A few weeks ago, we welcomed members of YPO and their families to the woodland for a family day centred around nature workshops, live-fire cooking and outdoor dining.

As demand grows for more meaningful outdoor events and nature-based experiences, family days have become an increasingly popular way for organisations to bring people together away from meeting rooms, screens and schedules. This particular gathering combined exploration, food and plenty of fresh air — a combination that proved popular with both children and adults.

Family days are a different proposition to most events.

Corporate retreats are generally easy enough to plan. Adults will usually go where they are told and arrive roughly when expected.

Children have other ideas.

Our younger guests spent the morning exploring the woodland with our team, learning about local wildlife, woodland ecosystems and the plants that make up the landscape around us. There was a great deal of enthusiasm for insects, sticks and anything that looked remotely climbable.

The adults, meanwhile, enjoyed a slightly slower start to the day.

By lunchtime everyone had gathered around the fire.

Live-fire cooking demonstrations are a regular feature of many of our woodland events, partly because people are interested in the food and partly because standing around a fire with a drink in hand is a perfectly respectable way to spend an afternoon.

Our chefs talked guests through some of the techniques we use throughout the season, from managing heat to cooking directly over embers.

The feast followed shortly afterwards.

Long tables filled up, conversations stretched out and children drifted between lunch and whatever adventure had captured their attention five minutes earlier.

As with most good family gatherings, there wasn’t much urgency to any of it.

Which was rather the point.

Many of the wild events we host are designed to bring people together through shared experiences outdoors. Family days simply add another generation to the table.

And occasionally several muddy pairs of wellington boots.

A pleasure to host and a lovely way to spend a day in the woodland.

Planning a Family Day or Outdoor Event?

Nomadic creates woodland events, corporate family days, leadership retreats and brand experiences centred around exceptional food, thoughtful hospitality and time spent outdoors. If you’re looking for a different approach to bringing people together, we’d love to hear from you.