Family Forest Bag Case Study
A case study showing great examples of how West Johnstone ELCC use the Family Forest Bag to engage families with their local woodlands as a follow on at home after forest kindergarten sessions.
The Go To Sleep Tree
The Go To Sleep Tree is a new resource linked to the Sensory Woodland Stories resource. In this new addition participants lie on the ground and enjoy the activity by looking upwards to the tree canopy. This is a great way to engage children with complex additional needs in outdoor learning. The Spider In The Tree is another new addition to this collection, again with participants lying down and enjoying the story.
Sensory Woodland Stories is a range of simple and inspiring education story resources for children with complex additional needs. Scripts and suggested props to allow for extra engagement and flexibility to suit the children you are working with. The Storytelling Tips and Origins resource accompanies these cards and provides tips to enhance the experience for those involved. This also provides background information on the origins of the stories. Sensory Woodland Stories are also available in Gaelic and some video clips are available through the OWL Scotland YouTube Channel.
The Spider in the Tree
The Spider in the Tree is a new resource linked to the Sensory Woodland Stories resource. In this new addition participants lie on the ground and enjoy the activity by looking upwards to the tree canopy. This is a great way to engage children with complex additional needs in outdoor learning. The Go to Sleep Tree is another new addition to this collection, again with participants lying down and enjoying the story.
Sensory Woodland Stories is a range of simple and inspiring education story resources for children with complex additional needs. Scripts and suggested props to allow for extra engagement and flexibility to suit the children you are working with. The Storytelling Tips and Origins resource accompanies these cards and provides tips to enhance the experience for those involved. This also provides background information on the origins of the stories. Sensory Woodland Stories are also available in Gaelic and some video clips are available through the OWL Scotland YouTube Channel.
Tree Stories Yoga
Tree Stories Yoga was created to accompany a ‘Rooted in Well-being’ workshop run by Jacqui Sinclair for the Tayside OWL group. This little resource focuses on the September Tree Tale, apple, and links the story to simple yoga moves.
This lovely resource was created Jacqui Sinclair using words from the OWL Scotland Tree Stories resource written by Claire Hewitt. Images were created using ChatGPT.
To view the original Tree Stories resource in English click here. To view the Tree Stories resource in Gaelic please click here.
Starting Out To Play
Discovering nature with babies and young children – Guidance for practitioners working with parents, families, and carers.
This lovely new resource has been created by Inspiring Scotland with support from Scottish Forestry and OWL Scotland. Many of the original themes were developed by staff from Natural Resources Wales.
This guidance aims to:
- support practitioners, working with parents, families, and carers, to make the most of the multiple benefits to health, well-being and learning found in connection to nature.
- encourage a strong connection between babies, young children and the natural environment, leading to a lifelong bond with nature so that people and nature can thrive together.
Taking Maths Outdoors with your Child
This booklet introduces some games and activities you can play with young children when out and about together to encourage learning new maths skills in the wonderful outdoors. This resource was created by Dumfries and Galloway OWL Group.
Taking Literacy Outdoors with Your Child
Activities and ideas for early years settings, parents and carers of children to inspire and help develop literacy skills in young children using the wonderful natural environment. This resource was created by Dumfries and Galloway OWL Group.
Sustainable Site Management Video – Community Engagement and Benefit – Part Two
Engaging with communities around forest kindergartens and outdoor learning areas can lead to wider benefits to woodlands and wildlife. This clip shares experiences from Wonder Woods Woodland Nursery. To view this resource please click HERE.
Sustainable Site Management. Toileting and Nappies
Staff from Willow Den Nursery talk through options for nappy changing and using potties in the outdoors. To view this video please click HERE.
Sustainable Site Management- Fire and Cooking Part 2.
Earthtime Forest Nursery staff and children demonstrate the many benefits to having fires within outdoor settings. Safety aspects are covered as a key component of this activity but also important lifelong learning elements such as sustainability, cooking and responsibility. To view this video please click HERE.
Sustainable Site Management- Eating Outdoors
Earthtime’s staff share tips on how to manage snacks and food in the outdoors. Setting up of snack/ meals areas, storage of food and handwashing, ideas for fussy eaters and composting left-over food and food waste is also covered. To access this video please click HERE.
Sustainable Site Management- Foraging- Food and Resouces
Earthtime’s Forest School Nursery staff discuss the benefits of having easily accessible food and resources (gardens/ foraging) close to outdoor learning sites. Click HERE to visit this video on the OWL Scotland YouTube Channel.