Last updated at 10:45, Thursday, 27 May 2010

PRIMARY school pupils will showcase their outdoor skills at a prestigious garden festival.

Wild at Heart Forest School practioners Vicky Atkinson (left) and Gay Goodson pictured judging entries for the Evening Mail/Holker Hall den building competition. JON GRANGER REF: 50005460B000

The North West Evening Mail, Holker Hall, and forest schools company, Wild At Heart, joined forces to run the den building competition.

Forest School practitioners, Vicky Atkinson and Gay Goodson, of Wild At Heart, recently chose four finalists whose dens will be made at Holker Hall to display at Holker Garden Festival, from June 4 to 6.

They selected the pupil teams from Lindal and Marton Primary School, Thwaites Community Primary School, Pennington CE School and Sir John Barrow Primary School.

Pupils were asked to design a den which could fit two people inside and protect them from the elements, using all natural materials.

The schools were each taking eight children to Holker Hall on May 28 to build the dens using material found in the woods with Mrs Atkinson and Mrs Goodson.

The dens will be displayed in a special forest school area where demonstrations will also take place.

One of the dens will be judged as the overall winner.

The pupils will receive goody bags and each school will receive 10 tickets for the festival.

Lindal and Marton Primary School’s design is by pupil Katy Mason. It is a wigwam structure, using a tree, fallen branches and bracken.

Pennington CE School’s design is by Polly Allen. It is a an Alice in Wonderland den using an arched frame. It also has wooden furniture and a post box.

Thwaites Community Primary School’s design was created by the school’s forest school group.

It is a den based on an ‘A’ shape frame using bracken.

Sir John Barrow Primary School’s design is by Bethany Mott. It is a dome shape den with woven branches and covered in moss.

Mrs Atkinson and Mrs Goodson said they were very impressed with the enthusiasm shown and they are hoping to display the prototype dens and drawings from other schools at the festival.

First published at 13:13, Monday, 24 May 2010
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk