What a brilliant couple of weeks we’ve had in the woods with our wonderful Nature Explorers! Over the Easter Half-Term, Harmony Woods was filled with laughter, learning, and a whole lot of chocolate. Here’s a little look back at the two fantastic sessions we hosted.

🥚 Week One: Traditional Easter Fun with a Lithuanian Twist!

So many cheerful Eggsplorers joined us in the woods for a magical morning of traditional Easter activities!

We were thrilled to welcome artist Jolanta Rolt, who led a beautiful Easter Egg decorating workshop, inspired by the traditions of her home country, Lithuania. Using onion skins, red cabbage, and flowers and plants foraged from the woods, our Eggsplorers created stunning natural patterns on their eggs. The process was as delightful as the results – and a perfect way to celebrate springtime in harmony with nature.

While the eggs were gently boiling in their dye baths, the Eggsplorers joined Matt, Natalia, and Hebe for a good old-fashioned Easter Egg Hunt (yes, the chocolate kind!), followed by some fun and silly nature-themed games.

We ended the session with the perfect seasonal snack – hot cross buns, enjoyed together under the canopy of budding trees.

A massive thank you to Jolanta for sharing her culture and creativity with us, to our brilliant volunteers, and of course to all the parents and Eggsplorers who made it such a special morning.

🐛 Week Two: Building Bug Hotels & Woodland Stories

In the second week, a smaller group of budding conservationists joined Matt and Natalia for a peaceful, creative session in Harmony Woods – and what a time we had!

We began with a scavenger hunt to collect natural materials for our next mission: building bug hotels! With their lists in hand (but full creative freedom), the children brought back an impressive haul of feathers, leaves, twigs, and even a few daisies.

After a mini feast of biscuits, juice, hot drinks, and (you guessed it) more hot cross buns, a very special guest made a sneaky visit… the Chief Supporting Officer of the Easter Bunny (Matt in disguise, perhaps?) dropped an Easter surprise into everyone’s collection of woodland treasures.

As snacks were finishing up, Natalia captivated the group with a lively retelling of the beloved tale "Stick Man", while Matt gave an Oscar-worthy performance acting it out – much to everyone’s amusement!

Then it was time to get building! Using bamboo sticks and their natural finds, the children got stuck into making their own bug hotels – a fiddly but fun project that got everyone involved (adults included!).

A huge shoutout to Matt and Natalia for running their first solo session – and smashing it! Thanks again to everyone who came along to both sessions and helped make this Easter Half-Term one to remember.