Alaria CIC

A community interest company offering therapeutic support for children, young people and families.

Play therapy, outdoor therapeutic experiences, alternative education, animal-assisted therapy, training and workshops for parents and professionals.

19/04/2026

☀️ We have some plants 🌱 🌿🍃 some Tadpoles and pond skaters in our new pond 👀👀👀 come join us tomorrow for our parent and under 8 session from 1-3 ❤️

You can feed the chickens, the guinea pigs and investigate the pond.

18/04/2026

Update: I was not, in fact, quite as ready as I thought 🤣

Somewhere between the mud, clay and paint… I became part of the session.

Add in reservoir sand and a generous helping of (not-at-all warm) reservoir water, and I was very thoroughly “included” in the play.

We also somehow fitted in axolotl felting, plus visits to the chickens and guinea pigs 🐔🐹

No photos of the activities because we were pretty busy and my hands weren't generally in a fit state to be handling my phone, but this face probably tells you everything you need to know 😄

17/04/2026

“I’m ready for you…”
– moments before messy play holiday session begins 🤣

There’s something about mud, water, pots and a bit of freedom that just works.

No instructions. No right or wrong. Just hands in, curiosity on, and off they go.

It might look like chaos…
but this is where experimenting, problem-solving, imagination and confidence quietly grow.

And yes – sometimes the grown-ups get just as stuck in as the children 😄

14/04/2026

There was some serious den-building going on today.

Not the “quick throw a sheet over a chair” kind…
The “let’s figure this out, test it, adapt it, make it stronger” kind.

We saw teamwork, problem-solving, creativity – and a fair bit of determination when things didn’t quite go to plan first time.

Some dens were cosy.
Some were ambitious.
Some involved a surprising amount of rope.

And every single one was completely their own.
This is the kind of play that doesn’t need much direction – just space, materials, and time.

Look what happens when children are given exactly that

13/04/2026

It really doesn’t take much to get us excited here at Alaria 😄

Two of the new girlies have laid their first eggs.
They’re pictured here next to one of Dame Hilda’s eggs for scale – not a bad first effort! That's breakfast sorted 👌

12/04/2026

✨ Meet our newest girlies… now officially named! ✨
Thank you so much to everyone who sent in name suggestions – we loved reading them all and it definitely made choosing harder!

After much deliberation, here they are:

🐔 Peggy Partridge (because she’s a Partridge Leghorn… and apparently we’re now the kind of people who get far too much joy from a bit of alliteration 🤣)
🐔 Lucy (the Sussex chickens are now Louise and Lucy)
🐔 Rose (with her beautiful necklace, reminiscent of the Titanic movie)
🐔 Edith (speckledy chicken)

There’s something quietly important about giving names. It helps us place things in the world, connect to them, and feel a sense of belonging alongside them.

These lovely girls are very much part of Alaria now 💛

11/04/2026

We’ve got some new arrivals at Alaria… 🐔✨
And we’re a little bit in love already.

These 4 lovely girlies are around 16 weeks old and have just joined us. They're settling in to their temporary enclosure – lots of curious pecking, gentle clucking, and that slightly cautious “what is this place?” energy.

Before long, they’ll be able to be integrated with the grown up girls and they'll be part of daily life here – quietly pottering around while children play, adding their own calm, grounding presence to the space.

But… we need your help.
We haven’t named them yet.
✨ What would you call them?

Nature names, gentle names, funny names – we’re open to all suggestions. Bonus points if they feel a little bit magical.

Pop your ideas in the comments – we can’t wait to see what you come up with 💛

10/04/2026

It’s been a really lovely day here at Alaria.

For this morning's holiday session we headed out for a forest and waterfall walk, taking things at a slower pace and stopping for a picnic along the way. Days like this tend to have a way of settling everyone without needing much structure.

This afternoon was a bit more lively – we’ve been busy welcoming some new feathered friends 🐔
We’ll share some photos once they’ve had a chance to settle in. 🩷

08/04/2026

We’ve been a little quieter on here recently, but not because we’ve been idle!

Alongside busily creating new events, we’ve also needed a little rest after a wonderfully full and busy term, including the launch of a couple of new regular groups. And behind the scenes, we’ve been beavering away on something else too – our new website.

We’re really proud of what we’ve created, and we truly hope you like it. We wanted it to reflect the warmth, care and specialness of this place – and something of what nature can offer when children, young people and families are given space to breathe, belong and grow.

Take a look here: www.alaria.uk

02/04/2026

🍃🦋 Parent & Child Session at Alaria – Monday 6th April 🐔🐝

Come along and join us for a relaxed, fun-filled morning for parents and children aged 0–8!

🕙 10:00am start
⏳ 1 hour 15 minutes

✨ What’s included:
• A fun scavenger hunt
• Snacks to enjoy together
• Time to explore our onsite activities
• Feed the chickens and guinea pigs
• And you might even spot some frogs! 🐸

🎟️ Book your place here:
https://goteamup.com/p/11113452-alaria-cic/e/101617779-parent-under-9-session-scavenger-hunt/

If you have any questions, just send us a message—we’d love to hear from you! 💚

30/03/2026

🌿 Den Building Adventure (Ages 5–12) – Tomorrow (Tuesday) Morning🌿

A 2hr session for children who are home educated, winding down for the term, or just needing a break from the usual rhythm… we’ve got spaces left for tomorrow’s Den Building Adventure at Glengavel Reservoir.

There’ll be den building, digging, climbing, exploring and creating, with plenty of space for big energy as well as quiet moments. If your child hasn't attended before, feel free to come along and spend some time with them, getting to know the site and meeting the animals. Parents/carers can attend this session free of charge.

🗓 Tuesday
⏰ 10.30am – 12.30pm
👧 Ages 5–12 (Parents welcome)

Children can be dropped off if they feel confident to stay.

The session is run by a Forest School Leader who's also a therapist, with a focus on freedom, connection, and letting children lead their own play.

Spaces are limited and must be booked in advance:
👉 https://goteamup.com/p/11113452-alaria-cic/e/101615915-age-5-12-den-building-adventure/

Mud, movement, imagination and a bit of wildness 🌿

29/03/2026

Two sides to everything 🌿

We’re posting this a little later than usual…
because after a full, beautiful, slightly whirlwind term…
we needed a rest.

And that felt important too.

Yesterday, the children learned about nettles.

Not just the sting…
but the softness too.

They discovered how something that can hurt…
can also soothe.

With a little care, a little knowledge, and a bit of courage,
they harvested the gentle part of the nettle
and made their own warm infusion – sweetened with honey and shared together.

Served with fresh strawberries and apple slices in the sunshine (yes, we did get some yesterday amidst the weather 'shuffle'!) 🍓

It felt like such a perfect reflection of this term.

Because just like nettles…
children have many sides too.

The loud and the quiet.
The spiky and the soft.
The dysregulated and the deeply kind.

And when they’re given the right environment…
those softer sides have space to emerge.

We’ve been so privileged to spend time each week with 28 wonderful children in our small groups.

Watching confidence grow.
Watching friendships form.
Watching children feel safe enough to just be themselves.

What a term it’s been 💛

✨ And… watch this space.
Our Easter holiday sessions will be announced in the next day or two.

Address

Alaria CIC
Strathaven
ML106RF

Website

https://www.alaria.uk/

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