These Den Making Kits Will Keep Your Kids off Their Screens for Longer
In this digital age, it's never been more important to encourage children to learn and play outdoors
Liz Edwards is a passionate advocate of the great outdoors and founder of Sheffield-based Muddy Faces, a children’s education brand known for innovative content and products that encourage children to learn and play outdoors. She has previously worked nationally to successfully campaign to get mud play into the early years curriculum and champions International Mud Day (celebrated in educational settings around the country on 29th June every year).
Whilst continuing her work with Muddy Faces, Liz has recently taken the reins of The Den Kit Company, also based in Sheffield, after its founders (who were previously primary school teachers and forest school practitioners) retired.
‘I’ve always been involved in the outdoors, as a forest school practitioner, then a forest school trainer, and running Muddy Faces,’ says Liz. ‘We have an outdoor hub at Muddy Faces which is a massive free resource for people to get information about being outdoors. A couple of years ago I was in contact with Kay and Jo at The Den Kit Company and they were looking to move on and retire, and were therefore looking for safe hands for The Den Kit Company to go into. They knew about me and I knew about them because we did very similar work – but my target market was education and theirs was retail. We had a very similar ethos and approach to sustainability – trying to source as much as possible from the UK and trying to make as much as we can ourselves. Being child-led, these resources are really open-ended. We’re feeding the children’s imagination and allowing them to play creatively with these products. Both organisations are really passionate about that, so it fitted really nicely that I took The Den Kit Company on. We’re still in contact and continue to uphold the really strong brand that supports children’s development.’
Jo and Kay launched The Den Kit Company from their kitchen tables in 2008 having witnessed the benefits of creative, fun and unprescribed outdoor play. Their Den Kits were designed to encourage children to get outside (whether that’s in their garden, in a field, at the beach, or on a balcony) to create their own temporary space. Importantly, these kits have no single-use plastic, no batteries and no complicated instructions. With the Den Kits, there’s no right or wrong way of doing things, so children are encouraged to use their imagination and creativity to build their own den (even if they have little or no previous den-building experience). The company now produces activity kits, mini kits and outdoor supplies (think trowels, caps, mugs and monoculars) to encourage kids to stay out in the fresh air for even longer.
‘The products are recommended by the Good Toy Guide and most of them are certified toys as well,’ Liz adds. ‘With these open-ended products it’s quite hard to get certification but The Den Kit Company has really worked hard on that – getting everything tested so it’s as safe as it can be. There are problem solving elements to some of the products that challenge children and encourage them to take risks, and the products are tested to make sure each element in itself is as safe as it can be. I do think the main thing is that we ensure sustainability and encourage sustainability within the children as well, with a constant connection to nature and natural materials. They have a number of products that have been really popular and have kept some core products available, which we have carried on with as well, including the original Den Kit. They’re popular with both parents and grandparents.’
Liz says this encouragement to go outdoors is important for children of all ages. In fact she says it’s imperative for mental and physical wellbeing. ‘As children have been pulled even more into indoor, sedentary, device-based play, it’s having a significant effect on their mental and physical wellbeing,’ she explains. ‘Anything that can capture a child’s imagination and encourage them to go out, maybe even with their parents getting involved if they want to, is great.
‘There are a couple of elements that support longevity of a happy and healthy life – the social aspect of being outdoors with friends and family and generally being physically active. Now, science is showing more and more that the connection with nature and the benefits of being out in nature, hearing the birdsong and experiencing the fresh air and smells… all those elements are critical for mental and physical wellbeing.’
Now Liz has exciting plans for The Den Kit Company as she takes the brand into its next chapter, including a new collection launching on 1st July. ‘We’re really excited,’ says Liz. ‘We’re taking the values of The Den Kit Company and combining them with the expertise we have at Muddy Faces. There’s certainly some products that are going to be made with UK-grown wood which is really exciting. UK-grown wood supports local craftspeople, managing woodlands, supporting biodiversity and supporting woodlands for the future. That’s an exciting element for the new products. We’re also going to be venturing into some exciting areas that The Den Kit Company hasn’t done before. There’s going to be a STEM-related product and one that’s really imaginative.
‘It’s about keeping it true to its origins. Kay and Jo are passionate about how The Den Kit Company was, and I love it, and I’ve really enjoyed getting involved in the design work and keeping it in line with the brand. It’s been really nice spending that extra time delving deeper into the new products.’
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