At We Are Adventurers, we believe children learn best when they are in charge of their own play.
That is why you will not find us rushing them from one activity to the next. If a child wants to spend the whole morning perfecting their den, carefully weaving with grass or quietly stirring nettle tea over the fire, we let them. We do not move them on, not because there is nothing else planned, but because what they are doing matters.
This is the essence of child-led learning. It is an approach that places the child at the centre, rather than the timetable.
Why child-led learning works
When children are given the freedom to follow their own interests, everything changes. They become more focused, more confident and more invested in what they are doing. We see it every day in the woods. A child who might seem restless in a classroom can spend half an hour balancing sticks just right. Another who is hesitant to join a group finds their stride leading a mini expedition to the furthest edge of the site.
These moments of deep concentration are where the most powerful learning takes place. Not because we have told them what to do, but because they have discovered it for themselves.
There is no worksheet that teaches confidence. No single activity that guarantees resilience. But when children are trusted and given the space to explore at their own pace, those qualities emerge naturally. Whether they are climbing, crafting, building or quietly reflecting beneath the trees, it is all meaningful.
Supporting without steering
Child-led learning does not mean leaving children to it. Our team is always present, observing, encouraging and offering support where it is needed. But we try not to interrupt when a child is deeply engaged. We follow their lead, rather than steering them in a particular direction.
If a child is curious about something new, we are ready to help them explore it. If they return to something familiar, we support that too. Every choice they make is part of their development.
Some children like to move from one thing to the next. Others settle into an activity and stay with it. Both are valid, both are valuable. What matters is that it is their decision.
In many areas of life, children are expected to follow adult-led routines, tick off objectives and meet set outcomes. There is often little time for open-ended play, for wandering or for getting absorbed in something just because it feels right.
We want our sessions to offer something different. Outdoor learning offers a chance for children to reconnect with their own rhythm. When we give children that space, they show us again and again just how capable they are.
For more information on booking your child into one of our holiday clubs, please visit our holiday club page.
