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Synopsis

Make it Wild! 101 Things to Make and Do Outdoors by Fiona Danks, Jo Schofield

Following Nature's Playground and Go Wild, the authors once again lure kids away from computers and the TV into the natural world, this time to have a go at making their own entertainment from whatever is available outdoors. This book is about looking at natural materials in a new light and discovering how they can be used creatively. It shows children from eight upwards, including teenagers - and their parents - how to make anything from a cricket bat to an ice lantern, and enjoy expeditions, games and parties outdoors - all with the emphasis firmly on fun. From making things that fly to playing hay bale games, fashioning monsters from wet clay to trying stone jenga, creating living willow sculptures to making natural jewellery, the book helps youngsters to open their eyes and use their imaginations, and to discover the wonder and value of natural materials.

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Reviews

Recommended reading WALK magazine How to drag kids away from the Xbox. Reader's Digest Joyous step-by-step 'learning
and imagination
-stimulating stuff. Cumbria Exceptionally exciting entertainment for exeat. Field If the pile of hardbacks on our desk is anything to go by, picture books are making a comeback. We like The Norfolk Coast by Jon Gibbs. Surrey Nature A joyous celebration of childhood and the great, wild outdoors, this book is packed with ideas to keep children busy... Open the doors, switch off the TV and push the kids outside! Cornwall Today So much more than an outdoors make-and-do manual. It's more of an imaginative invitation to enjoy nature. Independent Packed to bursting with wonderful photographs and simple instructions on how to make things using natural materials.Oxfordshire authors Fiona Danks and Jo Schofield have obviously had great fun in preparing the book. Oxford Times Full of a welter of activities to get adults and children to really enjoy and explore the outdoors. The combination of practical skills, using what's to hand; creativity and imagination is most inspiring and I'm sure this book will be a boon for any-one who enjoys being in a group in the big outdoors. The book is sturdily produced on quality paper, stitched in the old fashioned way so that it opens flat, with lots of colour photos and clear instructions and explanations. A really beautiful book to own and use. School Librarian Another fantastic book in the series with inspiring pictures and ideas to encourage you to have a go at something new outside. Juno An absolute goldmine of creative activities that makes me want to get outside NOW and do it all. It fizzes with life, the beauty of Nature, creativity. Juno

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About The Author

Jo Schofield gained a degree in psychology from Exeter University and began her career working for an educational psychologist in London. After getting involved in the production of a film, she went on to work in the creative department of a TV advertising agency where she began taking still photographs. This led on to her becoming a commercial photographer in Australia and then London. She worked mainly for national editorial magazines such as Country Living. When her children were small she worked in Watlington Primary School and the Dragon school in Oxford, applying her creative knowledge to the classroom with children aged 6-9 years. More recently she has been focusing on writing and photographing for a series of books with co-author Fiona Danks.

Fiona Danks did a degree in Ecology at Edinburgh University followed by a PGCE in Rural and Environmental Science at Bath College of Higher Education. She worked in environmental education for a number of years, first for the Shropshire Wildlife Trust and then for the Berkshire Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust, organizing training for teachers and taking groups of children out to nature reserves and other wild sites. She then went on to write books about the Chiltern Hills and the Cotswold Hills while working part-time running activities in a pre-school nursery. She currently runs the Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment, a charity and non-profit making company providing grants for environmental projects across Oxfordshire. This part-time role complements her partnership with Jo Schofield; together they are researching, photographing and writing a series of books under the name “Going Wild”. Fiona is also a trustee of the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust.

The inspiration and ideas for their books came from sharing combined adventures with their own families and a mutual belief in the importance of giving children and young people the freedom to enjoy outdoor adventures.

Together they have written Nature’s Playground, Go Wild, Make it Wild , Run Wild and now The Stick Book. Their aim is to inspire all young people to get off the sofa, away from the temptations of technology and have real-life fun experiences outdoors. They believe through this hands on learning positive benefits are evident, producing healthier, confident, well-balanced adults with a greater respect and understanding of the natural world.

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