooding in the 1980s and early 1990s led to the decision for it to be demolished.  Following the Lottery Grant funding from 1998, the current outdoor stage space was created near the Cameron Grove gates to the park.

The music we have planned may have no bandstand to perform in, but they will make the most of various locations across the park.  Through May, June and July we have been joined on some Saturday mornings by children from York Music Centre.  Groups such as the String group, Big Band and Folkestra have been performing in the area just underneath the cafe.  These performances will continue on Saturday mornings until the end of the term in Mid July.

We have recently managed to recruit Caroline as our volunteer music coordinator and she has set about organising for a range of diverse musicians to perform in the park.  There are still more to be confirmed, but our current timetable is below.  We hope you agree that music in the park is a fantastic addition.   Please follow us on Facebook for up to date details on events. All performances are weather dependent.

10th June 2-3pm – The Rich Hardcastle Band

23rd June 12-5pm – York College Music Showcase*

24th June 12-1.30pm – White Sail

24th June 2-4pm –  Sax Forte

21st July 2-3pm – Track29

22nd July 2pm – The Big Sing*

*York College event and the Big Sing are independent of the Friends of Rowntree Park, please contact the relevant companies for further details on these events. The ‘Big Sing’ is a free event organised by York Arts Education, but please book tickets here.

If you’d like to find out more about music in the park, please contact info@rowntreepark.org.uk

The Nature Ninja’s return!

After a first successful half term, the Nature Ninja’s are leaping into action for another half term!    This after-school club for primary aged children 4-9 (ish) will be running bi-weekly sessions on Thursdays 4pm-5pm In Rowntree Park.

Activities and adventures to engage and excite that will include a mix of science, engineering, art and crafts and much more!  A focus on the natural world around us and the local community, teamwork, problem-solving and most importantly, lots of fun!  We meet at our clubhouse under the cafe.

There is a limit of 10 places available for the ‘Nature Ninjas’. The sessions are run by volunteers and children remain the responsibility of their parents throughout the session.  We aim to create sessions where the children and grown ups can get involved in activities together.

Each session is only £2 per child for Friends of Rowntree Park (a total of £8 for the half- term) and £3 a session to non-members (£12 for the half term).  However, it works out better, in the long run, to become a Friend of Rowntree Park member for just £5 a year per household. See link below.

The dates of the sessions are June 7th, June 21st, July 5th and July 19th.

Take a look at our recent blog post to see some of the fun activities we’ve been up to this half term!

To join Friends of Rowntree Park it is only £5 per household.  The money goes back into maintaining the park (lots of gardening!) and running events for the community.  You also get 10% off at the cafe, monthly newsletters and free/discount/priority booking for events. You can pay by cash/bank transfer or PayPal.

http://www.rowntreepark.org.uk/membership

Contact membership@rowntreepark.org.uk for further details.

Tea and spiced apple cake; rewards after gardening!

10 volunteers came to help plant hundreds of daffodil bulbs this morning, and were rewarded with home-made cake, as well as our normal tea/coffee. I was asked for the recipe for my mum’s spiced apple cake, so here it is (below).

Meanwhile, many thanks to all the hard working volunteer gardeners!

Spiced apple cake

• 4oz butter/marg
• 7oz sugar
• 1 egg
• 7oz self-raising flour
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp all spice
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• pinch of cloves
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup of unsweetened apple puree (if home made, then make sure it is reasonably smooth and not too wet)

Cream together butter and sugar, blend in flour and eggs, and then all the other ingredients.

Bake in a greased, bottom-lined  tin, for 60-70 mins, at 350F, 180C or gas mark 4

Top with lemon icing.