Fiona Danks – författare

'A beautiful and inspiring book, bursting with practical suggestions which will appeal to every child’s imagination. Reading it, I wanted to rush out to my nearest wood immediately!'Julia Donaldson, author of The Gruffalo  Who doesn’t love a stick? The universal toy for children and adults alike, sticks can provide endless opportunities for outdoor adventures, creative play, woodcraft and conservation.Packed with 70 ideas and projects, The Stick Book will give you loads of inspiration for using the wonderful, free and all-natural toy: the stick. As The National Museum of Play (New York) pointed out when they put the stick in their National Toy Hall of Fame, 'It can be a Wild West horse, a medieval knight's sword, a boat on a stream, or a slingshot with a rubber band …' A stick can be anything you want it to be. This book will give you loads of inventive ideas for spending quality time outdoors with your children – from the adventurous to the magical, getting creative to playing games, making music to building bug hotels. Try your hands at:Making a DIY tent or denCreating a woodland monster or magic carpetWild weaving or making your own natural wind chimesPlaying capture the flag or a woodland mapping gameMaking a bird feeder or bug hotelWith 70 ideas and projects, there will be something for every little adventurer, dreamer or budding ecologist in The Stick Book. All you need to get started is … a stick!

You don’t need to live right on the water’s edge to have fun at the beach! The Beach Book is all about finding wild places at the seaside, as well as by lakes and rivers and making the most of opportunities to explore and enjoy all these places have to offer. You can have fun:Discovering beach wildlife (eg. rock pooling, crabbing and fishing or making a rock-pool viewer) and exploring sand dunes and beach combing.Making the most of lakes and rivers by foraging, damming and diverting streams and boat racing.Using natural resources to play and invent new games (e.g., stone Jenga and skittles, ball runs and boules or  funny face games.Being creative (e.g., making driftwood monsters, marram grass dolls and creating sand paintings).

**SHORTLISTED FOR THE WEEK JUNIOR CHILDREN'S ILLUSTRATED BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023**From the authors behind The Stick Book and many other outdoor adventure favourites, this interactive one-of-a-kind creative scrapbook offers children an outlet for creativity inspired by the wild world.  This truly unique book contains prompts for all kinds of creative activity based around the natural world around us, from drawing to writing to mixed-media collage. Readers will be encouraged to draw on their creativity, to express themselves without fear of being judged, and to make their book really WILD! They will need scissors, pens, paints, tape, glue and a magnifying glass, plus lots of wild materials and their wildest creativity, as this book becomes filled with keepsakes from their own outdoor adventures. From finding the faces hidden in pictures of trees, to collecting ingredients for a spell to keep nature safe, to sticking the feathers back onto a mythical bird, these prompts and activities will provide hours and hours of entertainment as they take children on flights of fantasy through the natural world. Readers can colour outside the lines, do the activities in any order and go at their own pace. The mixture of art, creative writing, collecting, games, wildlife-watching and imaginative prompts will appeal to kids with all kinds of interests, and there are no rules!

‘ A beautiful and inspiring book, bursting with practical suggestions which will appeal to every child’ s imagination. Reading it, I wanted to rush out to my nearest wood immediately!’ Julia Donaldson, author of The GruffaloThe stick is a universal toy. Totally natural, all-purpose, free, it offers limitless opportunities for outdoor play and adventure. It provides a starting point for an active imagination and the raw materials for transformation into almost anything!  In this book, Jo Schofield and Fiona Danks offer masses of suggestions for things to do with a stick, in the way of adventures and bushcraft, creative imagination and play, games, woodcraft and conservation, music and more. With activities like:Build a den Make a bow and arrows Make a sun-clock Play capture the flag And many, many more Jo and Fiona share a passionate commitment to introducing children to experiences that allow them to enjoy outdoor adventures, explore their limits, take measured risks and learn new skills. They are the also the authors of The Wild Weather Book: Loads of the Things to Do in Rain, Wind and Snow, Go Wild! and Make it Wild.

Fiona Danks and Jo Schofield are back with more wonderful ideas for fun outdoors even in the most challenging weather!Imagine -    jumping in the biggest puddle you can find!-      Or running barefoot and feeling squidgy mud ooze up between your toes!   -      Or run up the nearest hill to feel the wind try to carry you away!When it’ s wet, or windy or cold, there’ s no need to stay cooped up indoors; it’ s a great opportunity to rush outside for some fun.-      Go on an animal hunt and find the creatures that come out in the wet.   -      Fly a kite in the wind and catch falling leaves.   -      Take your camera into a white world and see how many different icy patterns and shapes you can find.   There are loads of exciting and creative things you can do in the natural world when the weather’ s wild.  So don’ t wait for the sun:  take this book with you and go outdoors for a wild weather adventure!

'Utterly joyful… and full of fun', said The Countryman of Nature's Playground. Following that book's success the authors have written a second book that encourages children to enjoy and learn from the natural world through fun - this time for slightly older children.Go Wild describes a range of outdoor adventures for families to share, including foraging for wild food, the magical excitement of making fires, cooking over the hot coals and making your own shelter. For eight-year-olds through to young teenagers there are tempting alternatives to computers and hanging out: brilliant ideas for having fun that will also help them to learn new skills and give them independence and confidence. From making a catapult to catching crayfish, creating fire without matches to constructing a tepee, Go Wild is all about thrilling activities, amazing discoveries and kids having the time of their lives in the great outdoors.The authors, Fiona Danks and Jo Schofield, have produced some outdoor activity sheets in conjuction with the Cub and Scout Naturalist Activity Badge, sponsered by Natural England. To view these acitivity sheets, click here.  For more information on Natural England, click the logo on the left.

In Make it Wild Fiona Danks and Jo Schofield show how children can enjoy the endless opportunities offered by wild places. Looking at what nature has to offer, they explore the potential of diverse raw materials such as snow, leaves and sticks and suggest how to work with them. They demonstrate how to use nature's free, renewable resources to make anything from a clay monster to an ice lantern or flaming balloons. Making things outdoors involves creativity and imagination, as well as learning how to solve practical problems, how to work together, the need to see a process through from start to finish, the safe use of potentially dangerous tools - all of which help children acquire the skills they need to cope with the world and develop a commonsense understanding of the way it works. And Make it Wild makes it fun! Fiona Danks and Jo Schofield share a love of exploring wild places and a belief in giving kids the freedom to enjoy outdoor adventure. They are passionately committed to introducing young people to experiences that allow them to explore their limits, take measured risks and learn new skills, helping them to become healthy adults with a respect for the natural world. Together they are the authors of two previous books: Nature's Playground 'This anthology of things to do outdoors takes us further, deeper . . . it covers mud pies and dens, but also camouflage games, scavenger hunts and a hearty feeling that Nature is the greatest toy in the world.' Independent 'An inspiring invitation to …open the double-glazed doors and push the children outside.' Times Educational Supplement 'Packed full of great ideas for parents who want children to experience . . . their natural surroundings.' Gardens Monthly Go Wild! 'Go Wild! is just what families need to escape the virtual worlds and rediscover the wonders of the real one. It provides the perfect recipe for transforming cotton wool kids into confident, independent resilient young people. Every family should have a copy.' Sue Palmer, author of Toxic Childhood 'A joyous celebration of independence, the great outdoors and taking risks, this is the ideal solution to a credit crunch summer holiday - nature comes conveniently free.' Daily Mail 'An essential addition to the kitbag of any budding outdoor adventurer' Country Living

You don’ t need to live right on the water’ s edge to have fun at the beach! The Beach Book is all about finding wild places at the seaside, as well as by lakes and rivers and making the most of opportunities to explore and enjoy all these places have to offer. You can have fun:Discovering beach wildlife (eg. rock pooling, crabbing and fishing or making a rock-pool viewer) and exploring sand dunes and beach combing. Making the most of lakes and rivers by foraging, damming and diverting streams and boat racing. Using natural resources to play and invent new games (e.g., stone Jenga and skittles, ball runs and boules or   funny face games. Being creative (e.g., making driftwood monsters, marram grass dolls and creating sand paintings).

Have you ever wanted to find fairies in the garden, meet a unicorn, ride a dragon or share a picnic with a mermaid? Just because you've never seen these magical creatures doesn't mean they don't exist!The Wild Things of stories and the imagination are everywhere, but they're shy, secretive, sometimes camouflaged and only reveal themselves to true believers.This fantastical guidebook will help you track dragons, create fairy fashions, brew magic potions, build snow unicorns, discover trolls and go on night hunts to capture moon magic. Search forests, meadows, fields, ponds, rivers and the seaside, as well as everyday places like school playgrounds, local parks or among the pots on the patio.You can discover the mysteries of nature all year round and at any time of day or night. So switch your imagination on, use your senses, brush up on your magic skills and take a giant leap into the world of the Wild Things.Activities include: Tracking dragonsCreating fairy fashionsBrewing magic potionsBuilding snow unicornsDiscovering trollsCapturing moon magicCreating secret messagesMaking a magical spellbookLooking after the natural worldDesigning a witches' costumeCreating your own broomstickMaking wild mini worldsBringing tree monsters to lifeLeaving trails of monster printsAbout Lonely Planet Kids: Lonely Planet Kids - an imprint of the world's leading travel authority Lonely Planet - published its first book in 2011. Over the past 45 years, Lonely Planet has grown a dedicated global community of travellers, many of whom are now sharing a passion for exploration with their children. Lonely Planet Kids educates and encourages young readers at home and in school to learn about the world with engaging books on culture, sociology, geography, nature, history, space and more. We want to inspire the next generation of global citizens and help kids and their parents to approach life in a way that makes every day an adventure. Come explore!

Have you ever wanted to find fairies in the garden, meet a unicorn, ride a dragon or share a picnic with a mermaid? Just because you've never seen these magical creatures doesn't mean they don't exist! The Wild Things of stories and the imagination are everywhere, but they're shy, secretive, sometimes camouflaged and only reveal themselves to true believers. This fantastical guidebook will help you track dragons, create fairy fashions, brew magic potions, build snow unicorns, discover trolls and go on night hunts to capture moon magic. Search forests, meadows, fields, ponds, rivers and the seaside, as well as everyday places like school playgrounds, local parks or among the pots on the patio. You can discover the mysteries of nature all year round and at any time of day or night. So switch your imagination on, use your senses, brush up on your magic skills and take a giant leap into the world of the Wild Things. Activities include: Tracking dragons Creating fairy fashions Brewing magic potions Building snow unicorns Discovering trolls Capturing moon magic Creating secret messages Making a magical spellbook Looking after the natural world Designing a witches' costume Creating your own broomstick Making wild mini worlds Bringing tree monsters to life Leaving trails of monster prints About Lonely Planet Kids: Lonely Planet Kids - an imprint of the world's leading travel authority Lonely Planet - published its first book in 2011. Over the past 45 years, Lonely Planet has grown a dedicated global community of travellers, many of whom are now sharing a passion for exploration with their children. Lonely Planet Kids educates and encourages young readers at home and in school to learn about the world with engaging books on culture, sociology, geography, nature, history, space and more. We want to inspire the next generation of global citizens and help kids and their parents to approach life in a way that makes every day an adventure. Come explore!Important Notice: The digital edition of this book may not contain all of the images found in the physical edition.

Unleash a year of creativity with Make Every Week Wild, no screens required!  From bestselling duo Fiona Danks and Jo Schofield authors of outdoor favourites like The Stick Book, comes Make Every Week Wild, the much-anticipated follow-up to Make This Book Wild (shortlisted for The Week Junior Children's Illustrated Book of the Year 2023).  This interactive scrapbook is packed with 52 nature-inspired activities – one for every week of the year – and it’s designed to be taken outside, scribbled in and splashed with mud. This trusty book is your canvas as you explore the great outdoors. From drawing and painting, to making things and natural treasure hunts – guess what? There are NO RULES! You can colour outside the lines, do the activities in any order, scribble on the cover... the possibilities are endless.  You will need a few simple supplies – scissors, glue, tracing paper, carboard, clay, pens, paints, string, jam jars, and wild materials like leaves - plus your wildest imagination, as this book becomes filled with keepsakes from your own outdoor adventures.  Kids and their grown-ups will love: Creating crafty leaf collages and bark rubbings Forest bathing to wash away any worries Spotting birds at dawn with a wild breakfast Making natural stamps from something as simple as an apple Hunting for snails shells and sketching their spirals Crafting stick puppets for a shadow show For the grown-ups, this book also includes helpful sections on: How to make the most of this book with your child The mental, physical, and creative benefits children gain from outdoor play Perfect for rain or shine, weekend adventures or quiet afternoons, these fun activities provide hours of screen-free entertainment all year round. Along the way, children will build confidence, creativity, and a deeper connection with the natural world.   So, embark on your year-long adventure and Make Every Week Wild!