Running your own Learning Activity in the parks

Many schools and community groups such as Guides can use the parks for their own activities, without one of our team members there to lead them. It is almost always free of charge for these groups to use the parks, but you must gain permission from The Parks Trust team to ensure that the activity meets with our health and safety requirements and does not clash with other activities that may already be taking place in the park. 

In order for you to run your own activity in our parks, we ask that you follow the guidance for licensed activities and contact events@theparkstrust.com. As part of this process we will require a Risk Assessment, booking form and public liability insurance for your visit.

Suggestions for groups wanting to run their own learning activities in the parks:

 

  • If you already have a session booked with our Outdoor Learning team, your could run your own follow up session to give your group members more time to explore using the new skills and knowledge gained from their Parks Trust led session. This could be done in the same park or be a chance to explore somewhere different. 

 

  • Encourage your group members to share their new skills and knowledge with friends and family. You could run a sharing session where your group members bring a buddy to your next meeting and share with them what they have discovered in their Parks Trust led session. 

 

  • To save time, consider running your entire meeting/session in the park. If the group meet and/or get collected at a designated point in the park you could cut your journey time leaving more time for learning. If you do need to start or finish your session in your usual meeting location then consider incorporating the journey into the learning activity. You could play nature bingo or I Spy. Stop and discuss interesting things that you find on the way encouraging participants to use their senses to describe what they can see, hear, smell and feel around them. 

 

If you have any questions or would like ideas about how your group could use your local park for sessions, please get in touch at outdoorlearning@theparkstrust.com