Playcircle Camp 2018!
Blessed. Tired, but truly blessed. That's how we felt last Sunday afternoon as we loaded the hire van and all our cars, packing away an amazingly wonderful weekend. Blessed with the magnificent weather and blessed to co-create and spend time with such warm hearted, fun loving, talented folk.
Our Tribe. Surrounded by the idyllic Cranham Woods, Bucks head Farm in Birdlip held host to our second consecutive Playcircle Family Camp. What a weekend it was! Brightly coloured festival flags flew in the summer breeze, numerous bell tents and marquees festooned the field and a giant inflatable octopus (of course!!) waved it’s eight enormous arms, welcoming some 200+ friendly faces to the camp. As families arrived on late Friday afternoon there was quickly the distinct familiar buzz of the community we've come to expect.. Adults wandered amongst the tents chatting whilst the children ran excitedly, greeting old and new friends. Later families gathered together around a roaring campfire to toast marshmallows and sing a mixture of world music, campfire classics and lullabies. We awoke in the morning to blazing sunshine and excited anticipation of the weekend ahead. As people emerged from their tents, they joined the queue for a bowl of ‘the best porridge ever’ provided by Kat & Sam* and a cup of tea or our signature ‘goood’ coffee (which was on tap, completely free all weekend!) As some people ate breakfast and relaxed in the ‘Big Brown Bear Tent’ the more spritely among us joined up for a more energetic ‘morning stretch’ in the central circle. It wasn't long before the chilled out morning preamble was over and workshops, activities and treatments were in full swing. The list of which, was extensive and varied; from singing and African drumming workshops to Forest School and sports activities, from Mother’s and Father’s talking circles to Shiatsu and Indian Head Massage. The wide range of inspired crafts included Faerie garden making, clay fun, painting, dream catcher workshops, green woodwork demos and so so much more! We simply couldn’t list everything here! Just like last year, one of the things that brought us ‘hand squeezing’ joy was watching all of our children play so happily together with the rare abandon only usually found in pockets of safe communities. It is a very special thing to know that we all look out for each other’s children at Playcircle. At one point, I took a break from my camp duties and indulged in a blissfully relaxing Shiatsu treatment. Through the flapping canvas of the bell tent I watched as children played and laughed and adults talked animatedly with each other or stole quiet moments for themselves or together with their little ones under trees. I thought about the vision each of the Playcircle team share….a community of happy contented parents who look out for each other whilst we parent happy contented children…and there it was…in a field in Birdlip. As we always say about the events we hold, they are only the success they are due to the talented and generous folk who attend Playcircle and it makes us so unbelievably happy to bring you all together and be part of it ourselves. So as we recollect last weekend it is with deep and heartfelt gratitude to everyone who held a workshop, session or treatment and to everyone that joined us….each and everyone of you made it what it was. Thank you. xx
