YOUNGSTERS can learn how to build their own rustic "des res" while staying fit and active at workshops during the Easter school break.
The Forestry Commission is staging den building sessions in Hamsterley Forest, near Bishop Auckland, on Wednesday, March 30, and on Sunday, April 3.
Children aged between eight and 16 will be shown how to create shelters from branches and brush before helping to make a massive teepee.
The den sessions are among the first events being staged at the 4,000-acre Forest under the Forestry Commission's new Active Woods campaign. Backed by the British Heart Foundation, the campaign aims to get people of all ages to get off the sofa and into the woods to keep fit and healthy.
Ranger Robin Lofthouse said: "Shelter building is a way for youngsters to join in and learn something new. But it's also good at burning off surplus calories and keeping minds stimulated.
"Research shows that spending time in natural environments also reduces stress and increases feelings of well-being."
To book a place on the workshops, which start at 1pm on both days and cost £1.50, call (01388) 488312.
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