100 Forest School Activities

Dan and Naomi Walmsley run Outback2Basics from their patch of woodland in Shropshire in the UK. Specialising in bushcraft and Stone Age skills, they provide unique experiences for school children and teachers to connect to nature. Dan has been a bushcraft teacher for many years and has also acted as a medic and survival consultant on various TV shows. Naomi is a qualified bushcraft instructor and Forest School Leader and believes that every child should be able to safely light a fire and have at least ten uses for a stick by the age of ten. Together, they undertook a five-month Stone Age immersion experience in the US, living in the wilderness without any modern equipment, profoundly influencing their lives and teaching. They have written Forest School Adventure and Urban Forest School for GMC Publications and Naomi is the author of Live Like a Hunter Gatherer for Button Books. Find out more at www.outback2basics.co.uk

This is indeed a bumper book of outdoor activities tailored to, and formed from, general Forest School principles. Practical and preparation guidance covers the basic skills, tools, and attitudes needed to make the most of outdoor environmental learning. Following a clear instructional section about knots, rather alarming sections on knives (serious knives) and fire making lead into a series of chapters loosely grouping activities for different interests – ‘Connecting with Nature’ or ‘Nature Crafts’ are examples. The content covers a wide range to suit all ages and abilities, from scavenger hunt activities to cooking using brought-in ingredients but using traditional methods, or from foraged plants, craft activities and art – there is ‘something for everyone’. This is a great resource – serious safety and guidance required – which will be a valuable addition to any school, even those with the smallest outdoor areas.

• IntroductionPractical informationChapter 1: Connecting with nature1 Become a nature ninja 2 Prepare a pooter pot 3 Make a bug hangout 4 Create a journey stick.5 Look close up 6 Get to know a tree 7 Pile up pebbles 8 Find a rainbow9 Walk barefoot 10 Find a sit spot 11 Watch a trail camera 12 Make a camouflage capeChapter 2: Fire, food and shelter13 Collect tinder 14 Make firelighters 15 Use a fire striker 16 Light a quick fire17 Start a fire with sunlight 18 Practise fire lays 19 Make char cloth... 20 … And charcoal 21 Play music by the campfire 22 Toast marshmallows 23 Make a popcorn maker 24 Make wild garlic flatbreads and mayo 25 Prepare a pizza 26 Make feta rolls 27 Go foraging 28 Bake bread in a can 29 Make daisy ‘popcorn’ 30 Cook campfire corn on the cob 31 Toast pieces of apple32 Fry up some fritters 33 Bake a cake in an orange 34 Have a tea party 35 Build a survival den 36 Put up a team shelter 37 String up a tarp38 Make a mini tipi 39 Construct a doll’s denChapter 3: Nature crafts41 Preserve animal tracks 41 Set up a mud café 42 Decorate leaves 43 Make a muddy mandala 44 Create nature art 45 Try out natural tie-dye 46 Draw a dragon 47 Craft a bird and nest 48 Find nature’s sweet treats 49 Make clay stick puppets 50 Mould a leaf bowl 51 Make a bow and arrow 52 Sail a mini raft 53 Create mud art 54 Make a twizzle stick 55 Create a nature gallery 56 Mix up mud play dough 57 Paint with nature 58 Use natural paintbrushes 59 Make a mosaic plant pot 60 Shape some stick people 61 Make a leaf tile 62 Find a rock burger 63 Whittle a wand64 Sharpen a toasting fork 65 Fashion a flower 66 Carve an elfChapter 4: Games67 Tune in to the drum 68 Follow the string 69 Do outdoor yoga 70 Assemble a stick tower 71 Catch the rabbit 72 Identify a tree 73 Create an obstacle course 74 Build a bird’s nest 75 Make a 3D treasure map 76 Experiment with water77 Make a nature alphabet 78 Pair up some leaves 79 Learn more about trees 80 Feel and draw 81 Identify edible plantsChapter 5: Rainy day activities82 Enjoy the wet weather 83 Make a musical instrument 84 Create clay deer85 Go on a scavenger hunt 86 Make a set of story stones 87 Make a measuring stick 88 Make a sun catcher 89 Mix up seed bombs90 Make bird feeders 91 Sculpt some sand 92 Create a twiggy owl 93 Design a nature picture 94 Make pressed flower stones 95 Build a fairy world96 Mould a clay bead necklace97 Make a leaf bat 98 Print with sweet potatoes99 Create a fairy circus 100 Make a talking stickTemplatesResources