YOUNGSTERS looking to hone their Bear Grylls-type prowess have spent the summer holidays stuck in mud.

Forest School at Abbotts Hall Farm in Great Wigborogh has snatched the young people from their comfort zones to build their own dens and nets, climb trees plus learn how to build a platform in them.

But the last six weeks have been far from all work and no play as the children, aged eight and over, shared molten marshmallows, played Storm the Castle and hunted bugs in the woodland.

Nicole Moore, seasonal outdoor learning education officer at Essex Wildlife Trust, ran the session and said everyone enjoyed having the run of the mill in the great outdoors.

Braintree and Witham Times:

Charlotte and Olivia Spedding

She said: “It’s so important for children to be able to play and grow in an outdoor environment and the Forest School days allow children to come into their own.

“You watch them start as shy individuals and finish as a group of friends - climbing trees, learning to start fires and building dens together - it’s great.

“They then leave the day beaming, showing off what they’ve made and revelling in all of the day’s activities and the new skills they’ve learnt.

“Although this was the last summer holidays event at Abbotts, every Monday during term time we have pre-school Forest School mornings then will have more drop-off days in October half term.”