Camping with Hackney Woodcraft

An Introduction to Camping with Hackney Woodcraft Folk

Whether it's a small group camp at a residential centre or a full district camp with 100 people sleeping in tents, one of the things that makes Woodcraft Folk camps brilliantly different from other camping activities you may do, is that they are run co-operatively. Children, young people and adults work together to run the camp, have fun, develop skills and confidence. Woodcraft provides an informal and supportive environment for young people to develop their ideas, share experiences, explore opportunities and make life-long friends.  

In keeping with Woodcraft Folk values, campers of all ages will take responsibility for everything from cooking and cleaning to taking part in and organising activities. As far as possible, we spend time together as a community, not as a group of separate families.  

All children are welcome to attend with or without their parents, and develop hugely in terms of independence and confidence throughout the camp.  All adults, regardless of experience, attend as leaders, getting to know, and taking joint responsibility for ALL children on the camp, not just their own.  The children spend time with peers from their own groups, making friends with campers from other groups across the district and of other ages, and are supported by a range of adults as the camp goes on. The less time parents spend directly with their own children, the easier we find this is.

What to Expect on a Tented camp

● sleeping in tents with your friends - you will need a sleeping bag and thermal mat

● cooking together outdoors (or in the Kitchen Tent). We cook on gas but sometimes on fires too

● eating meals together, either outside or in a marquee

● spending most of your time outside

● wide games / parachute games / running around games / sitting quietly games - which ever you prefer.

● bushcraft activities (fire lighting, whittling, shelter building etc.)

● maybe a bivvy  - a night sleeping under the stars, or under a tarp in the wood, or just all together in the marquee

● Crafts (e.g. tie dye, screen printing, making costumes)

● Walks & hikes, paddling in streams, playing in the woods

● Campfires (with singing, skits or games)

● Co-operative challenges

● Discussion, workshops or debates

And loads of other stuff inspired by our young members

We provide tents for young people. Adults need to bring their own but we can often help with that.