Nature is one of the greatest sources of inspiration and enjoyment for young children. In this environment many key life skills can be learnt including active lifestyles, creating independence, understanding risk, appreciation of nature and the environment and developing social skills.
Resources for early years have been carefully developed and produced to encourage young children to grow connections with nature.
Featured Early Years Resources
Woodland Learning Activity Postcard - My woodland journey
This is one in a series of downloadable Woodland Learning activity postcards. This one describes how to create a woodland 'journey stick'.
Early Years Practitioner Training Directory
This is a training directory for Early Year's practitioners who want to develop their outdoor learning practice.
It summarises courses that are or have been on offer to give a broad picture of what is available as well as where to find providers.
Notes for Swings and Things Forest Kindergarten course
These are the notes from the Swings and Things Forest Kindergarten webinar course.
Wee Green Fingers Fun Pack
The Wee Green Fingers Fun Pack - biodiversity gardening for young children.
Games, activities and ideas for young children to have fun in the garden with through exploration and discovery, created by Outdoor and Woodland Learning Scotland (OWLS) and Scottish Natural Heritage.
Get set grow!: resource cards
This resource explores what plants need to grow. It can be used in conjunction with Seed dispersal: activities and games. It is most suitable for Curriculum for Excellence First and Second Levels.
This resource was produced by Natural Resources Wales. We are in the process of updating it for the Scottish curriculum.
Branching out into books
A list of woodland themed books for Early Years and Curriculum for Excellence Level 1.
The World Beneath our Feet
A series of activities investigating soil: one of the world's most precious and overlooked resources. Curriculum for Excellence Levels: Early to Third/Fourth. We hope that this suite of resources will inspire you to explore the wonderful and diverse world to be found right under our feet, and your feedback for further development of this resource is warmly welcomed.
Tree Stories (English)
A story about a Scottish tree for each month with supporting information folklore, recipes and facts about each tree.
Tree Stories was written by Claire Hewitt over a year and inspired by Highland Perthshire’s beautiful fauna and flora. Each story was created during the month with which its tree is linked in folklore.
Tree Stories is also available as a pdf in gaelic.
Woodland Learning Activity Postcards - Scavenging Around
This is one in a series of downloadable Woodland Learning activity postcards. Woodland Hideaways and Dens, Tied in Knots, Scavenging Around, Journey Sticks, What's in the Woods and Tree Seeds. Updated by OWL Scotland, from an original FEI 2011 resource.