Sylvan Bear’s eastern European tree tent testing road trip.

Sylvan Bear’s road trip to Germany and Czech Republic to test the tree tents.

Sylvan Adventures had just taken delivery of some Tentsile (http://www.tentsile.com/) tree tents and as I was off hiking and camping in eastern Europe I swung by Sylvan Adventures to collect a three man tree tent and the bear himself. if you are going to test some kit why not do it 1250 miles away!?  We were that confident we didn’t pack any spare tents, just bivvi kit.

We drove in a 20 year old Suzuki Vitara to the centre of The Czech Republic taking in various sites along the way. The total trip was 2500 miles (for reference Moscow is only 2000 miles away). It was glorious weather (over 30 degrees) and the little Vitara didn’t have air conditioning and if you opened the windows too far they would rattle and deafen you.

Hopefully you will enjoy the photographs of the little bear enjoying quaint German towns,  https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Tourism-g635851-Lohr_am_Main_Lower_Franconia_Franconia_Bavaria-Vacations.html touring car racing at the Nurburgring http://www.nuerburgring.de/en/home.html, amazing Czech rock formations http://www.czechtourism.com/c/adrspach-teplice-rocks/as well relaxing in the tree tent. We also took the time to explore some of the military history of the area but we left Sylvan Bear relaxing at the campsite that day.

We tested the tent in glorious sun as well as short but heavy rain showers and it did amazingly well. It drew lots of attention from the other campers who all wanted to check it out.

It was quick and easy to put up although finding three good trees the right width apart was the hardest job. It went up quicker than a normal tent (non pop up) and its pack size was good, comparable to a three man tent, lighter if you only taken one tensioning set (rather than all three). The weight is even better considering you probably don’t need roll mats or camp / air beds and the floor of the tent is more than comfy enough. We did find we had to tighten up one of the straps each day to ensure we didn’t start creeping towards the floor but it takes seconds and you only need to do one.

Getting in and out took some getting used but it wasn’t difficult even though we placed it at the maximum height recommended. The novelty off being in a tree tent didn’t wear off, especially on warm days when you could remove the fly sheet and watch the sky.

With two people in a three man tent we did find we occasionally ended up playing footsie as we gently slid towards each other. We considered using our kit to provide a counter balance but didn’t need to as it wasn’t really a problem.

With the rain cover and optional walls on we and our kit stayed dry and the tent still felt roomy and secure. The walls do however make the tree tent look less cool almost like a normal tent.

If you camp a lot in places with trees we strongly recommend these tents as they are comfortable, easy to carry and cool as heck. Do consider where your equipment will go and where you will cook but as experienced campers that shouldn’t be a problem.

Sylvan Bear gives it two paws up!

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Ageing Well Festival

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A Traditional Crafts for All Workshop

Sylvan Adventures is proud to be delivering “A Traditional Crafts workshop”, where the whole family can learn new skills in a relaxed friendly atmosphere.  There are three to choose from Felting, Green woodworking and Outdoor  cooking or you could do all three. They are suitable for all ages and abilities.  Join us to learn new skills or share existing skills with family members.

Traditional Crafts for All” is happening at Growing for Life, Preston, Torbay as part of the Ageing Well Festival, Saturday 3rd October. 10 am – 2pm.

 

      Workshopsforest gathering 14

                                                           Ever wanted to try Felting? 
PizzaOvenCO3000

                                Making Pizzas in a cob oven (similar to the picture)?

 

Well now is your chance.  Join us at Growing for Life, Preston, Torbay

      Drop in anytime between 10 am -2pm.   Everyone is welcome

        Supported by National Lottery.     Donation only 

Contact:  danbest@sylvanadventures.org for more details.

 

 

Dadfest 2015

DadFest2015

 Sylvan Adventures is excited to be involved in Dadfest 2015, after hearing such great stories of it last year.
 DadFest2015

The only festival in the UK just for dads and children

Friday 18th – Saturday 19th – Sunday 20th September 2015

For dads, male carers and granddads with children all ages [from 3 to 16]

NEW in 2015! This year we also have green-woodworking, DIY smoothies and archery, as well as campfire story-telling, woodland games, fishing, Silly Science, good food, wild walk, cave painting, the Official 2015 World Dad Dancing Competition, magic shows, beer tent and music… and loads more

DadFest tickets:  covers all activities, camping spot, shower, etc
Children under 5: FREE
Children 6 – 16: £15
Dads [all ages!]: £45
Concessions available – please contact the organisers

Food Tickets [six meals & all hot drinks, all weekend] 
Children: £15
Dads: £35
Don’t worry about bringing food, cooking & washing up – buy a weekend food ticket. Includes full English breakfasts, tea & coffee all weekend, evening and lunch meals, snacks, toast and water whenever you and the children need it.


Hire a Tent?
If you don’t want the hassle of bringing a tent, pitching it and taking it down… you just want to turn up, get stuck in and enjoy the weekend, why not book a tent? You can hire a new 4-man tent and one will be pitched, waiting for you. We’ll take it down on Sunday too. £20 [limited number of tents]

Book early as this amazing weekend books up very quickly.

Workshop leaders:

Pete Moore: Forest School Leader at Forest & Beach


www.forestandbeach.co.uk

Chris Holland: story-teller, bushcraft & outdoor education specialist… and lots more


www.wholeland.org.uk

Hat McKool: superb [and very daft] children’s entertainer

Dan Best of Sylvan Adventures: archery, green wood-working, Forest School and more…

http://sylvanadventures.org

plus: artist David Harbott, food from ‘Toad in the Sky’, and locals beers from The Bridgetown Brewery in Totnes and South Hams Brewery.

for all info & to book email: dangerousdads@btinternet.com

01803 840990
077 317 95160

 

Check out the DadFest2014 film – it gives you a great idea of this unique festival 
DadFest2014 film 

looking for a sponsor

Dan outdoors educating

  Thanks to me being successful in gaining a place on social enterprise course being run by Dartington school for social enterprise in the Autumn of 2014, we are in the process of formalizing Sylvan Adventures into a community interest company or C.I.C.

 This means that the profit we earn through our birthday parties, training and bespoke nature awareness projects, will go into the Sylvan Adventures Social Fund. This fund will allow us to support community groups like Dangerous Dads Torbay and Forest School Association Southwest group, as well as providing free events and workshops etc.

 To help us achieve this aim, we are exploring options for uniforms, banners and are on a hunt to find a company or organisation to sponsor them. We would able to offer the following benefits depending on how much amount donated:

      Uniform: Their company logo on the front of the tops.

      Website: Mention and logo on our website.

      Facebook: Regular mention on our varies social media platforms e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest etc.

      Banner: Their company logo on our banner or flags etc.

 So if you know any organisations who might be interested in us and this sponsorship deal, then please do spread the word. It would allow us to use more of our income on Sylvan Adventures Social Fund.

Dangerous Dads Torbay launch event

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                      It’s not everyday you get to be involved in the birth of something, but we had the pleasure to support the launch event of  “Dangerous Dads Torbay” community group on Saturday 18th April between 1 and 4 pm at Primley Park in Torbay. This new community group is also being supported by Action for Children Torbay with its aim to provide free monthly activity events for Dads and male carers with at least one child under five.

                       We were joined by 18 children and 8 dads on a beautiful sunny spring afternoon, with the smell of wild garlic blowing on the breeze as we explored and play in Primley Park nature reserve in Torbay. There were requests for the old favorites like hide and seek, which we did. It was brilliant watching the dads and their children playing and interacting together, either as they hide amongst the undergrowth or supporting them in counting.

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            Then we made our way to base camp for den and fire making activities, with all the dads and their children busy playing, socialising and discovering the wonders this nature reserve has to offer. Some enjoyed the delights at lighting their first fire with a flint and steel, which is not as easy as it looks,

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        Whilst other undertook the challenge of building dens using natural materials and tarps, creating their own woodland palaces:

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          After all this fun and physical activity, they all were keen not only to toast some marshmallows, but to try some campfire popcorn, as you can see there was more then enough to go around, before heading home very muddy and tired.

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         For more information on Dangerous Dads Torbay, or it’s next event please check us out and like their Facebook page Dangerous Dads Torbay,  or email Dan on danbest@sylvanadventures.org

Spring cleaning the website!

Spring is here so it’s time to spring clean the website, if you notice any errors give us a few days. If they are still there in a week let us know!

We have some new adventures and activities blooming watch this space!

Daffodils

 

Nature Explorer project

Where can a year take you in the playwork field?

Well for me it’s been a full circle, as this time last year I was here in the same little eco-cabin on Little Arthur Farm on St Martin’s drafting a nature play based John Muir Award and I am here again working on another nature play based John Muir Award. I am feeling like a writer that retreats to a writing den, were they are inspired by the peace, tranquility and natural beauty of the Scilly Isles.
Last year I was delivering a cross generational environmental play based Discovery level John Muir award for Play England’s Exploring Nature Play Southwest project, where families were engaged in discovering and exploring local wild places through nature play activities and end up with 14 participants gaining a discovery level John Muir Award.
Two of the young people were so inspired and infused by their time with Sylvan Adventures on this project that they have asked to do their Explorer level John Muir awards with us and especially do an overnight wild camp, which of course I was over the moon to hear. However that left us with the problem of how we could fund such a project?
Then a few months later along came the New Wave funding opportunity for young people to organise and deliver projects which were creative and cultural based in Torbay, that they wanted to see happened. Jacob and Chelsea with the support of their parents were successful in securing a grant.
So now I am here and really excited to be am to facilitate a two tier John Muir Award based Nature awareness project, which they have called “Nature Explorers”. This is going to involve Jacob and Chelsea and few other returning discovery level John Muir award holders working towards their Explorer levels whilst they design and co deliver the activities to another group of young people, wh are working towards their Discovery level John Muir award.
For more details please contact Dan Best at danbest@sylvanadventures .org or check out our Facebook page or website.

Lets Talk about Play

Well you know the old saying, “when one door closes another opens”. That is whats happening to me this March with my play opportunities.

Last September I was very lucky to be successful in gaining a place on a playwork study tour to Copenhagen, Denmark, investigating adventure playground, afterschool clubs and forest school settings with 7 other playwork professionals from around the UK. It was a very busy, but an exciting week with over 25 play settings visit and 350 photographs taken, were I had specific duties of using social media to record our playwork journey. Here is the web link for the mobility trip journal, I took of our amazing time in Copenhagen:

http://www.mobilytrip.com/user/sylvanadventures

One of the conditions of attending the study tour, was too attend the 12th National Play conference in Eastbourne, which of course I was happy to attend. But I didnt have any real duties to perform, because of doing the social media stuff on the tour or so I thought. Well I really enjoyed the study tour and still reflecting on what I saw and heard there, but didn’t expect anything else to come of it so you could say the door closed.

Well another door opened in February, when Dr Mel McCree (whom I met on the Danish study tour), had to cancel giving her presentation due to ill health. However she suggested I deliver the work on “Could play workers benefit from Forest School training?”, which of course I was delighted to deliver, so another door opened.

 

Jpeg

Whilst at the play conference on the 4 and 5th March, another workshop was cancelled. This time whittling, one of my favourite past times so I offered to deliver for it. Such an amazing opportunity with about 30 adults joining me and a friend (thanks Jem Collins for your help) for a one hour whittling session. Now that door has closed, two more have opened both involving me giving presentation on play and adventure playgrounds, one is happen on 28th March as part of the Somerset Play Forum . The other presentation is happening on 2nd April in Totnes, with the aim of raising the awareness of the benefits adventure playgrounds to the community.

totnes talk

Come and join me and some of my fellow playwork travellers, as we speak about our playwork discoveries from the study tours, on 2nd April.