Jane Worroll – författare

Woodland games, crafts, and other outdoor adventures from the Forest School—for parents and their children The rise of the grassroots Forest School movement in recent years is part of a groundswell of concern about the wellbeing of our children, with many media scare stories about child obesity, "nature deficit disorder" (as described in Last Child in the Woods), and lack of exposure to risk. This outdoor adventure manual is the antidote! Packed full of ideas, from making nature jewelry and whittling a bow and arrow, to building a shelter and foraging for food, it also celebrates the Forest School philosophy of encouraging self-esteem, confidence, and social skills through engagement with nature. The activities contain variations for varied age groups, small groups like play dates or birthday parties, as well as things to do with just one or two children. Parents are encouraged to guide the play but the activity instructions are written in a simple style with fun illustrations so that kids can take the lead as well.

Following on from the bestselling Play the Forest School Way, here is a whole range of new games, crafts and activities to get kids developing skills and exploring the natural world all year round. Structured around the year's four seasons, each chapter is packed full of step-by-step Forest School games and activities that harmonize with the weather and what's happening in nature at that time of year, with a nod to seasonal festivals such as Easter and Christmas. In spring, for example, you could make a mud birthday cake to celebrate Earth Day on 22 April, or (inspired by bird song) craft sistrums from sticks and bottle tops. In autumn, you could have a fun day out in the woods making leaf mobiles, playing ""Creeping Commandos"" and baking apples with nuts over a campfire. At Forest School, children return to the same location again and again, building a lasting connection with a specific part of the natural world, and this book in its year-round approach will bring this aspect of Forest School play to the fore. Each of the four seasonal chapters includes a description of an extended session (combining active and quieter activities plus, for some, an idea for foraging/cooking) to guide Forest School leaders planning themed days and parents looking for party inspiration.The Forest School ethos of nature-based play and learning that encourages children to develop confidence, self-esteem and emotional intelligence is exactly what's needed in an era when childhood problems such as obesity and anxiety are on the rise. Woven through the year are stories from the authors' own Forest School classes, as they make a passionate case for the importance of ensuring children's access to nature and the incredible benefits they will gain from being outside, even in the heart of a city.

This is the first-ever Forest School-themed activity card deck, offering 48 games, crafts and skill-building activities to enjoy outdoors. Aimed at parents, carers, teachers and Forest School group leaders, this is a uniquely handy reference tool to tuck into a pocket and take out into the woods to inspire outdoor fun. It complements Jane Worroll & Peter Houghton's two previous books (Play the Forest School Way and A Year of Forest School), containing activities from those books in abbreviated form. The cards are grouped into four ""suits"", each with 12 cards: Team Games (fun, high-energy games to play together); Survival Skills (working together to build dens, make fires, gather wild food and cook it); Nature Spotlight (exploring the natural world in more detail); and Forest Craft (woodland-themed makes). A booklet explains how to use the deck: forest school leaders or parents can get kids involved in leading the play (flicking through the cards and choosing an activity) and the suits will also help adults in considering how a session might be structured (with the kids getting final say looking at the cards). The booklet also gives notes on safety, the Forest School ethos, basic kit and other key need-to-knows.

The ultimate antidote to screen time – outdoor play with your kids!Whether you are a parent, a teacher, a Forest School leader or anyone else looking after children, this invaluable guide to nature-based play is full of ideas to get kids outdoors, learning about and connecting with nature, developing new skills and having fun. These new Forest School crafts, games and survival activities are all themed around the elements of earth, air, fire and water, with an underlying message of sustainability and wonder at the amazing web of life. For earth, make a mud slide, try Bogolan mud painting on cloth, or hurl mud missiles at a moving target. For air, make a bullroarer or a whistle, build a kite and fly it, or predict the weather by reading the clouds. For fire, dig a Dakota fire pit, make a bug-repellent torch or learn how to navigate using a shadow stick. For water, mix natural dyes, build and test a rainproof den, or drink foraged birch twig tea from a crafted log cup. There are also four magical stories to tell the children – one for each of the elements –guaranteed to spark their imagination.