Bushcraft Courses for Schools

Bushcraft, Wilderness and Survival Lessons

Bushcraft is an exciting and engaging way for UK school children to learn about the natural world and develop important outdoor skills.

Quite a few of the outdoor adventure companies we work with have started adding bushcraft options to their school trip itineraries. Together with specialist bushcraft companies, they are making a great case for the teaching of sustainability and nature awareness courses.

From constructing simple shelters using only natural materials found in the local environment, to starting fires without matches or lighters, and even foraging to identify edible wild plants. In our modern age, we face an growing disconnect from our natural environment. Learning practical survival skills through Bushcraft is a great way for young people to reconnect with the environment. Or, take a look at our Forest School page if you are looking to give children an immersive connection with nature.

Speaking to some of the experts who have designed and run these outdoor bushcraft courses, we love what they have to offer school groups, and are keen to share them with you. We can offer you courses up and down the country, suitable for any key stage, from half day experiences to multi day adventures. We can even send bushcraft specialists to your school to teach your children on the school grounds. Take a look below or get in contact with us for more information.

Children living in urban areas often have very little contact with the great outdoors. Our woodlands and hills, rivers and streams are not part of their daily life, and many kids are completely detached from the natural world. Traditional residential activity holidays are great for getting school kids out in the fresh air, getting muddy, but a new breed of outdoor adventure trips are gaining serious momentum - the bushcraft trip - life without technology!

Want to book Bushcraft trips and workshops?

Let us find the Bushcraft adventure experience for your school trip




Popular school trip September 2026 !

Essex Outdoors Mersea

location icon East of England
apple iconBushcraft, Outdoor Learning, Revision Breaks, Team Building, Watersports, SEN


Marshmallows at the ready! These exciting and informative sessions are very flexible and can incorporate; • fire lighting using fire steels and natural materials • shelter building and knotwork • camp craft...

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building at the hive activity centre
Unforgettable Residentials at The Hive
map pin London & South East

Bush craft sessions aim to improve communications skills, resilience and environmental awareness. The activities can include how to safely make and light a fire using natural materials, water...
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Image for a school trip at Leighton Hall in Lancashire KS2 KS3 KS4 History School Trips Victorians Bushcraft Wildlife and Art school trips
Leighton Hall
map pin North West

Bushcraft: Unique hands-on learning, with fully supervised sessions in bushcraft and survival skills and a role play "rescue". Including shaping wood, making a shelter, lighting a fire and fire safety. Activities include: Building a camp fire, wood whittling, making a shelter and foraging.
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school group in wet suits with body boards by the sea in Dorset
Land & Wave Adventure School Trips in Dorset
map pin South West

Bushcraft at its most authentic. Fire! Shelter! Feast! Join us in our ancient woodland for an atmospheric Bushcraft session for children and young adults. Children learn essential survival skills...
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school group carrying surf boards to the sea in Devon
Skern Adventure Appledore: Day Visits
map pin South West

Bushcraft at Skern Adventure Appledore gives young people the opportunity to develop essential outdoor survival skills through hands-on learning in a real environment. From lighting campfires and...
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Rock climbing at Conway Centres Anglesey
Conway Centres Anglesey
map pin Wales

The aim is to help equip young people with the physical and mental skills to survive in the natural modern world. Each session aims to encourage young people to embrace nature, whilst cooperating and...
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Children on low ropes course
Essex Outdoors Danbury
map pin East of England

Marshmallows at the ready. These exciting and informative sessions are very flexible and can incorporate; • fire lighting using fire steels and natural materials • shelter building and knotwork • camp craft
> read

Image for a residential school trip at Preston Montford Field Centre Outdoor Activity centre in Shropshire KS2 KS3 KS4 Field Studies School Trips
Preston Montford Field Centre
map pin West Midlands

Identify basic survival needs, explore the woods, build a shelter and forage for wild foods. Follow a woodland trail and search for tracks and signs. A day filled with team building, navigation skills...
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Image for a residential school trip at Blencathra Field Centre Outdoor Activity centre in Cumbria KS2 KS3 KS4 Field Studies School Trips
Blencathra Field Centre
map pin North West

Identify basic survival needs, explore the woods, build a shelter and forage for wild foods. Follow a woodland trail and search for tracks and signs. A day filled with team building and...
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Image for a residential school trip in Dorset KS2 KS3 KS4
Cumulus Outdoors Tented Village - Corfe Castle
map pin South West

Our exciting Bushcraft sessions and challenges are geared to help you get back to basics whilst also enjoying the natural environment. Using our own woodland site on the Isle of Purbeck near Corfe...
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children with face paint on a stone age activity in the woods
Stone Age Workshops
map pin in-school workshop

A high-energy Year 6 PSHE transition day focused on teamwork, resilience and confidence-building through practical bushcraft challenges in your school grounds. Pupils work together to solve problems,...
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stone age woodland shelter made from logs
Life in the Stone Age
map pin West Midlands

We can shape activities to suit your learning aims. Activities often include 3 from: - Building woodland shelters - An introduction to making fire and fire lighting - Creating Stone Age art exploring painting / drawing implements from natural materials. - Making Stone age tools
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Rock climbing at Frank Chapman OEC
Frank Chapman Outdoor Education Centre
map pin West Midlands

Creating fires, building shelters and dens in our ancient oak forest is a memorable experience. We'll link the activities to your chosen aims and outcomes, and draw upon recreations of stone age processes and mastery of the environment!
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Bronze Age artifacts on a red table
Beauty versus Bounty - A Bronze Age passion
map pin in-school workshop

When we talk about bushcraft in todays terms what we are really referring to is the skill set that everyone of our ancestors would have needed in order to survive. Our workshops offer a huge array of...
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group of school children team building and problem solving
Onsite School Team Building Days
map pin in-school workshop

Our bushcraft workshop provides a fantastic experience for students to engage in outdoor learning skills from fire lighting, bow drill work, shelter building, water filtration, orienteering and...
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Image for a residential school trip at Buzz Active Outdoor Activity centre in Sussex KS2 KS3 KS4 Adventure School Trips bushcraft archery adventurous school trips
Buzz Active Bushy Wood
map pin London & South East

We offer a great location to explore all aspects of forest School, and bushcraft/ fire craft. With an abundance of material for backwoods skills and bushcraft creativity. Bushy Wood has all you need...
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children learning blindfolded trust exercises
Grafham Water Centre Residentials
map pin East of England

Unleash your inner adventurer at Grafham Water Centre! Learn to build shelters, light fires, and cook in the wild. Bushcraft teaches survival, science, and self-reliance in nature's classroom-perfect for schools, groups, and curious explorers of all ages!
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school group at adventure centre
Newlands Adventure Centre
map pin North West

Bushcraft at its most authentic. Fire! Shelter! Feast! Join us in our private bushcraft area for an atmospheric Bushcraft session for children and young adults. Children learn essential survival...
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children on jacobs ladder
Outdoor & Adventure School Residential Trips
map pin South West

Our Buddens Activity Centre trips benefit from 96 acres of adventure playground and over 32 activities to choose from. Our activities include both land and water based experiences for your pupils to engage with.
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Image for a residential school trip at Epping Forest Field Centre Outdoor Activity centre in Essex KS2 KS3 KS4 Field Studies School Trips
Epping Forest field centre
map pin London & South East

Identify basic survival needs, explore the woods, build a shelter and forage for wild foods. Follow a woodland trail and search for tracks and signs. A day filled with team building and...
> read

wooden huts at cuffley active learning centre
Cuffley Active Learning Centre
map pin London & South East

Cuffley is an ideal destination for students to immerse themselves in the art of bushcraft. Nestled in the serene landscapes of Hertfordshire, the centre provides an immersive and natural setting for...
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So what is Bushcraft?

A bushcraft school trip is primarily designed to get children out of the classroom and into the wild (or as wild as we get in the UK), for a true nature experience. By the end of the course, especially if you are giving them a multi day experience, your school group will have a better understanding of our natural environment, and the children will have gained some practical and valuable outdoor skills. The type of knowledge that would have been commonplace to among our ancestors, but which many of us would now struggle with.

The typical school bushcraft trip will be aimed at beginners, giving everyone a chance to try lots of fun and challenging activities. Pupils will be taught how to safely enjoy a range of outdoor crafts, including camping and survival. Specific topics will include foraging for food, food preparation – build an open fire to keep you warm and to fill your tummies by cooking fish or meat, shelter building – guess where you are sleeping tonight! Learn to make a safe and secure shelter to keep you dry and warm, sourcing and filtering water, making tools out of natural materials, identifying plants and trees, tracking and navigation skills, crafts and much more.

bushcraft course
bushcraft for schools
bushcraft skills
bushcraft lessons

Stone Age bushcraft

Looking for something a bit different? Our friends at The Stone Age Company offer multi day residentials in woodland locations, or short day and half day courses at your school, suitable for and tailored to all key stages. Get hands on with cave art, fat lamps and stone tools in this incredible stone age experience – feedback from teachers who have been on this courses is extremely enthusiastic! Read more about this one here: Stone Age Bushcraft Course



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How Schools Can Integrate Bushcraft into Outdoor Learning

Bushcraft introduces students to essential survival and traditional skills that have been passed down through generations. Learning these skills gives young people a sense of achievement and confidence, especially when students see...

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Woodland Activity Days Proving Popular at Oaker Wood

A school residential or activity day at Oaker Wood gives children the opportunity to develop valuable life skills while enjoying the great outdoors. From learning practical survival techniques to gaining a deeper...

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