play structures workshop
in partnership with jon cree
5th july 2025
9am - 5pm
secluded woodland ~ east london e11
“by providing the opportunities for children to manage their own risks in a controlled environment, they will learn vital life skills needed for adulthood, and gain the experience needed to face the unpredictable nature of the world” ~ gill, 2007
workshop details
tickets include homemade fireside lunch from our local wildgoose bakery, plentiful tea & biscuits, materials and vat
we offer payment plans and subsidised places for those who need and would otherwise be unable to attend.
about the workshop
a one day course in building your own play structures with rope and natural materials. this course is for educators and/or parents/carers wishing to be a little more adventurous with creative play structures building them out of wood and rope and combining these with the natural features at their site or in their gardens. we will be sharing techniques and know-how on building safe but slightly risky (!) structures with children that can enhance creativity and physical play.
we will be looking at techniques for making:
● rope swings, rope bridges, rope crawls and rope walks
● combining wood with rope including simple rope ladders
● making free standing wooden structures such as ladders and sculptures to climb on
including tips on:
● how to minimise impact of structures on the environment
● keeping within the health and safety guidelines for safe construction and use of natural structures
we will look at basic tool work, knot and rope work in order to construct ladders, ‘climbing frames’, temporary rope swings and rope courses, as well as putting up and playing with strap-lines. we will look at how to work with children in constructing basic structures that includes working with trees or if the trees in your own settings are limited how to construct features by adding structures such as ‘beams’ to trees and working with A frames and ‘safe anchoring’.
the training course will also cover all the health and safety aspects of working with ‘constructed’ play structures and ropes, looking at risk benefit assessments and key requirements.
aims:
by the end of the course participants should:
● skills and confidence to build safe natural play structures from wood, ropes and natural features
● knot tying skills and techniques for building ladders and setting up rope courses
● knowledge on how to minimise impact of natural play structures on your site
● understanding of ‘health and safety’ guidelines for safe construction and use of natural structures
the facilitator
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jon has around forty years’ experience as an environmental/earth educator and trainer. his passion is helping others ‘get in touch’ with the natural world through dynamic learning programmes and hand-on learning experiences. he has for many years worked in forest school, particularly with learners who are often stressed by our education system, home circumstances or other situations that set them apart from 'the mainstream'. and yet we all bring gifts to the communities we are part of.
during the pandemic signs of stress, anxiety and even trauma have become more prevalent and jon has been diving deeper in 'somatics' and body based approaches. he has been asked to run even more trainings on anxiety, stress and trauma, and how the more than human world and creative practises can support healthy nervous systems. this is based on the many years he has worked with young people, especially adolescents.
