Come along with your child to enjoy our outdoor setting, feel connected to nature and learn together in a fun and safe space. Through a combination of child-led play and educator-led activities, there's something for everyone.
Who is Little Acorns for?
Little Acorns is most suitable for children from 1-5 years, however babies-in-arms are more than welcome. For the children to get the most out of the session, they should be stable on their feet to explore the outdoor setting, however all children five and under are welcome. Each child must be accompanied by an adult.
The session will involve both child-led activities and educator-led activities.
- Child-led play has been found to help promote confidence, self-esteem and problem solving. The child-led activities provide an opportunity for your child to choose what they would like to play with. You can play with your child, follow their lead and play together. They may choose to play with different things each week or they may like the familiarity of the same objects
- Our trained educators and volunteers will also be on hand with a seasonal activity each week.
Where are the sessions held?
The Little Acorns sessions will be held in the Spinney woodland at Ness Botanic Gardens. We'll have a base in the woodland and an undercover roundhouse for the winter months.
On the day, one of our education staff or volunteers will meet you outside the Visitor Centre. From there, it's approximately a 5-10-minute walk to the woodland. We advise using the toilet facilities in the Visitor Centre before making your way down as there aren’t any other facilities nearby.
Session will usually be based outdoors so we advise you to dress appropriately for the weather. Some sessions may involve exploring other areas of the garden as we learn about different seasons.
Little Acorns will generally take place whatever the weather, with the exception of extreme weather events where the gardens may have to close. We'll make every effort to let you know with as much notice as possible if this is the case, using the contact details you provided when booking.
Please note, anything you bring with you, you'll need to carry or leave in our base at your own risk. There's no storage in the woodland for bags or personal belongings.
Dates and times
Little Acorns runs on selected weekdays during term time. Sessions will run from either 10.30am-12pm or 1pm-2.30pm. Upcoming dates and times can be found below.
- Thursday 9 January 2025, 10.30am
- Monday 13 January 2025, 10.30am
- Thursday 16 January 2025, 10.30am
- Monday 20 January 2025, 10.30am
- Thursday 23 January 2025, 10.30am
- Monday 27 January 2025, 10.30am
- Thursday 30 January 2025, 10.30am
- Monday 3 February 2025, 10.30am
- Thursday 6 February 2025, 10.30am
- Monday 10 February 2025, 10.30am
- Thursday 13 February 2025, 10.30am
There will be no sessions during school half-term holidays when other family activities take place at the gardens. A reduced timetable is offered over the summer holidays.
Cost
The Little Acorns sessions cost £5 per child. This charge is non-refundable. There is no additional charge for an adult to attend the session.
Non-member adults, however, will need to pay for access to the gardens. Please see our ticket prices page for more information.
How to book
Booking is essential as there are limited places per session. You can reserve your place online for free and then pay on the day in the Visitor Centre.
Reserve your place online and pay on the day
If you make a booking but subsequently find you can no longer attend, please cancel your reservation to make it available for another family.
Please provide information about any allergens or additional needs at the time of booking. If you would like to discuss any additional needs please feel free to get in touch with Ellie, Little Acorns Lead, by emailing ehill22@liverpool.ac.uk.
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