What you can expect at Kith
Kith is a safe space for adults and children to learn alongside one another. A place where you’re able to settle into a slow and steady few hours, going at a pace which suits you. Rooted in nature awareness and connection, we follow the seasons and turning wheel of the year, exploring all the land has to offer.
Kith is a holistic education space; somewhere you can learn with your whole being. Experiential learning. I like to call it “Homestead Education” a mix of outdoor skills, skills for the future and skills to build a better understanding of ourselves. Such as…
Nature journaling
Fire skills
Cooking skills
Gardening; growing fruits and vegetables, flowers
Environmental skills
Flora and fauna identification
Community building
Life skills
Handcrafts
Storytelling
Mini adventures
Art
When you arrive
When you arrive at Kith, the first, most important thing to do is to take a big breath. You’re away from the hustle and bustle of the day to day for a few hours so reminding yourself to slow down is a good starting point.
Take a look at the weather and dressing accordingly. Wellies are always recommend in the Autumn/Winter and of course, layers. I usually wear clothes I don’t mind getting muddy, covered in paint, or smelling like a wood fire. For children, Kith isn’t a place to bring special toys, the woodland and field have a cheeky habit of gobbling up things left on the ground.
For children I’d recommend some stretchy trousers, a base layer, jumper and then waterproofs. All weather trousers (pull on or overalls) are fab, it means they can get down onto the ground and not feel the damp/wetness which can stop play. A hat, scarf and gloves are helpful in the depths of winter.
After you’re all kitted up, you can head into the Kith space to explore. The first 15 minutes whilst everyone is arriving is a great time to settle, slow down and look around. Each day I’m at Kith, something changes, it’s a real living space so keep your eyes open, you’ll likely spot something you hadn’t before.
Listen for the bell, when you hear it, head to where it’s sounding. We’ll gather together to see what’s on offer, celebrate, share or hear a story to get the session started.
You’re free to roam respectfully throughout your time at Kith. Making the most of the space, settling in to one area or wondering throughout, it’s your choice. Often there’ll be something to gather for, an activity, fire or snack so be sure to keep checking in if it’s on the agenda.
As you roam you’ll find suggestions or requests, if you feel like you want to then give them a try. For example, in the garden you can pitch in and lend a hand, pull out weeds, water the plants, harvest some goodies. In the yurt you might find art supplies for getting creative or books for quiet time.
As the session draws to an end, we’ll gather together one last time to say our goodbyes. Any closing thoughts, reminders, shares will be mentioned and of course a reminder to collect any treasures or creations to take home. We often finish with a song, story or poem, something to hold onto as the class ends.
It’s nice to think of a class at Kith as a breathing rhythm. We come together and breathe out into a first exploration, breathe in to a gathered “hello”. Breathing out into a flurry of activity and a breath in as we slow for a snack or story. One last flurry of energy breath out before coming together for a slow breath in and “goodbye”. Your rhythm set for the rest of your day.
Each week you can expect something different, the changing seasons always giving us something to explore and learn together. An idea, story, poem or activity helps us understand or at least gives us pause for thought, making these changes easily digested for our youngest adventurers.
I hope to see you soon as you join us this season at Kith.
