WELCOME TO MERRIST WOOD HOLIDAY CLUB
If you have children aged 8yrs-12yrs who love animals, conservation and being outdoors, why not come along and join in the fun at Merrist Wood Holiday Club? In an age where screens often dominate children’s attention, Merrist Wood Holiday Club provides a refreshing escape into nature, with over 400 acres of outdoor space to explore.
Merrist Wood is a college in Worplesdon, just outside of Guildford, with rare breed animals for your children to meet and learn about. Days are themed around different types of animals; including farm animals, exotics and small mammals, so there are lots of activities for your children to take part in.
Merrist Wood’s experienced Animal Keepers will provide information on the different species, and allow your children to meet some of the animals. The aim is to educate the children on subjects such as conservation, breeding projects and bio-diversity. Each day will include a welcome briefing, visits and interaction with our animals, a crafting session, building enrichment activities for the animals, species identification, lunch time and a review of the day. Species available will be identified on a day to day basis to ensure the comfort and safety of the animals.
During the Exotics day, some of the animals you might see could include:
- The Arid Biome; housing species such as tortoises and Von der Decken’s hornbills.
- The Tropical Biome; housing species such as African Land Snails, fly river turtle, bleeding-heart doves and parrots.
- Husbandry Room; housing a wide selection of birds and reptiles including corn snakes, royal pythons, tortoises, tree frogs and fish.
If you would prefer a Farm themed day, then you would be welcomed down on the farm to meet the wonderful farm animals – piglets, goat kids, sheep and lambs, Darcey the donkey, cheerful chickens, happy ducks and turkeys! Merrist Wood College is a Rare Breed Survival Trust accredited farm, so this is a great opportunity to come along and say hello to the farm animals as well as alpacas, llamas and rheas.
Finally, Small Mammals themed days will give you the opportunity to interact with our smaller animal friends; mice, rats, hamsters, guinea pigs and rabbits as well as ferrets and meerkats. Caring for small mammals is so important, ensuring that they have the right habitat, food and enrichment activities to ensure they lead a long and happy life. This would be an ideal day for any young person looking in to getting a small mammal as a pet, to ensure they know how best to care for them.
Hosted from 9am-4pm, Merrist Wood Holiday Club is £40 per day, with siblings receiving a £5 discount if booked at the same time. Lunch is not provided, so please ensure your child brings lunch, snacks and a drink with them.
Merrist Wood Holiday Club will be running across the following dates:
May Half Term
Wed 29th May – Farm Day
Thurs 30th May – Exotics Day
Summer Holidays
Tue 23 July – Small Mammals Day
Thurs 25 July – Exotics Day
Tue 30 July – Farm Day
Wed 31 July – Exotics Day
Thurs 1 August – Small Mammals Day
Tue 6 August- Farm Day
Wed 7 August – Exotics Day
Thurs 8 August – Small Mammals Day
Places are filling up fast, so book now: https://merristwoodevents.co.uk/merrist-wood-holiday-club/
Merrist Wood recognises that every child is unique and the Animal Keepers are well experienced in tailoring activities to cater to individual interests and abilities. Whether a budding botanist, an aspiring artist, or a future wildlife conservationist, each child is encouraged to pursue their passions and unlock their full potential in a supportive and inclusive environment. If your child has additional needs please email Merrist Wood atmwevents@activatelearning.ac.uk to discuss whether their needs can be supported.
