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 this easy bird seed cake with children is a great activity to get them engaged with the local wildlife Not only will they have fun making these little bird feeders, you’ll also encourage birds into your garden, where the kids will be able to watch them more easily.
Bird seed cakes are simple enough for even very young children to have a go at – and the worms are entirely optional!
This easy apple bird feeder is a great nature craft to do with children, especially in late autumn and into winter when the birds are struggling to find food.
Stringing up a feeder or two is also a great way to bring birds into your garden if you want to try a bit of bird spotting too, and you might be surprised who comes over for dinner!
Campfire Welsh cakes are a vegan spin on traditional Welsh cakes that I cook over the fire at my forest school sessions. As there are usually large groups of children in my sessions, I try to ensure that the food we cook can be eaten by everyone. That means making them vegan and avoiding ingredients that are common allergens.
But rest assured, they still taste just as good as traditional Welsh cakes that use egg and milk.
Cooking bread on a stick over a campfire is a great Forest School activity that’s suitable for almost any age. The recipe is both super-simple and versatile, catering for vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free diets, while also allowing lots of scope to adapt and add ingredients for a more decadent treat.
Call it Damper bread, Bannock bread, or just plain bread twists, you can cook this over a campfire or barbeque in minutes, and it makes a fantastic (and slightly healthier) alternative to toasting marshmallows with kids.
Painting pumpkins for Halloween is a simple and fun alternative to carving pumpkins that allows even the smallest children get in on the fun.
Want to get little ones involved in decorating for Halloween, but not ready to let them loose with a knife? This activity is the perfect solution.
Painting pumpkins is so simple that even very, very young children can do it, it also only requires stuff that (apart from the pumpkin) you are bound to already have at home.
And the kids LOVE it!
Forget the plastic, and have some spooky fun in the woods with a Halloween forest school session.
Over the years I’ve built up a whole assortment of frightfully good nature activities to do with children in October.
Here are thirteen of my favourite tried-and-tested Halloween activities for nature play.
Pumpkin hammering – or rather, hammering golf tees into pumpkins – is a fabulously easy and fun activity that children love. It is perfect for the autumn season, and, come Halloween, it’s a favourite activity at my forest school sessions.
And don’t let the simplicity of the activity fool you. Not only do kids LOVE it, but there are also lots of developmental and educational benefits. And there are some great extension activities you can do as well.
Read on to find out what you need to get started, and why pumpkin hammering is a must-do activity for us!
Finding out there is a British glow-worm inspired the kids and me to make fabulous lantern versions of our own. But we also wanted to find out more about these fascinating insects. What we found out was so interesting, we had to share.
Read on to discover all about the glow-worm, or head over to our glow-worm lantern instructions to find out how we made them.
These hedgehog pumpkins are are perfect non-scary halloween decorations for little children. What’s more, even tiny tots can get involved in making them.
Want to see how? Read on to find out!
One of our favourite autumn and Halloween activities for kids is making this adorable pumpkin bird feeder. They are really easy to make, look amazing hanging from the trees, and, as they are made from all natural materials, are great for the wildlife in more ways than one.
Want to make some with your kids? Read on to find out how.
