Into the Wild
Wildlings Forest School aims to get more children outdoors reaping the social, emotional and physical benefits of being in nature. Their focus is to develop the whole child and to help build in them a sense of place, belonging and guardianship of our natural spaces. They aim to work with our children, their families and our local community to create memories and skills that will last a lifetime and a sense of environmental stewardship that will ensure that our natural wonders will still be here for the next generation to enjoy.
Check out some of the great activities and workshops Wildlings Forest School are presenting during Horizon:
Cubby Town
Come and build a giant nest, a beautiful shelter or a cubby worthy of Andy Goldsworthy’s approval! Our enchanted forest space is the perfect place to create works of art that will inspire our local children to spend more time outdoors. Wildlings Forest School will provide guidance, inspiration and a myriad of ropes, sheets, raw materials, such as palm fronds and branches, and bamboo to create natural and beautiful structures fit for any wild adventurer. Children will have full (supervised) use of our hand tools (including bow saws, hammers, hand drills etc.) to use as their imagination desires.
Sat 24 Aug, 9am - 12pm
Urban Wildlings
Head down to Festival Central and make your own nature wand, dream-catcher or fishing rod! Join Wildlings Forest School for a free nature craft workshop where children will learn about the plants and weeds they can find in their backyard, while creating nature crowns and dream catchers from Cat's Claw, fishing rods from Chinese Celtis, and magic wands from Camphor Laurel. By getting to know the plants in their local nature spaces, children become more likely to want to look after and protect these places for the future.
Sat 31 Aug, 10am - 2pm
Bond & Build - Raft Building Workshop & Picnic
Will you sink or will you float? Wildlings Forest School welcomes you to come and build your own life-sized raft to float down the idyllic Petrie Creek with your dad, grandad or loved one, followed by a family Father’s Day picnic down at our beautiful forest space.
Children will have full (supervised) use of our hand tools (including hand saws, hammers, hand drills etc.), a myriad of natural resources, pallets, building and craft materials to build their very own miniature or life-sized raft to float down Petrie Creek. This is a wet activity where half the fun is failing!
Sun 1 Sep, 9:30am - 12:30pm
Nature Playgroup
Meeting in wild spaces around the Sunshine Coast, these sessions revolve around free play and encourage adventure and exploration in nature to help promote imagination and self-discovery. Little Wildlings Nature Playgroup is a nomadic, all-weather nature-based play group for children who are not yet enrolled in school. Meeting in wild spaces around the Sunshine Coast, this group follows a loose rhythm that revolves around free play and encourages adventure and exploration in nature to help promote imagination and self-discovery. Your Little Wildling/s will be invited to participate in invitational activities including story time, seasonal song-time and a collaborative nature art project that will go on display at Festival Central for the last weekend of Horizon Festival. Coming to playgroup allows children to form friendships and gives them a sense of belonging, as well as a connection with and desire to protect the wild spaces we regularly visit.
Shelly Beach: Mon 26 Aug, 9:30am - 11:30am
Tanawha: Tue 27 Aug, 9:30am - 11:30am
Mudjimba: Fri 30 Aug, 9:30am - 11:30am
