Books by The Forest School Way
Peter and Jane founders of the forest school way are authors of the very first and best-selling series of forest school activity books and a forest school card deck.
BOOKS; Play The Forest School Way, A Year of Forest School, and
forest school wild play (playing with natures elements)
CARD DECK; forest school activity cards (48 fun things to do outdoors)
FOREST SCHOOL
WILD PLAY
JUNE 2021
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.
FOREST SCHOOL
ACTIVITY CARDS
March 2020
The deck is divided into four suits; Team Games, Survival Skills, Forest Crafts and Connecting to Nature. From building dens and gathering wild food to making bark masks and playing Hungry Birds, the deck will help you enjoy a magical day, full all the wonder nature can offer. The accompanying booklet explains how to use the deck so that all can feel inspired and motivated to head outside or try them at home.
PLAY THE FOREST SCHOOL WAY
2016
Forest School is founded on a philosophy of nature-based play and learning that encourages children to develop confidence and self-esteem. This book will get your kids outside, making and building in the real world (instead of on a computer screen!). Whether your local woodland is a forest or a strip of trees along the edge of an urban park, these activities provide fantastic opportunities for family time and will encourage your children to fall in love with outdoor play. This is the first book to share Forest School games, crafts and skill-building activities with families and friends, its magical illustrations and simple instructions drawing children easily into a world of wonder.
A YEAR OF FOREST SCHOOL
MAY,17 2018
Rain or shine, this book will get kids playing outside, developing new skills and discovering the wonder of nature across the year! Written for parents, teachers and anyone else who wants to try out Forest School activities, and also as a handy resource for Forest School leaders, it follows on from the bestselling Play the Forest School Way, with brand-new games and survival skills that connect with the natural cycle of the year. For each season, there's also a special day out - a multi-activity session that's great for parties, school breaks or simply a fun day in nature.
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In Spring, forage fresh nettle tips for soup, make a mud cake to celebrate Earth Day and weave cordage from young brambles.
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In Summer, gather blackberries and feathers to make ink and quill pens, craft masks from shed bark and build a fire to cook a fruit crumble.
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In Autumn, create a rainbow from fallen leaves, then make a den and shelter inside while you weave a tale around painted story stones.
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In winter, navigate the landscape with a compass, carve elves from sticks and mull apple juice with festive spices over an open fire.
"A Year of Forest School has the same lovely accessible style that our Forest School practitioners appreciate about Play the Forest School Way. A great book to dip into to top up the inspiration levels. The Forest School ethos is explained clearly and comes through in the way the activities are explained."
Lily Horseman, Chair of the Forest School Association