Exciting grant award!

We were so excited back in May 2022 to be awarded funding from the British Ecological Society! They congratulated and supported our project for under 5s and their caregivers to explore the natural world through 8 Autumn play sessions at one of our favourite wooded settings, Gatis Community Space in Wolverhampton.

“This project focusses on introducing kids under 5 years old to the field of ecology through hands-on, outdoor activities. I believe this initiative has a great potential to develop scientific thinking in kids and their caregivers within an urban context. The proposal has clear objectives, methods and evaluation endpoints, thus I believe there is a good chance of success. ”

BES Review College, May 2022

Who came along to play and explore?

From September to November 2022, we welcomed 87 children and 77 adults along to play which is almost 40% more adults and 10% more children coming along than anticipated. This was in part due to some children having more than one adult come along to see first-hand how ecology is interwoven into our everyday lives.

94% of families attended at least two sessions and it was great to present 10 certificates for those who came along to at least 4 sessions and 3 certificates for coming to 8 sessions. We celebrate the great ways little ones have explored, investigated and experimented through their play through these certificates.

Each week we explored a different ecological theme to start us talking about ways to support the natural world in our everyday lives

Happy Stories

We loved hearing about our play friends’ experiences from coming along each week.

In what ways have you noticed investigating and exploring during and after the sessions?

“Over the sessions her confidence with getting stuck into outdoor activities has grown, she would often find getting muddy quite hard and she is now less fussy about this…saying ‘it’s alright mummy!‘ She knows exactly how to plant bulbs in pots now, and her language around nature and the outdoors has grown as well. She now owns her own magnifying glass and loved using the different items in her basket to explore the space. “

“He loves to experience the sights, sounds and textures of the outdoors. There are always lots of different activities that are changed each week, this gives me many ideas to extend play in my childminding setting.”

Have the themes helped to increase awareness of basic ecological themes?

“They have really enjoyed all of the sessions they have attended. We wanted to join the sessions to get some much-needed time outside, to help her grow in confidence exploring nature and to have a safe space and time to play and get dirty!

We have enjoyed playing together and enjoying seeing the changing seasons. She has loved all the activities, learning more about the weather and now often says ‘it’s only a little bit of rain’ whereas before she was always keen to get back inside.”

“We have different plants and bulbs and seeds to grow each week, we watch them change and develop…he has helped water and taken care of these plants and seen the changes’

Caring for our world

“One morning he made hedgehogs with clay and sticks. He collected many branches and made a hedgehog den; looked at how hedgehogs curl into a ball then found out about nocturnal animals as we extended the learning in my childminding setting”

“Her love for the outdoors has grown – planting the bulbs and she often asks to see them on the windowsill. She can now spot things in the world around her such as mushrooms, acorns and different weather. She is beginning to learn how important it is to respect our planet and her enthusiasm for exploring new environments is growing.”

One week’s activities related to conservation and litter. Plastic balls were scattered in the ‘woods’ and children were challenged to collect them and put them in their proper place. On arrival to the session, W said to her mum, “What are they doing there?” We later discussed about thinking carefully about where things belong and the need to take care of each place properly.

What kind of activities did we enjoy?

The session activities were themed to ecological topics such as habitats, weather, recycling and plant growth enabling young children to explore early scientific enquiry skills and simple natural science knowledge through play. There was also space for caregivers to share stories, have a much-welcomed cuppa and explore the varied themes and activities alongside their little one.

Where the Wild Things Are

"The sessions have also seen Wren's confidence grow around adults and other children and helped us meet people from different parts of the city and different cultures too. Her younger brother has loved getting stuck in and enjoying the activities on offer too!'

Using opportunities to develop skills such as basic problem-solving, exploration and experimenting in playful situations.

The digging area is always available to help with fine motor control development but is also a constant source of minibeast wildlife to investigate, discuss and inspire awe and wonder at the natural world for adults and children.

How can I join in?

Thanks to support from Gatis Community Space and their National Lottery Community Funding, we are able to continue to develop and deliver these fun sessions in Spring 2023 through Wolves in the Woods.

Come and join us exploring the world around us – book your space now here!

“The grant from British Ecological Society (BES) made it possible for these important and fun outdoor play opportunities to be delivered for little ones and their big ones in our city. We were encouraged that BES could see the value of the project and that they were confident in the project’s potential to successfully promote ecology to all ages and support our world. Thank you BES for supporting the success of this project to help grow a robust and innovative science cultural capital in our city.”

Helen, Early Years Director, Wolves Play Cafe

We are grateful to the funding that made the project possible from:

About British Ecological Society:

We were established in 1913 and have been fostering the science of ecology ever since. Our vision is for nature and people to thrive in a world inspired by ecology.

Exploring the World Around Us with the British Ecological Society!