Rewilding the kids at 42 Acres in Somerset

With her kids wound up after a term of scheduling and computers, Antonia Windsor decides to ‘reset’ the family with a device-free weekend in Somerset.

“Look, Mummy, that’s where a beaver’s gnawed it!” My youngest excitedly points to a small stump of a tree carved into a pencil point. We are on the hunt for beavers at 42 Acres, a rewilding project that spans a much larger 173 acres in rural Somerset.

“I think that pile of sticks is their house,” says my son, pointing knowingly at the riverbank. Just a day before he was glued to endless games of Fortnite on his computer. I looked at him like I was seeing him for the first time.

This was just what this London family needed. After a term of devices, homework and dance classes we all needed a weekend to “rewild” ourselves, shake off the stresses of everyday life and spend some time paying attention to nature.

Daffodils. Tracks in the mud. The shape of a den. The possibility, thrilling enough to keep us quiet for several minutes, of a beaver home somewhere at the lake’s edge.

We are on the hunt for beavers at 42 Acres

Rewilding a London family in Somerset

42 Acres calls its family offering “42 Ways to Play,” a collection of land-led ways to engage with the estate, designed to draw families outdoors without making everything feel like a lesson.

There is a treehouse to discover, woods to roam in, an 11-acre lake to circle or paddle across, and gardens where edible flowers and seasonal produce grow. There’s also enough open space for children to tip into imaginative play without much encouragement.

We were staying in Rettig, a three-bedroom cottage on the edge of the estate. We brought my son’s friend along too, filling the beds and introducing another Londoner to the joys of being outdoors.

Spring was beginning to burst from the ground. The banks were scattered with primroses, their pale yellow heads catching the light, and the whole place had that rinsed, lightly damp freshness that comes with April in the countryside. Birdsong overhead, mud underfoot, the smell of wet earth and woodsmoke on the air. One walk could contain half a dozen small discoveries.

The children, who can move through daily life with a remarkable ability to miss anything that doesn’t have a ring tone, started scanning hedgerows and woodland edges, keeping a lookout for deer.

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We were staying in Rettig, a three-bedroom cottage

Spring walks, wildlife spotting and scavenger hunts

A scavenger hunt helped us explore the area. With a sheet of challenges, a clipboard and a collecting bag we split into two teams and set off at speed.

We hunted for a blue flower, a teasel, certain kinds of pebbles and solved riddles that led to photographs. We all thought we’d found the boat house, but it wasn’t until the next day that we discovered the real one. “It’s just like Swallows and Amazons!” my son said, spotting the wooden rowing boat inside.

It was great to see all four children fully occupied by something that did not require charging. A basket of goodies from Wild Joy kept the theme going, with books of flowers and trees to spot and a flower press for our finds. And we found the deer too, a whole herd basking in the late afternoon sun, which delighted the kids.

We had a flower press for our finds

Fire craft, flatbread and outdoor adventure

We also took part in a couple of structured activities. The fire craft session landed squarely in that sweet spot between educational and exciting. The children learnt different ways to start a fire and we imagined this woodland clearing as our camp. Each child went off to find something useful to build our life there.

My youngest daughter found charcoal for drawing. Another child suggested it could clean our teeth. Someone else found wild garlic to flavour food. Then came the fun part. We wrapped dough around sticks and baked flatbread over the fire, turning it into a slightly competitive exercise. Marshmallows followed, toasted until blistered and melting.

As the fire died down, and fuelled by sugar, the kids began drumming on a large tree trunk. The evening ended with a surprisingly good rendition of “We Will Rock You” beaten out with sticks.

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There’s a boathouse at 42 Acres Somerset

Family yoga and nature connection in the Mandala Barn

The next morning we joined a family yoga and nature connection session in the Mandala Barn. It’s a beautiful central space used for retreats across the estate.

We started by talking about the animals and flowers we’d seen. These conversations fed into the poses we tried, from flower pose to deer pose and child-friendly sun salutations.

Some children, including my son, dipped in and out of the class. That was completely fine. If anything, he seemed to enjoy being able to choose rather than being told what to do. The nature connection element drew him back in. We could make a mandala from natural objects or model with clay found beneath a yew tree.

We all chose clay. My youngest daughter made a toadstool with a fairy door, my eldest created a globe covered in spring flowers, while the boys and I attempted heads. We were completely absorbed. Hands muddy, heads down, concentration total.

We joined a family yoga and nature connection session in the Mandala Barn

Life without screens – slowing down together

Back at the house there was no whining about missing iPads. We gathered around the table to play Doodle Mayhem, a competitive drawing game, and cooked a roast dinner using the wild garlic we’d picked.

What 42 Acres understands is that children do not always need more stimulation. Sometimes they need less. Here, the interest comes from the land itself. Woods to explore, water to watch, things to collect, cook, shape, spot and wonder about.

Adults benefit just as much. The slower rhythm is catching. I stopped checking the time. I stopped checking my email. Sitting by a lake and waiting for signs of a beaver felt like a perfectly good way to spend an evening.

Why 42 Acres works for families year-round

The place makes a particularly lovely Easter escape, when spring is busy unfurling across the estate. But it would work just as well at other times of year.

Autumn would bring rustling leaves and misty mornings. Winter would sharpen the appeal of fires, board games and returning indoors flushed from the cold.