How to Build a Hedgehog House with Ffion Hughes

10am - 1pm
Best for ages 8-12 years!
Tickets include a snack, hot chocolate and marshmallows from Hawarden Estate Farm Shop.

Children will collaboratively build two hedgehog houses by hand, learning to use tools such as saws and sandpaper, and search for a great area to place them in The Walled Garden.

Once the hedgehog’s new homes are built, we’ll gather beside the fire with hot chocolate and marshmallows.

Children will leave with their hedgehog house, along with the knowledge of where to place it at home, and the skills to make more!

Alongside Ffion, an expert Forest Leader, they will learn:

• Hands-on building techniques.

• Wood preparation: learn to use a saw and sandpaper to shape the wood safely.

• Hammer & nails: Construct the hedgehog house step-by-step.

• Connection to nature.

• Guided foraging: collect natural materials (branches, moss, leaves) for insulation and decoration.

Learning outcomes:

• Practical skills: safe tool use, building techniques.

• Environmental stewardship: awareness of wildlife and habitat care.

• Creative expression: natural art and design.

• Resilience & confidence: through risk-managed challenges.

• Collaboration & social skills: working together in a group setting.

• Sensory engagement: tactile, visual, and olfactory stimulation through nature.

£40 per child.

Timings

10am: Arrival and settle in.

10:15am: Building begins!

12pm: Houses complete, we gather for hot chocolates beside the fire.

1pm: Workshop finishes.

About Ffion:

Ffion has led the super-popular Explorer Club sessions at Hawarden Estate Farm Shop for the past few years. She is a qualified Forest Leader, and is a “huge believer in everyone having the opportunity to explore nature and reconnect with their roots in the earth and aim to foster that connection through experiences and opportunities.”