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Heligan Rangers

Let them grow wild – the Heligan way.

Heligan Rangers is a children’s club for curious young explorers with a love of nature and the outdoors.

From discovering wildlife and exploring wild places to getting muddy and seeing the natural world up close, Rangers learn by being outside, getting involved and following their curiosity.

Based at our new Centre for Nature Futures Hub, the Lodge is the Heligan Rangers’ main HQ – a beautiful, state-of-the-art undercover space where children can gather, learn and connect with nature whatever the weather.

At Heligan, nature is the classroom, the playground and the adventure.

Come and join the Heligan Rangers. Adventure awaits.

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For curious 6 to 11 year olds who thrive in the great outdoors.

On Tuesdays and Wednesdays during term-time between 5pm – 6:30pm, young explorers are invited to become Heligan Rangers — a weekly adventure set in the heart of the iconic Lost Gardens of Heligan.

This unique outdoor club offers an enriching mix of play, discovery, and connection with nature, all led by our passionate and experienced outdoor team. 

Book here

A little wild time after a busy school day.

What if, instead of another afternoon indoors, your child could disappear into the gardens, breathe in the fresh air, get muddy, follow animal tracks and come home full of stories?

Heligan Rangers is a chance to do just that.

Set in the wild and wonderful surroundings of Heligan, our small-group after-school sessions give children the freedom to explore, discover and learn through doing.

And there’s something to collect along the way…

Every adventure earns a stamp in their Rangers logbook. Six sessions, six stamps — and a special Heligan Rangers certificate to take home at the end.

Topics include:

Animal Tracking — follow the clues and discover who’s been wandering through Heligan.

Hedgehog Detectives — explore the secret lives of one of our favourite garden visitors.

Pond Dipping — discover what’s living beneath the surface and learn about water voles and pond life.

Birdwatching — listen, look and learn to recognise Heligan’s feathered visitors.

Moth Night — set a light trap, head out with torches and discover the wonderful world of moths as the evenings get darker.

Pollinator Detectives — get amongst the flowers, discover how pollination works and see how many pollinators we can find.

For children, it’s an adventure. For parents, it’s fresh air, new skills, time away from screens and the joy of seeing their confidence grow.

Tuesdays & Wednesdays from 5pm to 6.30pm
Drop-off and collection at The Hollow.

Small groups. Big adventures.
Outdoor clothes and a sense of adventure recommended.

Six stamps. One certificate. A whole lot of wild memories.

Let them grow wild… the Heligan way.

Our Winter term is coming soon.


Sign up below to be the first to hear when bookings open.

In the unlikely event that we experience high winds or adverse weather events that impact on the maintenance of safety across our gardens, we will close the site to the public and reserve the right to cancel at short notice. In this instance we would notify families as soon as possible and offer refunds or rebooking.

Our after-school clubs are drop-off sessions only unless your child has specific needs that require your presence during the session. If necessary, please discuss this with us prior to booking so that we can ensure that your child’s needs are appropriately met.

Please meet us in The Hollow at 5pm. The Hollow is to the right of the ticket office and will be signposted for you. We will be ready and waiting to meet you and your child/ren.

At the end of the session, we will bring the children back to The Hollow. Please meet us there to collect your child/ren at 6:30pm.

Our Heligan Rangers After-School Clubs are outdoor sessions – we will spend all of our time outside, so please ensure that your child comes equipped for the changeable Cornish weather in comfortable clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty. As Wainright said “there’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing!”

  • Waterproofs – ideally trousers and a jacket, particularly on typical Cornish days!
  • Wellies for damp days or old trainers or similar for dry days
  • Warm clothes and layers in cold weather – including hats and gloves
  • A refillable water bottle – we have plenty of access to fresh water, so these can be refilled as needed.
  • Medication as appropriate – this must have been detailed on the consent form or, if medication requirements have changed since completing the booking form, detailed in a notification email to the Learning & Wellbeing team

Please do not send your child with a mobile phone or any other electronic devices – there will be no opportunity to use them, and we cannot guarantee their safety.

Sessions will be led by our Learning Engagement Lead – a qualified teacher - as well as our other experienced team members. All members of the Rangers team have undertaken an enhanced DBS check and completed appropriate Safeguarding Training. We ensure that at least one member of the Rangers team on site each day is trained in Paediatric First Aid. All the team are familiar with Heligan’s Safeguarding Policy & Procedures. We will ensure a ratio of no more than 8 children to 1 member of staff.

Before the block starts

· A full refund will be offered if you cancel more than a week before the block starts.

· If you cancel within the last week before the block starts and we can fill your space, we will offer a full refund.

Once the block has started

· Fees are normally non-refundable. Please let us know of any exceptional circumstances.

Missed sessions

· We cannot refund or credit missed sessions due to e.g. holidays or minor illness.

· If Heligan must cancel a session, we’ll either arrange another session or refund you for the missed session.

If we make changes

· If we cancel the whole block before it starts you will receive a full refund

· If we change something important (such times or days) and you can’t attend, we will refund you for affected sessions.

Little explorers. Big adventures.

Mini Rangers is our nature-led outdoor group for children aged 2 to 4, giving them the chance to explore Heligan’s gardens, woodland and wildlife through play, movement and hands-on discovery.

Each session follows what’s happening around us. We might search beneath leaves for minibeasts, follow a woodland trail, collect natural treasures, splash in the mud, listen for birds or stop to explore something we’ve spotted along the way.

Mini Rangers
  • Tuesday mornings 10am – 11am

  • £7 per session, book a block of 6 sessions.

  • Toddlers must be accompanied by a parent/carer. Parents are responsible for their children at all times.

  • For children aged 2 to 4 years old.

Book here

Toddler Club Cornwall

Starting from Tuesday, September 8 to Tuesday, October 13

A fun-filled outdoor session specially designed for 2 to 4 year olds. Where little explorers can learn, play and grow through nature!

Our Mini Rangers sessions encourage children to develop their fine and gross motor skills, build confidence, explore their surroundings and connect with the natural world.

Through exciting activities, movement, sensory play and opportunities to socialise with other children, your little one can learn new skills while having lots of fun. 

Come along, get muddy, make friends, explore nature and watch your little ranger’s confidence grow!

Get ready for October half term with Heligan Rangers Holiday club!

  1. Holiday Club for 6 to 11 year olds

    Get ready for October half term with Heligan Rangers Holiday club!

    Wednesday, October 28


    Ages: 6 to 11 


    Meet at the Hollow: Arrival 8:45am to start at 9am and collection at 3pm

    Book here

  2. Holiday Club for 8 to 12 year olds

    Back by popular demand our 8 to 12 year old Holiday Club has officially arrived! 

    Wednesday, October 21

    Tuesday, October 27

    Wednesday, October 28

    Thursday, October 29

    Ages: 8 to 12

    Meet at the Hollow: Arrival 8:45am to start at 9am and collection at 3pm

    Book here

Frequently asked questions

Please meet us in The Hollow at the start of your session time at 9am. We will be available to meet you in the Hollow at least 15 minutes before the session start time. The Hollow is to the right of the ticket office and will be signposted for you. We will be ready and waiting to meet you and your child/ren. If you are going to be more than 15 minutes late, please contact our reception team on 01726 845100.

At the end of the session, we will bring the children back to The Hollow. Please meet us there to collect your child/ren. If you are going to be more than 15 minutes late to collect your child, please let us know on 01726 845100.

We kindly request that you only make contact with the team if required urgently during the session. You can do this by contacting Heligan reception on 01726 845100. Reception will contact our team by radio to communicate any message. If it has been agreed that our team will contact you during the session – to meet the specific and agreed needs of your child/ren – we will do this at pre-arranged times.

We kindly ask that you notify us as soon as possible, and ideally no less than 48 hours in advance if you need to cancel your booking. Cancellations made after this time may not be eligible for a refund.

Our Heligan Rangers Workshops are outdoor sessions – we will spend our time outside, so please ensure that your child comes equipped for the changeable Cornish weather in comfortable clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty. As Wainright said “there’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing!”

  • Lunch and snacks - please bring a packed lunch and snacks for the day. 
  • Waterproofs – ideally trousers and a jacket, particularly on typical Cornish days!
  • Wellies for damp days or old trainers or similar for dry days
  • Warm clothes and layers in cold weather
  • Sunhat and sunscreen on sunnier days
  • A refillable water bottle – we have plenty of access to fresh water, so these can be refilled as needed.
  • Medication as appropriate – this must have been detailed on the consent form or, if medication requirements have changed since completing the booking form, detailed in a notification email to the Learning & Wellbeing team

Please do not send your child with a mobile phone or any other electronic devices – there will be no opportunity to use them, and we cannot guarantee their safety.

In the unlikely event that we experience high winds or adverse weather events that impact on the maintenance of safety across our gardens, we will close the site to the public and reserve the right to cancel at short notice. In this instance we would notify families as soon as possible and offer refunds or rebooking.

Sessions will be led by our Learning Engagement Lead – a qualified teacher - as well as our other experienced team members. All members of the Rangers team have undertaken an enhanced DBS check and completed appropriate Safeguarding Training. We ensure that at least one member of the Rangers team on site each day is trained in Paediatric First Aid. All the team are familiar with Heligan’s Safeguarding Policy & Procedures. We will ensure a ratio of no more than 8 children to 1 member of staff.

Home education

Heligan's new Home Ed Rangers sessions are here

Due to popular demand, we are delighted to announce the launch of our fortnightly Heligan home ed sessions for home-educating families!

We recognise that education is changing with councils recording 126,000 electively home-educated children in the Autumn of 2025.

We are excited to be able to support home educating families and to bring the beauty of the natural world to life through hands on, experiential learning.

Get ready to explore, discover, play and learn outdoors with a wonderful group of like-minded families.

Home Education

Our sessions will bring learning to life through:

Wildlife surveying
Nature identification
Nature connection and wellbeing
Outdoor games & activities

Survival Skills
Meeting other home-ed families
And plenty of opportunities for curiosity, discovery and FUN!

Starting Thursday, October 1

10am to 12pm
Ages 5 to 12 years

£10 per session when booking a block.

Each child attending must be accompanied by an adult with a valid Heligan Locals Pass. If you do not already have a pass, you will need to purchase one before attending.

The Heligan Locals Pass provides free entry to the gardens throughout the term and for the rest of the year, so you can also enjoy the gardens outside of the sessions.

A maximum of two adults per family can accompany their child at each session.


10% sibling discount for the second child (please email [email protected] for this discount code) 

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Book your home ed sessions today!

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October 1

October 15

November 5

November 19

December 3

Come and spend time outdoors, make new friends, get stuck into nature and give your children the chance to learn through hands-on exploration and adventure.

Places are limited to just 15 children per group — don’t miss out!

 

All children must be accompanied by an adult. Children remain the responsibility of their parents/carers throughout the session.

 

Children’s University Accredited

Block booking here

Heligan Rangers - Register your interest