A few weeks ago Isaac and Eliza attended Beach School at Burton Bradstock and enjoyed it so much that I booked them in again, as the next session was all about the creatures that live in the sea.
The weather has been very ropey over the last week and I checked my weather app on my phone several times before setting off that morning. It promised me dry weather but as it was torrential rain outside I packed rain coats and wellies along with the lunch boxes. For the second day we drove through rain, high winds and fog but as we approached Bridport it started to clear, just as my phone had predicted.
I dropped them off full of excitement but wasn’t sure what to do myself as they recommend you don’t stay with them as it distracts them having a parent around. One of the other mums suggested I visit Bridport as it was market day, so I set off hoping to find a bustling market.
I couldn’t have been more disappointed. The stalls were dotted around the high street with most selling old 70’s bric a brac – not cool collectible stuff, but the things that everyone throws away. Sebby and I stopped for a coffee and cake in a local cafe and headed back to the beach instead.
We started off building stone towers but Sebby was keen to explore and starting heading up one of the cliff pathways.
I was really surprised by how far he walked and the views were spectacular from up on high, although it was very windy so we headed back down to the beach.
Normally we would go for a paddle but the waves were pounding the shore and Sebby seemed as content as I was to just sit on the beach and watch as they crashed into the shore, although there were a few hardy souls getting their feet wet.
The tide was starting to come in and I noticed that Beach School were starting to pack up as the waves started to encroach on their marked out area. I did catch them doing some wild cooking though and they all enjoyed eating the bread they had made.
All the children were expected to help pack away and take the things they had been using back to the cars. Once that was done we headed to Hive Beach Cafe for a well earned ice cream treat and I found out about all the things they had done.
Apparently they had examined and gutted some fish, including Bream, Mackerel and a Bass and then took prints of its skin and put them on paper and bags. They examined a crab and Eliza insisted on bringing one of its legs back home with her. They had also built shelters and made dough to make and cook bread over the fire.
All in all a great day was had by all of us and the sun came out to play too!
Oh wow this sounds like great fun for kids, mine would have loved that. You’re very lucky to live close to the seaside, I miss that.
It sounds like you had a great time! xx
Wow, it looks like they had an amazing time again. I wish we had things like this closer to us. We haven’t been to the beach as much as we should have done this summer
Sorry the market was such a disappointment! I would have felt the same, I love looking around them :/ The wild cooking sounds fun though – I wish I had taken my boys to this!
Shame you didn’t get to enjoy a bustling market but the kids at beach school doing wild cooking sounds like a great experience though!
Love the beach been a few times this summer.
Oh wow Kara it looks amazing there, what fantastic views too. Just fabulous. Amazing how grown up Sebby looks too 🙂
It sounds as though you had so much fun, I love being near the sea, the sound is so calming.
It sounds like they had a fabulous day full of fun activities, love cooking on a fire and making shelters! What did they think of gutting a fish? I’ve only done that in the zoology lab at uni, wasn’t particularly pleasant!
I love that you and Sebby walked so far and had fun along the coast. One of my favourite things to do is watch the waves crash into the shore, it’s very soothing!
Thanks for linking up to #Whatevertheweather 🙂 x
What a fab day you all had, it’s amazing, sometimes, the fun you can have on the beach without even going near the water. Sebby looks like he’s having a great time exploring the clifftops with you, it’s great that you had some one-on-one time with him building towers on the beach too. It’s great that the kids were all expected to help out tidying up after beach school and I’m sure the ice creams were a welcome treat for helping. Thanks for linking up with me on Country Kids.
Beach School, what a fantastic idea, Kara, and their activities sounds absolutely amazing! I love your pics, stunning as usual.xx
I used to live near here! I love the Hive cafe and yes you’re right, Bridport market is pants! It’s such a shame because it’s such a beautiful place, you’d expect it to have a better market.
That’s incredible that they have a beach school. We have so many beaches where I live now (Cornwall) and I don’t think there are beach schools like this. It sounds like they learnt so much!!! And a big bonus that you and Sebby had a great day too. Thank you so much for linking to #whatevertheweather x