This time last year I wrote about the Wheely Wonders family days my friend Jen Keil and I had started running at my smallholding in Sidlesham. Since then it has become a popular day out; we have had very special days and met lots of really wonderful families and over 40 children!
We ended our 2017 sessions with “A Wheely Curious Christmas”. In the morning with Jen the families learned how to use some basic hand tools and created a mini reindeer or a tiny elf from foraged wood, then made wooden discs to hang on their trees as well as enjoying toasting marshmallows and having hot chocolate around the campfire. During the afternoon at Craft Club, the children created tea towels or bags using stencils and fabric paints as well as making sparkly pipe cleaner decorations. There was also a surprise visit from Father Christmas himself who had got a bit lost and appeared from across the field, bringing presents of red noses for all the children and then encouraging a rousing festive sing-along!
We were very pleased when Wellspring received some funding at the start of the year from the Thornton Trust, which meant that families could have a reduced fee for coming to Wheely Wonders days.
Due to the extremely cold winter, we started again in April with a Spring themed day. Everyone enjoyed meeting the farm animals and feeding Jigsaw and Puzzle our goats and Rosemary the donkey. During Jen’s time children went on a bug hunt and enjoyed the swing and hammock in our woodland. We used magazine pictures of flowers to create a hanging decoration and coloured farm themed keyrings in the afternoon. A special moment for one family was seeing their son who has Cerebral Palsy, sitting unaided on a log, chatting to his twin sister.
Our next meeting was in June when it was a lovely sunny day. Everyone enjoyed meeting our lambs and having a go at bottle feeding one! We held the Craft Club in the garden and made collage people and photo frames. Chris North came along to lend a hand and we ended the afternoon with some of his magic.
We ran two days at the beginning of the summer holidays; the first was for families who are members of Super Scopers in Worthing. Jen took everyone to meet the animals and they made bubble wands in the woodland while having shelter from the sun and some time in the hammock. At Craft Club, the children painted small canvases with pictures of the animals they had seen then made caterpillar keyrings using buttons thread onto pipe cleaners. Our bottle fed lamb really liked joining in with the day and was very interested in the box of musical instruments Chris North brought along!
We were thrilled to receive more funding for Wellspring from the Shanly Foundation and the Friarsgate Trust which have now enabled us to provide the whole day at Wheely Wonders totally FREE for the whole family!!
Our first fully funded day was at the end of July when we welcomed regular families back as well as new ones. More fun was had in the morning sawing wooden discs to create necklaces and trying out firelighting skills. After lunch we created caterpillar keyrings again and decorated 3D wooden butterflies. At the end of the afternoon my goddaughter brought Rosemary the donkey down onto the field and it was wonderful to see how gentle she was with all the children.
In September more new friendships were made and we had another fun filled day on the farm and in the field. The weather was still lovely so we moved my afternoon craft activities out from the glasshouse – notebooks were decorated and fabric bags designed. Everyone loved the bubbles and stomp rockets provided by Chris North and we had a fantastic magic show to end the day. I love watching the children’s faces and seeing their reactions to the tricks. Chris is so wonderful at involving everybody, whatever their ability.
Later in September we were all so saddened to hear that Alexander Lester aged 6 and a half, had passed away at home with his parents Kirsty and Jon. Last year Kirsty came to meet Jen and me to talk about running a day for Alexander and his friends here at Applefield and that is how it all started! Alexander is our true Wheely Wonder and we will continue to miss his gentle presence at all the days we continue to run.
Here is some feedback we have received from parents:
We absolutely love the Wheely Wonders days at Applefield farm. I have 2 boys (one is in a wheelchair and one is not) and we find it hard as a family to find activities that they can both equally participate in and both get equal enjoyment out of... Wheely Wonders gives us that opportunity. My husband and I love seeing them doing the fun activities together like making crafts and watching the magic show. I also can’t describe how lovely it is to be surrounded by other families in the same situation as us who understand our struggles and challenges. The team at Wheely Wonders are such lovely people and they make us feel so welcome. We love it! Susie Marsh
I'm not 100% sure what to say and whether I can actually put into words what I like/love about the Wheely Wonders days. I guess part of it is the fact that we're able to actually be out and about, enjoying the freedom your smallholding allows us, the fun you all bring to the day (including all the animals), the Forest School, Craft Club and sometimes the added bonus of Chris North. Also getting to meet other families and make memories with Jack and his friends, who have also attended in the past. Louise Emery
Last weekend we ran the first of two Halloween themed days. Everyone created wonderfully jolly looking non-carve pumpkins by decorating them with pine cones, conkers, sticks, feathers and even bits of tinsel! Conker spiders and worms also appeared on top of the pumpkins! Craft Club activities included painting a bat, hedgehog or owl tealight holder, making a poster and a pumpkin door hanger or magnet. Before they went home the children all had a go at the spooky lucky dip! We are really looking forward to welcoming more new families next weekend.
I also run my Craft Club on term time Saturday afternoons in the Art Studio in my garden. Children with special needs and their siblings are warmly welcomed and places are FREE, also funded by Wellspring. All crafts get to come home at the end of a course and I always love seeing how proud children are when their parents see what they have created!
If you are interested in coming to a Wheely Wonders day or my Craft Club in 2019, please do send me an email and I will make sure you are kept updated!
Lizzie Baily 2018
We ended our 2017 sessions with “A Wheely Curious Christmas”. In the morning with Jen the families learned how to use some basic hand tools and created a mini reindeer or a tiny elf from foraged wood, then made wooden discs to hang on their trees as well as enjoying toasting marshmallows and having hot chocolate around the campfire. During the afternoon at Craft Club, the children created tea towels or bags using stencils and fabric paints as well as making sparkly pipe cleaner decorations. There was also a surprise visit from Father Christmas himself who had got a bit lost and appeared from across the field, bringing presents of red noses for all the children and then encouraging a rousing festive sing-along!
We were very pleased when Wellspring received some funding at the start of the year from the Thornton Trust, which meant that families could have a reduced fee for coming to Wheely Wonders days.
Due to the extremely cold winter, we started again in April with a Spring themed day. Everyone enjoyed meeting the farm animals and feeding Jigsaw and Puzzle our goats and Rosemary the donkey. During Jen’s time children went on a bug hunt and enjoyed the swing and hammock in our woodland. We used magazine pictures of flowers to create a hanging decoration and coloured farm themed keyrings in the afternoon. A special moment for one family was seeing their son who has Cerebral Palsy, sitting unaided on a log, chatting to his twin sister.
Our next meeting was in June when it was a lovely sunny day. Everyone enjoyed meeting our lambs and having a go at bottle feeding one! We held the Craft Club in the garden and made collage people and photo frames. Chris North came along to lend a hand and we ended the afternoon with some of his magic.
We ran two days at the beginning of the summer holidays; the first was for families who are members of Super Scopers in Worthing. Jen took everyone to meet the animals and they made bubble wands in the woodland while having shelter from the sun and some time in the hammock. At Craft Club, the children painted small canvases with pictures of the animals they had seen then made caterpillar keyrings using buttons thread onto pipe cleaners. Our bottle fed lamb really liked joining in with the day and was very interested in the box of musical instruments Chris North brought along!
We were thrilled to receive more funding for Wellspring from the Shanly Foundation and the Friarsgate Trust which have now enabled us to provide the whole day at Wheely Wonders totally FREE for the whole family!!
Our first fully funded day was at the end of July when we welcomed regular families back as well as new ones. More fun was had in the morning sawing wooden discs to create necklaces and trying out firelighting skills. After lunch we created caterpillar keyrings again and decorated 3D wooden butterflies. At the end of the afternoon my goddaughter brought Rosemary the donkey down onto the field and it was wonderful to see how gentle she was with all the children.
In September more new friendships were made and we had another fun filled day on the farm and in the field. The weather was still lovely so we moved my afternoon craft activities out from the glasshouse – notebooks were decorated and fabric bags designed. Everyone loved the bubbles and stomp rockets provided by Chris North and we had a fantastic magic show to end the day. I love watching the children’s faces and seeing their reactions to the tricks. Chris is so wonderful at involving everybody, whatever their ability.
Later in September we were all so saddened to hear that Alexander Lester aged 6 and a half, had passed away at home with his parents Kirsty and Jon. Last year Kirsty came to meet Jen and me to talk about running a day for Alexander and his friends here at Applefield and that is how it all started! Alexander is our true Wheely Wonder and we will continue to miss his gentle presence at all the days we continue to run.
Here is some feedback we have received from parents:
We absolutely love the Wheely Wonders days at Applefield farm. I have 2 boys (one is in a wheelchair and one is not) and we find it hard as a family to find activities that they can both equally participate in and both get equal enjoyment out of... Wheely Wonders gives us that opportunity. My husband and I love seeing them doing the fun activities together like making crafts and watching the magic show. I also can’t describe how lovely it is to be surrounded by other families in the same situation as us who understand our struggles and challenges. The team at Wheely Wonders are such lovely people and they make us feel so welcome. We love it! Susie Marsh
I'm not 100% sure what to say and whether I can actually put into words what I like/love about the Wheely Wonders days. I guess part of it is the fact that we're able to actually be out and about, enjoying the freedom your smallholding allows us, the fun you all bring to the day (including all the animals), the Forest School, Craft Club and sometimes the added bonus of Chris North. Also getting to meet other families and make memories with Jack and his friends, who have also attended in the past. Louise Emery
Last weekend we ran the first of two Halloween themed days. Everyone created wonderfully jolly looking non-carve pumpkins by decorating them with pine cones, conkers, sticks, feathers and even bits of tinsel! Conker spiders and worms also appeared on top of the pumpkins! Craft Club activities included painting a bat, hedgehog or owl tealight holder, making a poster and a pumpkin door hanger or magnet. Before they went home the children all had a go at the spooky lucky dip! We are really looking forward to welcoming more new families next weekend.
I also run my Craft Club on term time Saturday afternoons in the Art Studio in my garden. Children with special needs and their siblings are warmly welcomed and places are FREE, also funded by Wellspring. All crafts get to come home at the end of a course and I always love seeing how proud children are when their parents see what they have created!
If you are interested in coming to a Wheely Wonders day or my Craft Club in 2019, please do send me an email and I will make sure you are kept updated!
Lizzie Baily 2018
