Forest Schools have become increasingly popular in the UK and around the globe in recent years as more and more people have discovered this child-lead and nature-focused approach to learning and development.
Forest school sessions take place outdoors, ideally in a wooded location where there are lots of natural resources for children to engage with. While activities such as working with tools or doing crafts might be offered, children can pick and choose what they do, and can spend their time in the woods however they like.
A qualified teacher and forest school practitioner, I run regular forest school sessions as part of my day job at a community benefit organisation.
Making conker god’s eye is a great way to make use of the autumn conker bounty, and a really fun and easy craft. All you need are some conkers, sticks, and wool, and something pointy for making holes. Making conker god’s eye is a great way to make use of…
Make a dragonfly out of a stick for some simple twig crafting fun! This easy dragonfly craft is a great nature activity for kids of all ages. Using just some sticks, paint, and scraps of fabric, we made beautiful dragonflies and damselflies, and found out about these amazing creatures at…
Have you got a hankering to paint a bird egg, but think it might be too hard? It’s actually easier than you might think to paint a picture of a real bird’s egg. With a little bit of practice you can create reproductions of a whole range of bird eggs…
These little wooden needles are great for things like darning, knitting, nålbinding, tapestry or anything you would use a blunt needle for. I use them for weaving projects in my forest school classes, and as they are so easy to make, I often get the kids to make their own….
This sweet pinecone robin makes a lovely, forest school inspired Christmas decoration, and is easy enough for even very small children to make. This Christmas nature activity is pefect for a forest school session, or for some home crafting after a winter walk.
It is so easy to make a bottle brush tree to use for an upcycled Christmas decoration, and the results are a million times more adorable than the shop-bought kind. The process is really quick and simple, and you can customise your trees by using different textures and colours of…
These moon rocket forest school activities are perfect for outdoor learning and play with a space theme. As I’m a bit (okay, a lot!) of a space nerd, I was really excited when one of my sessions coincided with the Artemis 1 moon mission launch. I wasn’t going to be…
Find out how to make these simple yet beautify little air-dry clay leaf bowls with this quick tutorial. This is such a simple activity that I even do it with preschool and primary age children at my forest school sessions. And yet, while it is so easy to do, the…
This flapping bat mobile looks like it is flying as it flaps it’s wings over and over again with just one tug on its pull cord! Made from a few simple materials, and using pennies as weights, this is a great project for older children to make, but younger ones…
These flapping butterfly peg automata are a breeze to make, and flap their wings just like the real thing! Using a little bit of paper engineering, card, sticky tape and pegs, you can make all sorts of fantastical beasties. We’ve gone for real-life butterflies, but you could just as easily…