School gone wild

One of Wild Tipi’s 2019 highlights was the coming together of three Cornish social enterprises, to create a new project for schools across Cornwall and beyond.

The ‘Room to Grow Project’, launched in July this year at Pensans School, Penzance, was a collaboration between The Rock Pool Project, Wild Tipi and The Character Tree. It was set up to teach children about the natural world and to develop skills in emotional resilience by giving them a chance to learn and play in nature. Held in three of Wild Tipi’s Giant Hat Tipis in the school’s field, the children were taken on a learning journey from the woods to the beach, right on their doorstep.

“the most extraordinary and joyful week for our children, parents and staff”

“This was the most extraordinary and joyful week for our children, parents and staff,” explains Head Teacher, Angela Clay. “It enabled all of our children to experience the magical and calming effect of the Giant Tipis, whilst engaging with nature and exploring their own inner resources.”

Each of the tipis took children into another world, starting with a woodland experience led by Wild Tipi’s Sam Moore. Here, children were encouraged to take time to explore sensory activities and create woodland crafts, whilst also learning what it takes to set up one of the enormous Giant Hat Tipis, made in the UK from sustainable English pine. They were encouraged to switch off the busy world around them, to engage their senses and experience the benefits of an immersion in nature.

They were then taken to the ‘beach’ in a second tipi, where the Rock Pool Project provided a mobile rock pool, packed full of creatures including four different species of crab, amazing fish, scallops and much, much more.

Finally, they were given the chance to develop emotional resilience alongside Shona Pye from the Character Tree, who helped them to reflect on all the positive qualities of their character through being creative and making their own character tree. The children were able to share with each other all the wonderful qualities they had used throughout the morning’s activities, such as creativity, kindness, gentleness and confidence.

“This is the first step of an amazing journey to support young people,” says Sam Moore, Partner at Wild Tipi, “by giving them the chance to learn and grow in nature. To see them explore, play and grow in confidence in just one day was truly wonderful.”

The hope at Wild Tipi is to build on the success of The Room to Grow Project and to work with schools all around the county to help them learn and grow in nature.

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To find out more about how you can work alongside Wild Tipi in community or school projects, or to talk to them about hiring a tipi for a wedding or event, email sam@wildtipi.co.uk or visit www.wildtipi.co.uk

Wild Tipi

07714 738022

www.wildtipi.co.uk