Is it getting colder where you? During the colder weather, we tend to choose different forest school activities – ones that are suitable for the conditions and small chilly hands! Jon has run forest school activities outdoors for many years now, so we have a good sense of what works and what doesn’t when it comes to keeping kids moving and engaged. Generally, as long as they are wrapped up warm (and you are too) any of your favourite activities can be done during the winter months, perhaps with a little bit of modification. Check out our guide to what to wear for forest school in all seasons s ..read more

Kidulting isn’t a word we had when I was growing up, but it means getting back to the activities that you enjoyed as a child. The opposite of adulting, if you like. Kidulting is about taking part in the activities you did and loved when you were younger, whether that’s playing in sand, colouring, building with Lego (a lot of that goes on in our house for all the age groups) or bashing sticks against tree trunks until they break. Yep, that’s a favourite for our kids at the moment. Playing outside in woodland is something many of us did as kids, and if you take your own children to a forest you ..read more

​​In our survey last year, 48% of participants said learning more about knots and rope work would help with their forest school provision. Well, it just so happens that as an ex-professional sailor Jon is a bit of a rope expert. For his stay-at-home-during-lockdown project in the pandemic he re-made this knot board from scratch: Come and join him for an online, practical training session focusing on rope set up for forest school sessions. It’s on 31 August 2023 at 7.30pm BST. In this hands-on online class, Jon will show you some efficient ways of using knots that are easy to untie after ..read more

This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. Dandelion Medicine: Forage, Feast and Nourish Yourself with This Extraordinary Weed is a book dedicated to – you guessed it – dandelions. Written by Brigitte Mars, who I think did the fantastic illustrations as well, it’s a homage to the humble dandelion and now in it’s second edition. As someone who routinely digs dandelions out of our lawn, it was interesting to read more about the history and uses of this plant. I’ve always known it has many uses, but seriously – there are so many more uses for dandelions than I expected. The book does ..read more

This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. Fun in the Mud has been around since 2018 and I wonder why I’ve only just found this gentle story of the wetlands. The author, Sally Bolger, is a writer, explorer, and conservationist. As a project manager for the Point Reyes National Seashore Association, she helped restore the Giacomini Wetlands in West Marin. Regina Shklovsky drew the pictures and amazingly this is also her first book for children. From a forest school perspective, playing in the mud for us might mean getting dirty, making potions, splashing in puddles and letting kids ..read more

If you’re looking for a fun and creative way to bring the outdoors into your classroom or learning environment, then look no further than the tuff tray. This article contains affillate links at no cost to you. A tuff tray (or tuff spot you might know it as) is an ideal tool for forest school leaders, early years educators and primary school teachers alike; it offers endless possibilities when it comes to outdoor education. With its shallow walls that can contain resources while allowing freedom of movement, there are so many activities that can be done with this versatile piece of equipment! F ..read more

A while back, I asked our wonderful community whether they had any personal stories of their journeys as forest school leaders and tips to share with others about the role. A number of leaders got in touch to share their experiences. Here’s what they had to say. Embrace the learner-led aspects The best thing about my role is providing something different and extra to our students and seeing how they thrive outside the classroom. I’m new to the role of forest school leader (still completing the coursework so I probably can’t actually claim the title yet!). I am a Science Technician and part-tim ..read more

Nature and Me: A Guide to the Joys and Excitements of the Outdoors is a book by the School of Life. It’s more than a nature book, it’s a discussion on how to make sense of big feelings through the connection to nature. Life is short, the giant redwood teaches us. There is value in the emptiness of the desert, because we can draw parallels with decluttering our minds to focus on things that are truly important.  The book uses the landscape, creatures and the environment to link a child’s sense of the world to emotions with the intention to create a better understanding both of the world an ..read more

Throwing a party for kids can be an overwhelming task, especially if you’re trying to do something different and special. If you’re looking for creative ideas that will make your forest school birthday party stand out from the rest, then look no further! We’ve got some great tips on fun games, activities, crafts and even food that is sure to impress any child who loves being outdoors. From outdoor exploration ideas to other unique activities – we have it all covered when it comes to planning the perfect forest school party ideas! Before we start: I recommend you engage an experienced forest sc ..read more

If you’re looking for forest school viking ideas, then look no further! Viking culture is a fascinating topic to explore with children and there are plenty of activities that can help bring it alive. From outdoor games inspired by the Vikings to crafting projects, storytelling sessions and more – this blog post will provide some great inspiration on how to introduce your students or young learners to these legendary seafarers in an engaging way. I know, I know, forest school is not curriculum-led. However, many of our readers work in outdoor learning roles, and I’m an Outdoor TA in one school ..read more