Do any of the wildlife organisations run 'clubs' for 4 or 5 year olds?

[ekra]

I don't know how to write this without it sounding poncey

DD1 loves nature and wildlife and I wondered if there were any clubs out there for children to go along to, to nurture this interest on a regular basis - either with or without an parent.

I looked up the Wildlife Trust and although they seem to do regular events for children in some areas, my area isn't included in its exhaustive list . I am on the Hants/West Sussex border - near the coast.

Does anyone know of anywhere else I could look?

DD1 starts school in September so she won't be doing any or many active extra-curricular activites. Since she has shyness tendencies, I thought it might be nice to encourage her to meet new people and try new things using her keen interest in nature. It seems a bit gentler than throwing her into a drama class.

It can be quite irritating living on the border of 2 counties. I always have to check 2 websites and I find that Hants activites are all centered around North Hants or the New forest and Sussex activities (because they tend to group East and West together) are past Brighton or up in Crawly/Horsham!! Nothing seems to happen near me.

I don't know about hants and Sussex, I'm in Somerset but I work as a Countryside Ranger for a local authority and we run a wildlife kids club, its affiliated to the Watch club, part of the wildlife trust. Parents have to accompany children under6, but I think its a great way to get children out and enjoying their local countryside. Try your district or county councils, other wildlife organisations such as RSPB and National Trust sometimes run activities too. do you have any Country Parks or Nature reserves nearby with a ranger service, they might be worth a try too. Good luck I hope you find something locally.

ooh sounds good littleb we're not far from somerset , sounds like the sort of thing my dc might like to do in the holidays

Thanks for the information. I will see which of the local nature reserves and country parks has a ranger service and enquire there.

LittleB, we are moving to Somerset very shortly, my DD would love that. Would you mind me asking which bit you are in ?

my mum helps out at Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire (so not your area) - they frequently have activity days for children.

Try maybe asking at the local tourist offices - they should have info about local sites.

Sorry, haven't been on for a while. We're in South Somerset, the kids club (Look Out Club)is either at Ham Hill Country Park (near stoke-sub-hamdon) or Yeovil Country Park.The kids club is run approx one every two months and there are lots of other activities during the school holidays. See www.southsomerset.gov.uk/countryside for all the info. Perhaps I'll see you at an event.

I know not a club but there is junior National Geographic magazine

They have quite a few activities down at Pagham and Chichester harbours, which can't be too far from you - rock pool dipping, that sort of thing. I've got a brochure but it doesn't give a specific website. It has the council logo on so try www.westsussex.gov.uk and start from there?