BUDS Outdoor Stay & Play

02/09/2025

🧚‍♀️✨ Spellbound Stay & Play Sessions
27th-31st October

Step into an enchanting world of faeries, folktale, witches and wizards. We’ll have all the usual outdoor fun at HQ, with a sprinkle of magic ✨

As always, sessions will be unstructured and free-flow; offering a chance to slow down, connect, and let imaginations run wild.

❌ 👻 No big scary ghosts, ghouls or monsters around here! Think bippety boppety boo! 🪄

🧙🏼‍♀️Children are very welcome to attend in fancy dress but please be aware they may end up muddy and wet from playing outdoors so machine washable costumes are advised! Even the most advanced wizards and witches can get mucky and feel the cold so please layer up.

☕️ There’s always a cuppa for you to help yourselves to in The Barn - feel free to bring your own flask.

📕✨ We will end the session (weather permitting) with a magical story circle.

📍BUDS HQ, Brampton Grange Wedding and Conference Centre, Sandy Lane, Chapel Brampton, Northampton, NN6 8AD

🎟️ Sessions are suitable for children age 6 and under. To find out more info and/ or book your tickets click on the link in the bio or head to www.bookwhen.com/buds.

Booking FAQ’s:-

Please make sure you select the Child + Infant Ticket if you are bringing a pre-walker. There is no additional cost but it helps to know numbers.

To book more than one child simply click ‘Select’ on Child Ticket, then + to add more than one child.

02/09/2025

October Stay & Play at BUDS HQ

Wrap up and head over to BUDS on Mondays and Fridays throughout October!
🧣🎃🍂☕️

It’s a busy month at BUDS this October but here’s what you can expect at one of our Stay & Play sessions…

🧗‍♀️ Climbing and balancing
💦 Sand and water play
🎭 Role play
🪹Tuff tray exploration
🧱 Construction
🧘‍♀️ Hammock relaxation
🍴Mud kitchen
🐛 Minibeast hunts
🪴 Stories
🎨 Arts and Crafts
…and more!

Sessions are outdoors, unstructured and free-flow; a chance to slow down, connect, and let imaginations run wild.

🧣As the weather begins to cool, it’s worth dressing little ones (and yourselves!) in layers.

☕️ There’s always a cuppa for you to help yourselves to in The Barn - feel free to bring your own flask.

💦 We can of course expect more rain (puddles hurrah!) Hoods up, bring a brolly and wellies for children AND grown ups - let’s gooooo!

📍BUDS HQ, Brampton Grange Wedding and Conference Centre, Sandy Lane, Chapel Brampton, Northampton, NN6 8AD

🎟️ To find out more info and/ or book your tickets click on the link in the bio or head to www.bookwhen.com/buds.

Tickets for each session are limited, don’t miss out on the fun!

Booking FAQ’s:-

www.booking.com/buds

Please make sure you select the Child + Infant Ticket if you are bringing a pre-walker. There is no additional cost but it helps to know numbers.

To book more than one child simply click ‘Select’ on Child Ticket, then + to add more than one child.

28/08/2025

✨🌳 West Northamptonshire BIPC Grant Winner!

🚀 I applied and wow, I won! Me, catapulted into the world of self employment just this spring. Only a select few businesses in West Northants were chosen to receive this grant, so I feel incredibly proud and grateful that someone else sees the value and potential reach my little micro-business can achieve.

🌱 This grant will undoubtedly help BUDS grow throughout my first year of trading. Whilst I’d love to have invested in some super cool play equipment, I’ve been sensible and put it towards rental costs, I mean who is this grown up woman!?

🤓 The BIPC programme has not only supported BUDS financially, but provided me with access to invaluable webinars run by industry experts; a total game changer for someone who is new to business. I think secretly we’re all winging it, right? But their webinars genuinely gave me confidence in building the business side of things (finances, marketing, business planning etc.)

✨ Thank you BIPC for supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses to grow and learn.

This project is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund

07/08/2025

Wowee, in the local paper today, I’m so proud to feature, thank you so much Northampton Chronicle 🌷and the local community for all your support in getting my little idea off the ground, my aim is to provide children with outstanding outdoor experiences and every time you visit with your little ones, tell a friend, leave a review or ‘like/share’ on social media it helps put this into action.

A little shout out to my friends, many of whom are ex work colleagues, and family who have put in the graft to help develop such a wonderful space at HQ and have cheered me on from the very start. Because of you I have never felt alone in this (hate to say it) ‘journey’ 🫂

So I guess all there’s left to say is THANK YOU 🫶🏼

Former teacher of nearly a decade took leap to launch forest school and outdoor learning experience

07/08/2025

A huge thank you to for funding this mornings wonderful Forest School session at lovely site. We had so much fun whittling sticks, building bow and arrows, creating clay animals, decorating fairy doors, mixing potions and so much more!
🧚‍♀️ 🪵 🌳
We held a hot chocolate and cookie mindfulness circle to close. Here are some of the words used to describe how we felt after spending time outdoors:

☺️ Proud
🤲🏼 Peaceful
😌 Relaxed
💚 Grateful for nature
😃 Joyful
🧘 Calmness

A big well done to all the fabulous children who attended. You were polite, enthusiastic and so friendly and kind to one another 🌷

01/08/2025

🌷September Stay & Play (5’s and Under) at BUDS HQ!

I don’t want to wish the summer holidays away BUT September tickets have now been released 🍂🍁

Come and play at BUDS on Mondays and Fridays throughout September
🦊 🐰 🦡 🐴 🦌

What to expect…

🧗‍♀️ Climbing and balancing
💦 Sand and water play
🎭 Role play
🪹Tuff tray exploration
🧱 Construction
🧘‍♀️ Hammock relaxation
🍴Mud kitchen
🐛 Minibeast hunts
🪴 Stories
🎨 Arts and Crafts
…and more!

Sessions are outdoors, unstructured and free-flow; a chance to slow down, connect, and let imaginations run wild 🌈

📍BUDS HQ, Brampton Grange Wedding and Conference Centre, Sandy Lane, Chapel Brampton, Northampton, NN6 8AD

🎟️ To find out more info or book your tickets head to www.bookwhen.com/buds.

Tickets for each session are limited, don’t miss out on the fun!

Booking FAQ’s:-

Please make sure you select the Child + Infant Ticket if you are bringing an infant under 12 months. There is no additional cost but I do need to know numbers to ensure safety for all.

To book more than one child over 12 months simply click ‘Select’ on Child Ticket, then + to add more than one child.

17/07/2025

Today was my final Forest School session with EYFS at Earls Barton Primary School 🌳

This term we explored the theme of ‘habitats’, exploring birds nests, building bug hotels and hedgehog homes. For our final session I sprinkled a little forest magic and we designed and built fairy houses, crafted forest wands and made nature bracelets 🪹 🐞 ✨

Each child also made a special wood cookie necklace, safely using a palm drill and decorating it to reflect their time at Forest School 🪵

This week we read The Boy with Flowers in his Hair to promote kindness, inclusivity and friendship, such a gorgeous book 📕

A magical (soggy and humid!!) end to a beautiful term with such great little people. Enjoy your summer and good luck in Year One!

Mrs Green 🌷

09/07/2025

🦉 2025 School Starter Stay & Play Sessions🎒
NOW LIVE

🌷BOUGHTON PRIMARY SCHOOL:- EDIT Thurs 21st August
🌷BUCKTON FIELDS PRIMARY SCHOOL
🌷BRIXWORTH PRIMARY SCHOOL
🌷THE BRAMPTONS PRIMARY SCHOOL
🌷PITSFORD PRIMARY SCHOOL

These sessions offer a fun and informal opportunity for little ones to meet up with their new classmates before their first term begins.

Sessions are held at BUDS HQ, Brampton Grange.

🍄 For transparency, places are limited to ensure a calm play environment. Whilst I would love children to be able to spend time with all their new friends, I don’t want to compromise their play experience. I have initially listed one session per school but I appreciate schools with larger cohorts may require additional sessions adding. Please book your ticket, and if places are full make sure you register for the waiting list. This will allow me to gauge demand and add additional sessions if required.

Equally, if sessions aren’t popular (I’m aware some schools on the list only have a small intake, plus people may be on holiday or already have plans) I may have to cancel which I hope you understand.

I have absolutely no idea how popular these will be, so let’s see and I’ll amend as needed! Hopefully there’s interest; fun, free flow and zero pressure. A lovely opportunity for parents and carers to meet too! Feel free to share amongst friends!

‼️Please Note: Buds are not affiliated with any schools and school staff are not obliged to attend, advertise, plan or deliver Buds sessions. Buds School Starter Sessions are in no way linked to any existing transition events organised by schools.

25/06/2025

🌞 Summer holidays are just around the corner!

🌱 Far Cotton and Delapre Community Council have created a jam packed timetable to help get families active, outdoors and keep kids busy this summer

📣 THESE ACTIVITIES ARE FREE!

🌳 I’ll be running two forest school sessions for 5-11 year olds at UoN’s lovely little outdoor learning site at their Waterside Campus

👉🏼 Click the link below to book your child on to a session, simply fill out your details, select your date, you’re in!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdvv0ecVVkpUi0iTUuD0ZOfafSy0NGu4_iVLUg61aeIhdnRbw/viewform

⌚️ Sessions last 1.5hrs and parents and carers must stay on site for the duration of the session - perfect excuse to grab a cuppa at The Engine Shed or have a wander along the canal 🦢

Hope to see some of you there!

Head over to to check out their full summer event timetable ⛳️ 🧗‍♀️ 🎨

23/06/2025

I’ll be back at Busby’s in Moulton on Wednesday’s throughout July! Quick get booked on! 🌳 🌷 💦

14/06/2025

A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood…

🐭 🦊 🐍 🦉

A gentle theme ran through this week’s Stay & Play sessions, children’s classic, The Gruffalo!

Coincidentally this tied in with Moulton Library - Health and Wellbeing Hub fab new window art 🎨

Scrambled snake, roasted fox and owl ice cream…all on the menu. Oh and the special…Gruffalo crumble 😋

Gruffalo Spotter sheet by was a hit. Some of us hunted for

🪾Spiky objects like the Gruffalo’s sharp pointy teeth
🍏 Green objects like his poisonous wart
🪻Purple objects like his purple prickles (Symphytum Asperum)

We also spotted so many minibeasts this week, the dragonflies were flitting about in full force, one very brave one landed on H’s hat!

🪰 🐞 🐛 🐌

09/06/2025

Come and play this summer 🦊 🐰 🦡 🐴 🦌

🗓️ Tuesdays, Fridays and a couple of Mondays thrown in the mix too!

What to expect….
🧗‍♀️ Climbing and balancing
💦 Sand & water play
🎭 Role play
🪹Tuff tray exploration
🧱 Construction
🧘‍♀️ Hammock relaxation
🍴Mud kitchdn
🐛 Minibeast hunts
🪴 Mini allotment
…and more!

Sessions are outdoors, unstructured and free-flow; a chance to slow down, connect, and let imaginations run wild 🌈

📍BUDS HQ, Brampton Grange Wedding and Conference Centre, Sandy Lane, Chapel Brampton, Northampton, NN6 8AD.

🎟️ To find out more info or to book your tickets head to www.bookwhen.com/buds.

Tickets are limited, don’t miss out on the fun!