Play the Forest School Way

LoveReading4Kids Says

Woodland Games and Crafts for Adventurous Kids

What better way to encourage young children to reconnect with nature, spend time with family and friends and have oodles of fun in the process than with this wonderfully simple activity book.

The perfect size to throw in your rucksack, this accessible introduction to the Forest School philosophy packs so much into its 160 pages: wildlife-themed team games; arts and crafts inspired by nature; exploration activities; and everyone’s favourite ­– survival skills (think shelter-building, fire-starting and foraging!).

Jane Worroll and Peter Houghton strip away any need for fancy equipment or expense and are very careful to make their Forest School guide for everyone, not just those in rural locations. It’s amazing how much of what they share can be achieved in a small patch of woodland – with the right mindset and a child’s sense of adventure!

The illustrations are basic, but effective, and each activity or game comes with a helpful instruction guide that helps to frame the exercise. Recommended age group/location/kit list and learning outcomes are a great addition, but perhaps best of all are the reflective pieces (or ‘endings’) associated with each activity.

These act as perfect springboards for further discussion about the natural world, or key learnings. But they’re an opportunity for 4-11-year-olds to develop key emotional and social skills too. Whether its confidence speaking in groups, expressing feelings or listening to others, there’s so much for parents, carers, teachers of group leaders to take away from this modest handbook.

Reviewed by Lindsay Quayle
Lindsay Quayle was always that child pleading for an extra half an hour of reading time before lights out.
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