Birthday smiles all round!

Why we booked the Outdoors Project for our son's birthday

As our son’s fifth birthday approached we were faced with a vast amount of choice for planning his party. That’s one of the things we love most about living in Brighton, that there are almost endless ways to keep children amused here.

Since he’s lucky enough to have been born in the summer, we decided we wanted to do something outside, and we also wanted some form of organised entertainment - because that meant we could watch the fun from a safe distance with a glass of wine!

We’ve often used the Outdoors Project for its amazing school holiday clubs in Hove - we’re very lucky to live just below St. Ann’s Well Garden, where they organise these as well as after-school activities, so an Outdoors Club birthday party was the obvious and convenient solution for us.

 Why parents love the Outdoors Project clubs

 There are several reasons why we love using the Outdoors Project in Hove and always recommend it to friends:

Fun in the Fresh Air

Wind, rain or shine the team run activities that involve plenty of running around in nature. Kids get exercise, and usually return home absolutely happy and exhausted, which is just what we’re looking for from a holiday club.

Educational Activities

Although there’s a lot of fun and silly games such as Zombie Nerf Gun Battles that help the kids warm up, the Outdoors Club also provides great educational activities for kids. Those are the ones we always try to book. Our son has done nature walks around the park to identify plants and different species of insects, shelter-building and other survival tactics, clay modelling and more.

Reliable Team

All of the Outdoors Project staff that we have encountered to date have been friendly, capable and great with the kids.  They’re organised, communicative, and approachable with any individual needs regarding the day and always recognise him with a high-five when he turns up.

Building Personal Skills

Kids don’t just learn practical skills at the Outdoors Project. They also learn about trust, teamwork and communication as they go along, which combines well with what they’re picking up at school.

For our son’s Outdoors Club birthday party, we had a 90-minute afternoon session in the park for 15 kids. Within minutes of arrival they were painted with fluorescent stripes and running around hiding behind trees playing at spies. We had constant background noises of cheers and shouts of happiness, and each one returned with their own clay model of a monster to take home. I think it says something for how good they are at entertaining and educating children that our instructor had a party booked immediately before ours in the same place, and another immediately afterwards! A busy day for them.

There are many other good after school clubs in Hove, as well as options for birthday parties and holiday clubs. The Outdoors Project is not the cheapest, but in our opinion it’s the best-value kids’ club around. For the fresh air exercise, the practical and personal skills, and the peace of mind knowing that you’re leaving your child with capable, friendly instructors, you can’t beat it. We hope to continue using the Outdoors Project for years to come.