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Seasonal storytelling is a captivating way to convey the magic and traditions of Yule to children. Here are a few brief Yule legends and lore you can use for storytelling.
A Yule Tale:

The Oak King and The Holly King

This Yule tale depicts the legends of the Oak King and the Holly King. It is a captivating story that symbolizes the changing of the seasons and is deeply rooted in Celtic mythology and traditions. This is a great story to share with young children.

Once, in a land filled with the magic of nature, two mighty kings ruled the year, each governing for half the time. These were not ordinary kings-no, not at all. They were powerful beings who held sway over the seasons themselves. The Oak King, known as the Lord of the Waxing Year, ruled from Midwinter ( Yule) to Midsummer ( Litha), while the Holly King, known as the Lord of the Waning Year, reigned from Midsummer to Midwinter.

The Oak King, young, mighty, and vigorous, represented growth, expansion, and the brightening of the world. His reign began at Yule, the time of the Winter Solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year. With his arrival, the days started to grow longer, and the sun shone with increasing warmth, awakening the earth from its winter slumber.

The Holly King, on the other hand, was his mirror opposite, a figure of withdrawal and rest. He was the keeper of the waning year, presiding over the diminishing light, the time of harvest and preparation for the winter. His rule began at Midsummer, the time of the Summer Solstice, the longest day and shortest night of the year.

As the Wheel of the Year turned, these two kings engaged in a perpetual yet peaceful battle. Each and every Solstice, they would meet on the field of the world, and the ruling king would fall, only to rise again at the next Solstice, maintaining the balance of the seasons.

The Holly King, cloaked in deep, dark green, with a wreath of holly upon his head, embodied the quiet and reflective time of the year. He is wise and thoughtful, a steward of the fading light, reminding all of the importance of rest and conservation.

The Oak King, decorated with leaves and acorns, symbolizes the brilliance of life. His time is one of growth, joy, and the abundance of the sun, filling the world with energy and light.

Their battle is not one of malice, but of necessity, each ensuring the continuity of the seasons and the natural cycle of growth, decay, and renewal. Together, the Oak King and the Holly King keep the balance of the world, ensuring that neither light nor darkness reigns forever.

Jólakötturinn, the Yule Cat

The Yule tale of Jólakötturinn is a unique and somewhat eerie folklore from Iceland.

In the cold, dark winters of Iceland, there prowls a gigantic, ferocious creature known as the Yule Cat.
This is no ordinary cat; it is a monstrous beast, enormous in size and fierce in nature. The Yule Cat is said to roam the snowy countryside during Yule time.
It is said that the Yule Cat can peer into the homes of people to see who had received new clothes before Christmas. You see, it was customary for people in Iceland to receive new clothes as a reward for completing their work. Receiving new clothes was a sign of diligence and hard work, while not having them was seen as a result of laziness.

Therefore, the Yule Cat served as a motivator for Icelandic children and workers. The belief is that if one worked hard and fulfilled their duties, they would be rewarded with new clothes and thus be spared by the Yule Cat.

But those who were lazy and did not finish their work would find themselves without new clothes and hence become a target for the Yule Cat, who was said to devour anyone not equipped with the signs of their labor.

As frightening as the Yule Cat might seem, this story was a way to encourage productivity and the spirit of giving during the darkest time of the year. It instilled in people the value of hard work and the rewards that come with it.

The Rebirth of the Sun

The Yule Tale of the Rebirth of the Sun is a timeless and universal tale, celebrated in various forms across many cultures, especially during the Winter Solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year.

People have always observed the changing of the seasons with great interest and reverence. They noticed that as the year progressed, the days grew shorter and the nights longer. This culminated in the Winter Solstice, a time when darkness seemed to reign supreme, and the sun's light was at its weakest.

A very long time ago, before we knew as much about the world as we know now, amidst the cold and darkness, there was a lingering fear that the sun, the vital source of light and warmth, might not return. But within this darkest time lay a profound mystery and a deep magic: the rebirth of the sun.

The story tells that on the night of the Winter Solstice, something miraculous occurred. As people huddled together, sharing tales and warmth against the deep chill, the wheel of the year turned, and with it came a subtle but significant change. Unseen at first, as the dawn approached after the longest night, the sun rose once again, just as it always had, but with a renewed energy and a promise of hope.

This moment marked the rebirth of the sun. It was a time for celebration and joy, as people witnessed the triumph of light over darkness. The rebirth of the sun symbolized new beginnings, the end of the old year, and the start of a new cycle. It brought with it the promise that the days would start to grow longer, the light stronger, and life would begin anew.

Communities would celebrate this rebirth with feasts, fires, and ceremonies. Bonfires were lit to symbolize the light and to help reignite the sun's diminishing power. People sang songs, shared stories, and offered gratitude for the return of the light, embracing the sun's renewed strength.

Frau Holle

The Yule Tale of Frau Holle, also known as Mother Hulda, is a well-known story in German folklore, immortalized by the Brothers Grimm. It tells of a widow and her two daughters: one kind and hardworking, and the other lazy and selfish.

The kind daughter, who was actually the widow's stepdaughter, was known as Goldmarie (Gold Mary). Goldmarie worked tirelessly, spinning so much that her fingers bled. One day, while washing her spindle in a well after pricking her finger, she accidentally dropped it in. Afraid of her stepmother's wrath, she jumped into the well to retrieve it.

Instead of finding the bottom, she fell into a beautiful meadow, a magical realm. She walked along a path where she encountered an oven full of bread that cried out to be taken out before it burned. She obliged and continued on her way, coming next to an apple tree laden with fruit, asking to be picked. She again helped willingly.

Finally, she came upon a small house where an old woman, Frau Holle, lived. Frau Holle asked her to stay and help with household chores. In return, she only had to shake out Frau Holle's bed vigorously each day, making the feathers fly and causing snow to fall in the world above.

After some time, the kind daughter wished to return home. Frau Holle led her to a gate, where a shower of gold fell upon her as a reward for her good deeds. She returned home, rich in gold.

Seeing her sister's fortune, the lazy daughter decided to follow the same path. But unlike her sister, she was lazy and neglectful with her tasks in Frau Holle's realm. When she returned to the gate, instead of gold, a kettle of pitch poured over her as a punishment for her laziness and selfishness. Pitch is a thick, sticky substance derived from tar or other forms of resin. This shower of pitch signifies her laziness and lack of virtue, and it's said to stick to her as a permanent mark of her indolence and bad behavior.

The story of Frau Holle is rich in symbolism and moral lessons. It emphasizes the virtues of hard work and kindness, while also painting a vivid picture of winter, with the act of shaking the bed to create snow. Frau Holle herself is often associated with the spirit of winter and domesticity, a figure who rewards diligence and punishes idleness.

The Story of Mistletoe

The Yule Tale of Mistletoe focuses on Baldur, the son of Odin and Frigg. Baldur was a god of joy and light, much loved by all in Asgard. However, Baldur started having ominous dreams of his own death, which troubled the gods deeply.

His mother, Frigg, in her love and desperation to protect him, made every object on earth vow never to harm Baldur. This included every animal, plant, and stone. However, she overlooked the mistletoe, considering it too young and insignificant to cause any harm.

Loki, the trickster god, learned of this oversight and crafted a dart made of mistletoe. He then went to where the gods were enjoying their new game of throwing objects at Baldur and watching them harmlessly bounce off him. Loki gave the mistletoe dart to Baldur's blind brother, Hodur, and guided his hand to throw it. Unknowingly, Hodur threw the dart, striking Baldur and causing his death.

Baldur's death brought great sorrow to the gods and the world, with everything in nature trying to bring him back to life. It is said that Frigg's tears turned into the white berries of the mistletoe. In some versions of the tale, the gods succeeded in resurrecting Baldur, seeing his return as a symbol of the triumph of life over death, light over darkness - themes resonant with the Yule season.

In honor of Baldur's resurrection and Frigg's love, the mistletoe was then considered a symbol of peace and love. It was decreed that anyone standing under the mistletoe should receive a kiss and no harm should befall them.

The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe during the Yuletide season is a nod to this ancient myth, perpetuating practices of peace, affection, and reconciliation.

BONUS STORIES

The Yule Goat is a fascinating figure in Scandinavian Christmas traditions. While today it's often seen as a straw decoration, the Yule Goat once carried a much more magical role.
It was believed that the Yule Goat was an invisible spirit that visited homes during Yule to ensure preparations were going well and that people were sharing their food and joy. Failure to uphold generosity and hospitality could anger the goat, resulting in misfortune.

Later, the goat became part of festive fun. Young people would dress as goats, acting mischievously while asking for food, drink, or small gifts-an early form of caroling known as Julklapp. Eventually, the Yule Goat became Santa's helper or even a figure delivering gifts himself in some regions.

Gryla and the Yule Lads - Icelandic Tradition

While you requested to leave out the Yule Cat ( Jólakötturinn), the story of Gryla and her sons, the Yule Lads, offers its own eerie charm. Gryla, a giantess or troll, lives in the mountains and descends during Yule to hunt for misbehaving children. She boils them into a stew, making her a figure of parental caution.

Her thirteen sons, the Yule Lads, each have distinct personalities and mischief-making tendencies. Unlike their terrifying mother, they're playful and known to sneak into homes one by one over the thirteen nights leading up to Yule. They leave small gifts in shoes for good children or rotten potatoes for naughty ones. Each lad embodies a quirky habit, like "Spoon-Licker" (stealing wooden spoons to lick food from them) or "Door-Slammer" (delighting in making loud noises at night).

The Nisse or Tomte - Guardians of the Homestead (Nordic Folklore)

The Nisse (or Tomte in Swedish) is a small, gnome-like creature that protects farms and families. They're usually depicted as elderly, bearded men wearing red caps and simple clothes. While kind-hearted, they are known for being temperamental if they're disrespected.

At Yule, it was tradition to leave a bowl of porridge topped with butter for the Nisse. If forgotten or if the butter was missing, the Nisse might retaliate by playing pranks, hiding tools, or even abandoning the home. However, if properly cared for, they blessed the family with good fortune and a bountiful year ahead.

Mari Lwyd - The Welsh Yule Tradition

The Mari Lwyd (translated as "Grey Mare") is a haunting yet celebratory figure from Wales. The Mari Lwyd is represented by a horse skull adorned with ribbons and draped in a white cloth, carried by a person hidden beneath.

This Yule tradition sees groups going door-to-door, singing verses and engaging in rhyming contests with the homeowners. If the Mari Lwyd "wins" the verbal exchange, she's invited inside to bring blessings and luck for the year. While her skeletal appearance may seem eerie, she symbolizes fertility, abundance, and the spirit of celebration during the dark winter months.

The Wild Hunt - Germanic and Norse Mythology

The Wild Hunt is a ghostly procession that sweeps through the skies during the Yule season. It's led by a powerful figure such as Odin, Wodan, or sometimes a spectral queen. The hunters are spirits, fae, or lost souls, riding on horses accompanied by howling hounds.

It was believed that seeing the Wild Hunt was an omen of death or misfortune. However, in some tales, leaving offerings of food or drink for the spectral riders could bring blessings or protection for the coming year. People stayed indoors at night during Yule, wary of being swept away if they crossed the Hunt's path.

The Story of Befana - The Italian Witch of Yule

In Italy, the old witch Befana is a cherished figure during the holiday season. Legend has it that Befana was visited by the Three Wise Men on their way to find the Christ child. They invited her to join their journey, but she declined, saying she was too busy with her chores.

Later, regretting her decision, Befana set out with her broomstick and gifts, searching for the child. To this day, she flies from house to house on Epiphany Eve (January 5th), leaving candies for good children and coal for the naughty ones. Befana's role connects her to ancient Italian folklore, possibly tied to goddesses of the hearth or winter.

The Yule Log - Spirits of the Hearth

While the Yule Log is commonly known as a festive tradition, it also has rich lore. The Yule Log was originally a large piece of wood carefully chosen and burned in the hearth for the twelve nights of Yule. In some stories, it was said that the log contained the spirits of the home's ancestors or protective beings.

The ashes of the Yule Log were believed to hold powerful magic. They were scattered in fields to ensure fertility, kept to ward off lightning and evil spirits, or used in charms for health and prosperity.

In another variation, the Yule Log was thought to absorb the household's misfortunes as it burned, leaving the family free to start the new year afresh.

La Chasse-Galerie - The Flying Canoe (French Canadian Tale)

This tale comes from French Canadian folklore and combines the themes of winter magic and temptation. The Chasse-Galerie tells the story of lumberjacks who wished to visit their loved ones on New Year's Eve. They made a pact with the Devil, who enchanted their canoe so it could fly through the skies.

However, the agreement came with a condition-they could not mention God's name or touch a church steeple during the journey. As the men sped across the snowy skies, they narrowly avoided disaster several times. The story serves as a cautionary tale about temptation, hubris, and the dangers of making deals with the Devil during the Yule season.

As we gather for the holidays and share a Yule Tale with our children or grandchildren, we embrace the warmth and joy of Yule. Let these stories kindle in our hearts a renewed sense of wonder and a deeper appreciation for the enduring magic of this festive season. From the enduring battle between the Oak King and the Holly King to the tale of the Yule Cat, we are reminded of the deep and timeless themes these legends carry. Each story, be it the magical rebirth of the sun, the nurturing spirit of Frau Holle, or the powerful symbolism of the mistletoe, weaves together strands of hope, renewal, and the triumph of light over darkness.

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A Yule Tale: 5 Magical Stories to Share " Grandma's Grimoire

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Seasonal storytelling is a captivating way to convey the magic and traditions of Yule to children. Let's explore the legends and lore of Yule in our Yule Tales.

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22 Aug 2017 | 20 May 2020 | 3 minute read

Inspire future generations to help save our bees.

Findinteresting facts about bees and a Bee Quiz in The Bee Cause: Pack for Educators. This popular resource also provides fun lesson and assembly plans, bee games and outdoor activities.

All the resources are free and suitable for primary school children(infant and junior).

"I passionately believe that outdoor learning and play are vital ways of connecting children with the wonders of the natural world. Discovering the life cycle of bees and their role in the wider ecosystem encompasses many areas of the curriculum."

Connie Blackett-Ord, Outdoor Learning Teaching Assistant

1. Get a bee saver kit

Help fight the decline of bees with your very own bee saver kit. It includes:

Wildflower seeds - grow bee food so your neighbourhood bees don't go hungry.

A garden planner - to help you create a bee-friendly garden all year round.

A bee spotter guide - so you can identify your new garden visitors.

Step by step guide - full of useful hints and tips for saving bees.

A bee postcard - to send to your loved ones.

2. Plant a bee-friendly garden

Try growing some bee-friendly plants. Cottage garden flowers like geraniums, wallflowers, lavender and hollyhocks make a great display. A pond or bird bath can be a useful source of drinking water for bees.

Note: Some bee friendly plants are potentially harmful. Have a look at the Royal Horticultural Society's list of potentially harmful plants.

3. Fundraise for bees

You could raise money to buy bee-friendly plants. If children raise the money themselves, they will feel more ownership of the garden. Check out our fundraising resources to help get you started.

4. Grow some herbs

A lot of herbs are good for bees, and smell delicious - they can be added to children's cookery or school meals as well. A herb garden is a relaxing sensory place for children - or even a pot of herbs near a bench if space is limited. Have a look at our top 5 tips for growing bee friendly herbs.

5. Create a bee corridor

Try to link your bee-friendly area to other ones to make it easier for bees to move between spaces. You could do this by creating a corridor of wildflowers around the edge of your school field. Digging up the grass in some areas and planting wildflower seeds or plugs will give them a better start.

6. Don't use herbicides or weed killers

Cut weeds back where they really need to be removed, but leave them where you can. You might need to talk to your council if they look after your grounds.

7. Grow some fruit

Fruit trees and plants are great for bees, as well as encouraging children to eat healthily. Cherries, strawberries and raspberries are an especially big treat and even more so if you pick them yourself!

8. Create bee hotels

You can make these by tying together bamboo canes, making gaps under paving slabs or drilling holes in wood. Put the bee hotels in your bee friendly areas. Find out how to create a large bee and bug hotel with wooden pallets or a small bee and bug hotel.

9. Make bees your bedtime story

The beautiful, illustrated storybook "Philippa and the Homeless Bumblebee" is a great way to engage with children on important environmental issues. Author David Greaves said: "I love their bumbling, slightly comical movements - like clumsy little astronauts who haven't quite mastered their rocket suits (...) I loved writing this story as I want to encourage others to help save these unsung heroes of the British countryside."
Order your copy now.
10. Grow sunflowers and honeysuckle

Growing sunflowers encourages children to look after their own plant. The sunflowers could all be planted along the edge of a playground or they could take them home to encourage bees in their own garden. If you have some wall space on a side of the school, a boundary or outbuilding, you could grow honeysuckle too.

Teaching resources to learn about bees
Waggle Dance game
Learn the waggle dance! Ideal for younger children.
Bee template
Download our handy template to colour in your own bee. Remember they're not all black and yellow.

Family resources to help save the planet

Looking for something to inspire the whole family to help the environment?

Become Planet Protectors and we'll provide you with all you need to get started.

We'll send your children a colourful Planet Protectors pack, full of fun resources and activities. And we'll keep you up-to-date with our award-winning magazine, green lifestyle tips and opportunities to get involved with our campaigns.

Help Save Britain's Bees. Donate Today.

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Tonight in @teltownhouse close to where the Tailteann games were once held, we will be telling part if the Táin along it's ancient trail.🔥These are FREE shows as we have support from Heritage Council of Ireland.#grámór🕯️Three shows over three locations along the trail. Don't worry though, each show is a stand alone experience and you won't have to see the others to enjoy just one of them.🔥 We continue this special three part performance tonight with -Fights at the Ford - Friday 17th in Telltown House near NavanBefore the Beginning- Saturday 25th in Tulsk at the Rathcroghan Visitor Centre All shows at 7pm🔥Contact the venues for bookings or contact look at the contact firm on www.Tainamarch.ie 🕯️Getting the chance to tell this epic tale over three nights is a pure delight.Tell anyone you know that might be nearby.#candleittales#candlelittalesontour#antáin#meabh#bulls#brownbull#whitehornedbull#cuchulainn#fergus#cruachanai#redbranch#legends #mytholgy#lore#ancient#wisdom#war#keepitcandlelit#ferdia#ford#cúchulainn#tragedy ... See More See Less

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With a busy weekend ahead, we are super excited l to be spreading word about these three shows.🔥We will be telling The Táin for the Táin March festival for the first time since the lockdowns began.We're delighted to say these are all FREE shows, as we are getting help from Roscomman County Council to help us put on these shows.🕯️The epic tape can be told in may ways, and we are splitting it up into three stand alone shows.The Awakening -June 12th in the Táin Theatre Dundalk The Fights at the Ford - Friday 17th in Telltown House near NavanBefore the Beginning- Saturday 25th in Tulsk at the Rathcroghan Visitor Centre All shows at 7pm🔥Contact the venues for bookings or contact look at the contact firm on www.Tainamarch.ie 🕯️Getting the chance to tell this epic tale over three nights is a pure delight.Tell anyone you know that might be nearby.#candleittales#candlelittalesontour#antáin#meabh#bulls#brownbull#whitehornedbull#cuchulainn#fergus#cruachanai#redbranch#legends #mytholgy#lore#ancient#wisdom#war#keepitcandlelit ... See More See Less

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A game that starts with a story. But unlike most stories, this one is yet to be written!🕯️ This Saturday, on the 11th of June in TallaghtCruthú - Reimagined As part of Crinniú an nÓg 🔥 A live action, world building, role playing, collaborative storytelling game, where the players build the world that they want to.The pages in this book are empty. For now....🕯️ Booking tickets to this event will be necessary. 🔥 Ready Steady Show helped us create this creation story. But we need YOU or someone you may know to come and create a brand new story.Thanks @civictheatretallaght for helping us to colaborate with a host of brilliant people to bring young storytellers together to help co-create an imaginative world to play out a brand new story.🔥 Big thank you to Crimniú an nÓg for hosting us to tell this tale with the public, very soon.Photos - Martin NagelSet/costume - Ann Craden Cast/Creators - Sorcha Hegarty, Aron Hegarty, Jae O'Connor🔥#keepitcandlelit#creation#art#games#gamebasedlearning#candlelittales#creativity#imaginationplay#imaginative#development#artscouncilfunded#funded#comingsoon#Cruthú#story#myth#magic#comingsoon#exciting#come#June11#collaborations ... See More See Less

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We are on the lookout for young creatives to take part in an epic story. A story that starts with a game... ✨Next week, on the 11th of June in TallaghtCruthú - Reimagined As part of Crinniú an nÓg ✨More details for anyone that wants to come along and play - follow link to our upcoming shows:candlelittales.ie/our-shows/✨Booking tickets to this event will be necessary. 🕯️ Ready Steady Show helped us create this creation story. But we need YOU or someone you may know to come and create a brand new story.Thanks @civictheatretallaght for helping us to colaborate with a host of brilliant people to bring young storytellers together to help co-create an imaginative world to play out a brand new story.🔥 Big thank you to the Arts Council for funding the development of this show.With huge help from the magic team:Photos - Martin Nagel in studio and recently from our trip to Schools in Dublin.Set - Ann Craden Cast/Creators - Sorcha Hegarty, Aron Hegarty, Jae O'Connor🔥#keepitcandlelit#creation#art#games#gamebasedlearning#candlelittales#creativity#imaginationplay#imaginative#development#artscouncilfunded#funded#comingsoon#Cruthú#story#myth#magic#comingsoon#exciting#come#June11#collaborations ... See More See Less

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Online course with pre-recorded videos by Marina Robb.

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Try our Forest School Activities Free Taster Course. Get 10 days access and sample video lessons from our Forest School Activities Training

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The Wild Minds Podcast is brought to you by me, Marina Robb, an author, entrepreneur, Forest School and Nature-based Trainer and Consultant, and pioneer in developing Green programmes for the Health service in the UK.

I'm also the founder of The Outdoor Teacher and creator of practical online Forest School and nature-based training for people working in mental health, education and business.

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The Wild Minds Podcast is brought to you by Marina Robb. What if wild, not domesticated, should be our normal instead of factory-farmed lives?

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History and traditions around the Yule log

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The custom of burning the Yule Log goes back to, and before, medieval times. It was originally a Nordic tradition. Yule is the name of the old Winter Solstice festivals in Scandinavia and other parts of northern Europe, such as Germany.

The Yule Log was originally an entire tree, that was carefully chosen and brought into the house with great ceremony. The largest end of the log would be placed into the fire hearth while the rest of the tree stuck out into the room! The log would be lit from the remains of the previous year's log which had been carefully stored away and slowly fed into the fire through the Twelve Days of Christmas. It was considered important that the re-lighting process was carried out by someone with clean hands. Nowadays, of course, most people have central heating so it is very difficult to burn a tree!

In Provence (in France), it is traditional that the whole family helps to cut the log down and that a little bit is burnt each night. If any of the log is left after Twelfth Night, it is kept safe in the house until the next Christmas to protect against lightning! In some parts of The Netherlands, this was also done, but the log had to be stored under a bed! In some eastern European countries, the log was cut down on Christmas Eve morning and lit that evening.

In Cornwall (in the UK), the log is called 'The Mock'. The log is dried out and then the bark is taken off it before it comes into the house to be burnt. Also in the UK, barrel makers (or Coopers as barrel makers were traditionally called) gave their customers old logs that they could not use for making barrels for Yule logs. (My surname is Cooper, but I don't make barrels! My Great Grandfather did own a walking stick factory though!)

The custom of the Yule Log spread all over Europe and different kinds of wood are used in different countries. In England, Oak is traditional; in Scotland, it is Birch; while in France, it's Cherry. Also, in France, the log is sprinkled with wine, before it is burnt, so that it smells nice when it is lit.

In Devon and Somerset in the UK, some people have a very large bunch of Ash twigs instead of the log. This comes from a local legend that Joseph, Mary and Jesus were very cold when the shepherds found them on Christmas Night. So the shepherds got some bunches of twigs to burn to keep them warm.

In some parts of Ireland, people have a large candle instead of a log and this is only lit on New Year's Eve and Twelfth Night.

Different chemicals can be sprinkled on the log like wine to make the log burn with different colored flames!

Potassium Nitrate = Violet

Barium Nitrate = Apple Green

Borax = Vivid Green

Copper Sulphate = Blue

Table Salt = Bright Yellow

This sounds very dangerous, so please only try this out with some adult supervision!!

The ashes of Yule logs were meant to be very good for plants. This is true, because the ash from burnt wood contains a lot of 'potash', which helps plant flowers. But if you throw the ashes out on Christmas day it was supposedly very unlucky!

A Chocolate Yule Log or 'Bûche de Noël' is now a popular Christmas dessert or pudding. It's traditionally eaten in France and Belgium, where they are known as 'Kerststronk' in Flemish.

They are made of a chocolate sponge roll layered with cream. The outside is covered with chocolate or chocolate icing and decorated to look like a bark-covered log. Some people like to add extra decorations such as marzipan mushrooms!

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The History of the Yule Log on whychristmas?com

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The custom of burning the Yule Log goes back to, and before, medieval times. It was originally a Nordic tradition. Yule is the name of the old Winter Solstice festivals in Scandinavia and other parts of northern Europe, such as Germany.

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Tenx9 is a FREE storytelling event where nine people have up to ten minutes each to tell a true story from their own life (various locations, always free). Podcast also available.

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Tenx9 is a storytelling night where 9 people have up to 10 minutes each to tell a real story from their lives

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7 Simple Alternatives to Pumpkin Carving

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For many families, Halloween means a visit to the pumpkin patch to find the perfect pumpkin. And usually, that pumpkin is destined to become a jack-o-lantern. But what if you have little ones who want

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Samhain craft idea

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Ângela Rua on Instagram: "Óculos mágicos com caixas de ovos  e pauzinhos de café 🥰🌈💜🩷✨

#glassesdiy #glassescraft #eggcartoncraft #preschool #learningthroughplay #preschoolactivities #preschoolart #invitaciontoplay #kidart #creativekids #playathome #everydayplayhacks #letthemplay #toddlerfun #kidsactivities #manualidades #activityforkids #forkids #kidscrafts #craftsforkids #forkids #activityforkids #atividadespedagogicas #aticidadesedycacaiinfantil #atividadesinfantis #manualidadesfaciles #artsandcrafts #artschool"

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49K likes, 296 comments - angelarua.art on May 17, 2024: "Óculos mágicos com caixas de ovos  e pauzinhos de café 🥰🌈💜🩷✨

#glassesdiy #glassescraft #eggcartoncraft #preschool #learningthroughplay #preschoolactivities #preschoolart #invitaciontoplay #kidart #creativekids #playathome #everydayplayhacks #letthemplay #toddlerfun #kidsactivities #manualidades #activityforkids #forkids #kidscrafts #craftsforkids #forkids #activityforkids #atividadespedagogicas #aticidadesedycacaiinfantil #atividadesinfantis #manualidadesfaciles #artsandcrafts #artschool". 

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Samhain craft idea

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Sibia Torres Padilla | DIYs on Instagram: "these little ghosts didn’t want plain white sheets

This is our third year making these clay Tealight covers and this year we thought it might be fun to jazz them up a bit. 
You’ll need 
Air dry clay
A small jar
A balled up foil or ping pong ball
A straw to make the eyes 
mod podge
And a pretty napkin
We started by rolling out the clay and draping it over our jars, made eyes with the straw  and let them harden overnight. Maybe sure you don’t press your clay too tightly or you won’t be able to remove the foil/ping pong ball,
We carefully removed them from the mold,
brushed on mod podge and cut up a pretty napkin. I added the napkin cutouts and brushed on more mod podge to seal them in.
Then we added our lights. 
It’s very important that you only use battery operated tea lights or fairy lights"

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430K likes, 2,402 comments - sibster on August 26, 2024: "these little ghosts didn’t want plain white sheets

This is our third year making these clay Tealight covers and this year we thought it might be fun to jazz them up a bit. 
You’ll need 
Air dry clay
A small jar
A balled up foil or ping pong ball
A straw to make the eyes 
mod podge
And a pretty napkin
We started by rolling out the clay and draping it over our jars, made eyes with the straw  and let them harden overnight. Maybe sure you don’t press your clay too tightly or you won’t be able to remove the foil/ping pong ball,
We carefully removed them from the mold,
brushed on mod podge and cut up a pretty napkin. I added the napkin cutouts and brushed on more mod podge to seal them in.
Then we added our lights. 
It’s very important that you only use battery operated tea lights or fairy lights". 

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Advent calendars and Yule decorations

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I have set myself a creative challenge over on my Facebook page. Every day in December so far I have added a new winter festive craft made from things from the woods to a folder full of photographs.

Here's a round up of my daily ideas so far.

I got this lovely idea for a tree made from threaded sticks from 'Michelle made me' this is now hanging in my office and looks great!

I learnt to make stars from bendy willow withies a few years back, I saw Alan from Birch Forest School make some of these stars from bramble which works really well and helps clear some of the bramble from the woods. I love making baskets out of bramble and it weaves really well as these stars show.

I saw this idea for a Christmas tree on Handmade Living Frugally and I really wanted to try it this year. It looks really effective and doesn't fill my living room! I also love that it acts like little shelves for some of my favourite things like the little wooden horse and some of the keys I got in a recent freecycle triumph.

I've been making little versions of these gnomes with different colours, These festive ones have just gone to live in a school where I was working last week. I found it was much easier for children to carve if you leave the stick longer and cut it to length after the whittling is done. Inspiration for these came from GardenMama.

When I made the two trees above I was left with lots of the really fine birch twigs. When they are fresh they are so bendy and I we playing with a pile of them. They are twiddled together to hold this decoration in place. The random weaving is strong enough that I could poke fairy lights through from the back.

Here is one of the decorations from my tree, this is made out of woven birch bark. There are some great tutorials out there, they are quite fiddly to make but so worth it. Look out for fallen birch trees to take the bark from.

I managed to get other people involved in my advent challenge. Hannah was one of the participants on my most recent Level 3 Forest School training course. She was exploring the potential of the woods for creativity and found that dead bracken makes an excellent base for wreaths.

This is another skill I teach on the Forest School course, lashing and knot tying. For smaller children I sometimes give them elastic bands to hold sticks together with instead of tying knots. These stars do look great with a bit of extra festive foliage.

There was a thread about festive ideas on the FEI facebook page recently where I read the phrase 'elder candles' I found some red bramble leaves which inspired me to have a go at trying to work out what an elder candle would look like. The leaves stuck into the soft pith of the elder and with some of the bark peeled away they look quite effective. You could press the leaves to make them last longer.

I hope some of these ideas have inspired you to have a go at making something this winter. Look out for the next few advent crafts coming up.

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Only made from wood; a daily advent of festive winter crafts part 1

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I have set myself a creative challenge over on my Facebook page. Every day in December so far I have added a new winter festive craft made from things from the woods to a folder full of photographs. Here's a round up of my daily ideas so far.

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Pinterest board of Winter Forest School ideas:

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Pinterest board of Winter Forest School ideas:

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39 Forest School Winter Activities ideas | forest school, winter activities, activities

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Jan 23, 2023 - Explore The Practical Forest School’s board “Forest School Winter Activities”, followed by 139 people on Pinterest. See more ideas about forest school, winter activities, activities.

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Suitable for early years.

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Article by Esther Evans and Meghan Caissie
There has never been a better time to use the outdoors for learning!

Connecting with nature and being creative are both proven ways to improve children's wellbeing. (Source)

As seasoned forest school teachers, we know that children are eager learners in any environment and any weather, which is why many parents and caregivers are turning to forest schools to inspire hands-on learning in outdoor educational settings.

The spirit of forest schools is that children can enjoy and learn about the kinds of plants and creatures around them and can develop self-esteem and confidence from learning with others and being prepared.

Forest school crafts are a key and beautiful part of this experience.

So here are the ultimate 12 forest school craft activities.

1. Natural Paint Brushes

Tell the children that you are running out of paintbrushes and ask them to find lots of new kinds of paintbrushes from the forest. You could show different kinds of paintbrushes first and talk about wide, narrow, fat, thin, bristly, and pointed.
Ask the children to search for natural paintbrushes like twigs, long grasses, ferns, and flowers.
Provide joining materials like string /masking tape. This is useful to bind the sticks and leaves into different sized and shaped "paintbrushes."

Talk about the different sizes and shapes of the brushes the children have made and let them predict what kind of paintings they will make.
Creative time!
Lay out a large roll of paper and let the children have fun using their natural brushes.

They can experiment with printing, splattering, flicking, rolling, and drawing.

(This makes a lovely background to display Forest school photographs on).

Keep a few "natural paintbrushes" next to the painting easel for the children to experiment with when they are mark-making.

2. Nature Frames

Explain to the children that they are going to make beautiful frames for their artwork but first they need to collect some treasure from the forest to decorate their frame.

It's a good idea to model this first so have a collection of treasure ready such as little pine cones, sycamore helicopters, seeds, dandelion flowers, interesting leaves, feathers, or anything seasonal.

Provide the children with a treasure box/bag (recycled containers work well here), then let the children explore the forest site for any interesting treasures they can find.

When everyone has found some treasures, come back together. Look at the colors, smells, textures, and shapes.

You could also count how many objects the children found.
Getting Creative
Each child will need a cardboard frame. Recycled cereal boxes can easily be cut into frames (like the one in the picture).

You could also use frames cut in different shapes: squares, rectangles, and ovals work best - just let the children decide.

Use self-adhesive strips or glue sticks and encourage the children to lay out their treasure on their frame to decorate them.

3. King / Queen Of The Forest.

This is similar to Nature frames but can be linked to a favorite fairy tale or nursery rhyme.

Provide the children with a treasure tub/ box. Again, recycled boxes/tubs are great to use here.

Ask the children to search and collect treasures to decorate their special crown. They can then be a king/queen of the forest.
What will you find? Look for special leaves (Autumn is a lovely time to do this activity), feathers, ferns, flowers, seeds, or any other interesting objects you come across on your scavenger hunt.
Talk about the treasures the children have found. Again, this is a good chance to count objects, introduce new colors, sizes, patterns, and shapes in nature.

Let the children lay out their treasure onto a strip of recycled cards. (You could do this in the forest setting or back indoors).

The children could break or tear their treasure into tiny parts if you want to encourage ripping or tearing skills. Bend the completed crowns to fit each child's head and fasten them in place with a stapler.

Have a royal parade to show off their creations.

This is particularly lovely in Autumn with all the different shades of changing leaves.

4. Hedgehog House.

Show the children a hedgehog toy or puppet and explain that his home was lost in a storm and so he needs the children to help build him a new shelter to live in.

(There are lots of lovely children's stories about hedgehogs that you could use as a starting point here).

Talk with the children about the type of house a hedgehog would live in. Ask for their ideas first and explain that it will need to be warm, safe, cosy, and needs to be big enough for him to fit in.

Let the children explore the woodland freely. Encourage them to collect twigs and start to build up little shelters.

Once their hedgehog den is finished, ask the children if they can find ways of camouflaging or waterproofing the den to keep the hedgehog safe from harm. Can they decorate their shelters with leaves or moss?

You don't have to stick to hedgehogs. If you have a favorite story about a frog, for example, this would also work.

5. Crafty Spider Webs
There is a little bit of preparation for this activity but it is worth it as it keeps the children interested and helps develop skills of perseverance and dexterity.
Collect some strong, long twigs of roughly the same length or 4 bamboo garden canes.

Cross 2 canes together and bind them with string or masking tape. Repeat this and join the two crosses together at the point of intersection. You should now have the beginning of a spider's web.

Tie a ball of string or wool to the center of the web. Show the children how to weave the ball around the canes in a circle, just like a spider's thread.

Weave in and out of the canes, wrapping the ball around each cane as you do to build up the web.

You can do this on a giant scale like the one in the picture, or individually on a smaller scale.

A good follow-up activity is to ask the children to make spiders using their imagination and the materials they can find in the forest.

(They might even find some real spiders!)

6. Color Collage

Provide some large sheets of colored card in green, yellow, purple, brown, and red.

Let the children explore the forest and bring their findings back to the colored cards. Give plenty of time to look at and talk about the natural objects the children find.

Help them to color match their objects, and talk about all the different shades of colors.

Were they able to find all the colors? Did they find any colors they weren't expecting? Did they find darker or lighter colors?
Working Together
Encourage the children to use all the colored objects they found to create a joint collage. It's a good idea to provide the children with a frame first so that they have a boundary to work in.

You can do this by making a giant square with garden canes or by using string, pegged into the ground.

The collage could be on any theme. My class made a beautiful big yellow sun and moon from piles of dandelion flowers once.

The important thing is to get creative, be outdoors in the fresh air and have lots and lots of forest fun.

7. Cardboard Leaf Creatures

This is a great way to include reusing and recycling into a craft.

Draw an outline of a butterfly or bee (or any other bug friends you can think of!) on some thin cardboard and go on a hunt for leaves to fill out the wings and twigs to add lines and details.

Small stones or berries could be eyes - it's up to the children to choose colors and shapes to make it special!

This is a great way to observe the different shapes of leaves and to talk about what is safe to touch and what children should ask about before touching or picking.

Adding in white school glue builds fine motor strength as they squeeze, or for tiny hands, you can pre-squeeze into an egg cut and "paint" on the glue with twigs or leaves.

It's fun to create a whole swarm of these creatures and display them on a forest-themed wall or board in the house or classroom. Children will be full of wonder as the materials dry and shrink over time.

8. Observational Painting

Children will love the process of picking out their favorite wildflower to paint in this fun craft that encourages noticing details.

This challenges little minds to ask themselves questions about what they see, not what they know and helps build visual-motor connections and fine motor skills.

Let this be a child-centered art process - no guided drawing, and every painting will be wonderfully unique!

Grab a piece of recycled cardboard and fold it in half to make a triangular "easel". Once your learners have found their flower, tape it to the easel and ask them to describe the shape of different parts of the flower.

Before they paint, ask them to use their finger to trace the shape and size onto the easel and imagine the lines they traced and use describing words to help think about it.

Is the stem long? Short? Thin?

Encourage them to use non-standard measures - is it about as long as their thumb?

They'll love making connections and trying more than once to paint their flowers.

Do a gallery walk for the little artists to show off their work and explain their process. This helps build listening skills and lets them share how they made decisions and to learn from each other!

9. Photo Frame Shadow Drawing

For an amazing way to explore how the sun is a light source and how opaque objects block light to make shadows, then look no further than empty photo frames, clipboards, and leaves!

This craft blends science and drawing skills and is sure to be a hit on a sunny day when the sun is lower in the sky - wait until morning or afternoon and not when the sun is directly overhead.

Remember sunscreen, sunglasses, and hats!

Take the photo and cardboard backing out of a photo frame that has a lip for a clipboard clip to hold up at a 90° angle and use clear tape to attach 1-3 leaves on the glass.

Put a piece of drawing paper on the clipboard then clip in the frame standing straight up and make sure it's secure.

These clipboard-drawing-tables can be moved around to any comfortable place and to see where the best shadow is cast! Children who try this out under a shady tree might discover that they need to explore a bit more.

It's a bonus if clouds move across the sun and the tracers get to see the shadows disappear for a moment and wonder where the shadow went.

This is a great opportunity for experiential learning!

10. Watercolor Rain Paint

For a fun way to encourage patience and focus, wait for a rainy day to break out the watercolors.

For this delightful collaboration between young artists and the weather, you'll need cookie sheets, white construction paper or watercolor paper, watercolors or food coloring, and a good downpour!

First, in a dry location, the children can spot or dot their paper with color. Encourage them to leave lots of white space on the page and not fill it all up for the magic to happen!

Then put on rain gear to stay nice and dry and head out into the downpour.

Have the children place their cookie sheets and paper on the ground and watch as the rain transforms their art into something even more incredible!

Encourage them to make their own decision about how much time is enough and when to take them in to dry. Then enjoy some puddle jumping as they wait for their art to dry off!

11. Natural Shape Puzzles
If you want to help build fine motor skills and spatial awareness, then challenge your learners to stay inside the lines with found objects.
This is an engaging challenge that can be a fun partner activity too, to add in decision-making and working together.

You'll just need some dry dirt or sand you can draw a simple shape in, like a square or circle, and some found objects like pebbles, leaves, twigs, or moss.

Draw the shape in the dirt and let the children have fun putting the objects in. It will get more challenging as the space fills up and pieces don't fit, so discuss strategies like judging size and looking for shapes that might fit.

12. Ice Suncatcher

Is there anything more beautiful than a sunny winter day?

With proper cold-weather clothes, crafting can be done and displayed outside to add extra wonder to a winter wonderland.

For this craft, you'll need a cake pan, some string, a plastic cup weighted down with pebbles or coins, and a container for water that children can easily pour from without spilling.

Then it's up to their imagination to find objects to add to their suncatcher!
Bright natural objects from outside like pine or fir branches look great or raid the kitchen for orange slices or berries to add vivid shades.
You can even add food coloring, but try to keep it natural as these will melt and drop onto the ground below.

Have the children assemble their objects into the cake pan and take turns pouring water in once they're happy with their collection.

This is a great way to work together and to build gross motor control. Place the cup near the top of the cake pan with enough room to make a hole, then leave it outside for 3-5 hours in a shady spot.

The children can check back in and once it's frozen, bring it inside for a few minutes (or place it carefully in some warm water in the sink) to loosen the ice.

Carefully lift it out, thread the string through, then find the best place to hang it outside and marvel as the light shines through!

Remember that when using water outside, soaked mittens can be a bit of trouble, so remember to talk to your children about why it's important to keep dry!

I hope these fun activities inspire you to go outside and enjoy seeing kids be creative no matter the weather!

Check First!

It's always a good idea to do a risk assessment of the site before you start.

Look out for any prickly or poisonous plants like thistles or nettles. There's no need to remove them. You can either rope off the area, or explain how these plants can sting us. Make sure the children understand they shouldn't go near them.

Be careful not to pick any protected flowers or species. Remember some wildflowers are lovely to look at and smell, but shouldn't be removed. (There is lots of guidance on the internet if you aren't sure).

Remember to take everything back with you. Leave nothing but footprints.

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12 Forest School Craft Ideas | Early Impact Learning

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Article by Esther Evans and Meghan Caissie There has never been a better time to use the outdoors for learning! Connecting with nature and being creative are both proven ways to improve children's wellbeing.

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5 Fun Yule Activities for Kids » Grandma’s Grimoire

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This article offers a collection of fun Yule activities and crafts, perfect for kids and young witches, designed to teach the roots of this special holiday!

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What you'll need

log

(mallet and billhook if you are splitting a log)

palm drill or hand drill

universal/wood drill bits

natural materials

secateurs

This activity has been provided by

Environmental Considerations

Consider the environmental impact of preparing, carrying out & completing this activity. Could this impact be reduced? Specific considerations for this activity could include:

gathering natural materials - forage carefully

leave no trace

Health & Safety Considerations

Follow your usual operating procedures and carry out appropriate risk benefit assessments.
Some considerations particular to this activity include:

holly berries are toxic and should not be ingested

tool use

candles & flammable items

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An activity using tools to saw and split a piece of wood and then it's ready to decorate for Yule

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An assembly for primary schools about Halloween, suitable for KS1 and KS2. It includes a video tracing Halloween back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, and also includes suggestions for songs and a time for reflection / prayer. BBC School Radio. BBC Teach.

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7 Easy Forest School Activities for Summer

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This article contains affiliate links at no cost to you. Thanks for supporting our work!

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10 Forest School Winter Activities - Early Impact Learning

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Winter in a Forest school can be beautiful and as long as everyone is wrapped up warm (and that includes the adults too) it can provide plenty of opportunities for awe and wonder. Just imagine… Silvery cobwebs covered in twinkling frost The first untouched blanket of soft snow Exposed birds nests at the top of …

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Is it getting colder where you? During the colder weather, we tend to choose different forest school activities - ones that are suitable for the conditions and small chilly hands!

Jon has run forest school activities outdoors for many years now, so we have a good sense of what works and what doesn't when it comes to keeping kids moving and engaged.

Generally, as long as they are wrapped up warm (and you are too) any of your favourite activities can be done during the winter months, perhaps with a little bit of modification.

Check out our guide to what to wear for forest school in all seasons so you can get dressed appropriately!

Below you'll find tried-and-tested, winter-friendly forest school activities that we use frequently with children in our groups. You can easily tailor them for different age groups. We tend to work with pre-school and primary kids, so you'll find they work well for those age groups.

You can set up these activities and invite children to take part. They might not engage straightaway but if you start doing the activity yourself, like making a bird feeder, they might come over to see what you are doing and join in.

1. Winter cooking

We have a whole article on winter campfire food, so check out our favourite recipes in that article!
Read next: Forest school recipes for winter
The campfire is a great way to bring warmth and light to your forest school area on a wintery day. And hot food and drinks keep bellies warm! Hot chocolate and marshmallows, anyone?

2. Snow sculptures

Cold weather can mean snow! We don't often have enough snow to make sculptures, but it's fun when there is enough snow.

You don't need any special equipment, but if you have trowels or rakes, they can be used to make shapes in the snow. Or use the kit you have for beach school - sandcastle buckets!

3. Listening walk

A listening walk is something you might want to do with a class in a more educational-based outdoor winter activity rather than 'pure' forest school, but see what you think would work well with your group.

Go out, walk as quietly as you can (hard for kids, I know!). Focus on the sounds associated with winter, such as the crunching of snow, the whisper of the wind through bare branches, or the calls of winter birds.

4. Nature scavenger hunt

We have a winter scavenger hunt printable that you can use as a starting point for a walking trail.

We've found that scavenger hunts work best on dry days, especially if children are picking up things from the forest floor.

I know that printables aren't something forest school leaders regularly take out, as they go against the child-led approach, but with younger age groups, or if you are a parent looking to get your kids outside on a cold day, they can provide a purpose to a walk.

5. Make bird feeders

Our children love making bird feeders. A simple option that works well is sticking sunflower seeds into an apple (use windfalls if you have any left from the autumn).

We found that preschoolers struggled to push the sunflower seeds into the apple, so Jon had to make holes for the seeds. Then the kids slotted the seeds in.

Make-it-yourself fat balls are another option but be prepared to get messy with those!

6. Smashing ice

Our own children loved breaking up ice cubes to get at what is inside. A fun outdoor activity is to try to find frozen puddles and stamp on them (carefully - no slipping!). Look at the patterns that the cracks make.

Another option that takes a bit of prep is to pre-freeze nature items (or even small plastic toys if you have to) and let the children excavate them.

Be warned: this activity does not take very long! Children are extremely good at smashing blocks of ice to get at what is inside!

7. Ice art

Leave containers of water out overnight and use the resulting ice blocks as the canvas for art. Sometimes we find leaves and other natural materials find their way in the buckets and give us a head start.

Children can use the ice as a starting point, decorating it as they see fit. They can even make their own containers full of water and natural objects, leaving them out overnight to see what they look like when frozen. What happened to all the items? Did they sink or are they evenly spread out throughout the ice block? What floated on the top?

Use shallow plastic plates filled with water and leaves, winter berries and grasses and make frozen suncatchers.

We don't tend to do loads of water-based activities in winter as wet kids are most often unhappy kids - it is really important to have the right clothes for forest school but sometimes water goes into wellies and down the back of jackets, right?

8. Garlic tree trails

Winter always smells so fresh, and here's a smelly idea to keep kids moving on a cold day!

Cut a head of garlic in half to give you a bigger area to rub on a tree, and then mark a few trees with garlic, perhaps in a trail that leads to somewhere, or random is OK too.

The children then have to run around and smell the trees, trying to identify which ones are the garlic trees.

You might have to let them smell the garlic bulb first so they know what they are looking out for! We've done this with garlic but I expect you could also do it with other strong-smelling items, maybe coffee grounds?

9. Winter shelters

Build a den - this is something you can do at any time of the year, but it's good in winter because there are often a lot of fallen sticks... and we're not making a person-sized den here.

Invite the children to make a den for their favourite woodland animal. For example, they could den build for a hedgehog, a rabbit, a frog, a newt, a fox or any other creature - even insects (the easiest kind of den, if you ask me!).

They gather sticks, they build a construction of their choice. We often see kids get really creative, for example using leaves and making decorations. Perhaps you'll even get a camp going!

Of course, building a person-sized shelter works as well. If your setting has the space and the materials, get the kids working together to create a den to sit inside. How many people can squeeze in?

Use the instructions and printable in our detailed article on how to make animal track trails.

Set up a trail for the kids to follow based on the tracks of any animal you might find in your setting at this time of year.

Our preschoolers love it when we do it with boot prints and the trail leads to something that Santa might have dropped during his Christmas preparations!

11. Shovel snow or leaves

Keep kids moving by inviting them to move snow or leaves (or piles of twigs or whatever) from one place to another.

Provide the tools or buckets to allow kids to move the snow. The bonus is that they will be clearing pathways for you at the same time!

You can even provide sand for them to sprinkle on icy areas.

12. Walk in the dark

It gets dark about 3.30pm here on the shortest days, so by the time after-school club comes round, we're playing out in the light of the fire (Jon also has big rechargeable floodlights).

Go for a walk in the dark. Lots of children don't get a chance to be outdoors in the dark, so you can provide a safe space for them to look at the stars and experience what it's like to be out at "night".

13. Make a maze

Why not make a snow maze if you're coming into your setting and the snow is fresh?

If you don't have snow, mud or leaves can work too! Mud play can be tricky at thist time of year as the ground is so hard if it's cold and dry. Maybe make a small version - a maze for mini beasts.

14: Mini beast hunt

It's cold, so many animals are already hibernating. But what you can find by digging around in the leaf litter? You will still find mini beasts going about their lives. Just be sure to cover them up again afterwards!

15. Tree trail

Look for different trees in your setting and compare what they look like. Children can pick a special tree to investigate further - provide the materials for bark rubbing, for example.

Evergreen trees and deciduous trees are going to look very different at this time of year. Use our tree identification printable or make one of your own.

I know many people who read this blog are teachers running winter outdoor learning sessions in school based on the curriculum. If you want to be inspired by forest school activity ideas, you are in the right place! It's easy to link these wintery outdoor sessions to topic-based learning. Here are some ideas:

English: Ask children to find items and then create a story using those items. Write a script for a weather forecast: will it snow every day?

Maths: Count and group pine cones or other items. Measure and estimate numbers. Mark out a grid on the ground and work on coordinates.

Art: The ice activity ideas above are a good starting point, or have the children look at works by Andy Goldsworthy and make their own inspired by his techniques.

Science and STEM: Make rain gauges and leave them outside to see how much water is collected. Set up water bottles with a tiny hole in the bottom to drip down and make your own icicles. Add food colouring to the water to see how that affects the ice creation. What happens when you add hot water?

Natural world: Talk about how animals survive winter and how humans have adapted how they live in cold climates to do the same.

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Try these easy winter activities for forest school and outdoor learning. Keep warm and keep busy while getting some fresh air!

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Creative STAR Learning | I'm a teacher, get me OUTSIDE here!

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Halloween – 10+ Fearsomely Good Outdoor Ideas

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Warning: you could be scared. Very scared, by some of the suggestions…

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Halloween Forest School Activities - Rhubarb and Wren

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Halloween forest school is frightful fun with these spooky nature activities for kids. Perfect for parties, groups, and haunted houses!

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3 sample ideas with brief background to Halloween.

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Samhain/ Halloween - Cambridge Forest Schools

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The origins of Halloween...our spookiest festival!
Most children love Halloween; at Forest School exploring the origins of the Celtic fire festival of Samhain (a Gaelic word pronounced “sow-win”) is a great way to start thinking about natural cycles. Samhain is the fire festival that celebrates the end of harvest and was in the past often viewed

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Lots of games suitable for Early Years and younger learners

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11 Fantastic Forest School Games - Early Impact Learning

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Forest school games are fun and beneficial for kids’ development. Explore our list of exciting games if you need some ideas to try!

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Includes sample activities to try with young learners

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Mabon Lore & Traditions - Information | Rituals | Recipes | Activities

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Mabon is the Autumn Equinox and a time we give thanks to the waning sunlight, as we store our harvest of this year’s crops. This page includes helpful information, rituals, activities, and recipes to help you celebrate the Sabbat.

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Links to various Mabon Folklore and Stories

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Interested in learning about some of the traditions behind the celebrations of the autumn equinox? Find out why Mabon is important, learn about the legend of Persephone and Demeter, the symbolism of stags, acorns and oaks, and explore the magic of apples and more!

Grapes are everywhere in the fall, so it's no surprise that the Mabon season is a popular time to celebrate wine-making, and deities connected to the growth of the vine. Whether you see him as Bacchus, Dionysus, the Green Man, or some other vegetative god, the god of the vine is a key archetype in harvest celebrations. Learn more about the Gods of the Vine.

Pagans and Renaissance Festivals

Renaissance Faires and Festivals aren't specifically Pagan, but there are a few reasons why you'll see a lot of us there. Let's look at how this counterculture institution of the sixties and seventies turned into a place where you can almost always find other Pagans.

Nutting Day

Around the middle of September, the nut season starts. Hazelnuts ripen in the hedges, and they have long been connected to folklore and legends. Hazel is associated to the Celtic tree month of Coll, from August 5 to September 1, and the very word Coll means "the life force inside you." Hazelnuts are connected to wisdom and protection, and are often found near sacred wells and magical springs.

Can You Balance an Egg on the Equinox?

There's a very popular story that circulates on the Internet twice every year at the spring and fall equinoxes, and it's about eggs. According to legend, if you try to stand an egg on its end on the vernal or autumnal equinox, you'll be successful, because of the polarity and balance of the earth. Let's explore the legend of Egg Balancing on the Equinox.

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Mabon (Autumn Equinox) Folklore and Traditions

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There are many legends surrounding the time of the autumn equinox. Let's explore some of the history and customs behind the Mabon season.

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Mabon Facts, Worksheets, History, Symbols & Traditions For Kids

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Mabon is the other term for the Autumn Equinox which often takes place around September 21. Click for even more facts or download the worksheets.

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11 Autumn Leaf Crafts

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15 Easy Autumn Forest School activities

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Are you looking for easy forest school activities for autumn! (Or fall, as our US readers would call it!). You're in the right place.

We have a bunch of simple outdoor activities to share that take little time to set up, use resources you probably already have in your forest school area and that will inspire children to get creative and have fun outside!

1. Build a den

What's not to love about den building? This is the perfect time of year for it. There are plenty of materials out and about for den building.

Plus it's a good way to stay warm on colder days as it takes a lot of energy to lift and move large logs to create the structure!

2. Make leaf crowns

If crafts are your thing, leaf crowns are a popular way to showcase the autumn colours. We don't do this often as it requires taking paper and sticky tape (double-sided works best and is the easiest for small hands as you can put it on the crown for them so they just have to find and stick the leaves) out into the forest.

Be royalty for a day with a bespoke crown! With the lovely autumn leaves in golden colours, it's a winner for many children.

3. Make a stick raft

One of our settings has water, and after the dry summer the kids are excited that it's flowing at a height that makes stick rafts and water play an option.

The simplest things to drop in the water are sticks and leaves. But if you want to get fancy, see if the children are interested in looping sticks together to make a small raft. Will it float?

Watch a video of how to make a stick raft on the Scouts.org website.

4. Bake apples and chocolate on the fire

Core an apple. Fill the space with chocolate (half a Mars bar works well). Wrap in tin foil. Then put the whole thing in the embers of the fire or on a trivet over the fire until the chocolate has melted.

In my experience, the apple will not go soft because baking an apple properly takes a long time... and forest school sessions are short! And children's patience levels for eating chocolate are shorter!

The apple will be still be warm and tasty, and it might have started to soften depending on how long you've left it in for and the temperature of the fire.

A delicious, easy fireside snack that makes a change from hot chocolate and marshmallows.

5. Paint with blackberries

I know people have mixed feelings about using food for non-food purposes when there is so much food poverty in the country, but if it's appropriate for your setting, painting with blackberries is an easy activity.

Make the paint by mashing up the blackberries. Add a bit of water if you like. You can paint on tree trunks, big leaves, log cookies, sheets (hang them up between trees) or simply paper.

The children might like to find different things to paint with: leaves, feathers and moss all work well, but what else will they come up with?

6. Go foraging

If you are leading sessions with older children, it might be appropriate to go foraging. Look for edible plants in your setting. Blackberries are easy to find at this time of year but I often find round here they are tiny and full of little worms, so be very careful about this activity.

Nettles are another easy-to-find option and they make a decent tea!

Warning: Eating the wrong stuff can make you very ill. Only do this with children who can understand the difference between 'good' plants that are OK to eat and 'not good' plants that will make them sick.

As an adult, you might enjoy this book: How to Forage for Mushrooms Without Dying. It's a good read!

7. Make a stick man

Arrange sticks on the ground to make a giant stick man figure and his family.

There are plenty of sticks around at this time of year which makes stick-based activities easy to do and we find children naturally gravitate to picking up sticks anyway!

If you regularly include story time as part of your forest school sessions, then Julia Donaldson's is the obvious choice.

8. Make a habitat pile to provide shelter for mini-beasts

This is another fall forest school activity that is easy to integrate into the curriculum if you need to. Any topic on mini-beasts or habitats can link into creating a place for those creatures to live.

Use some of those sticks to make a shelter for mini-beasts. Many smaller creatures and insects will be grateful for that stick pile, and you can check back in on it in another session to see what creatures have moved in.

9. Make some leaf art

A list of autumn forest school activities wouldn't be complete without some leaf art. Use fallen leaves to arrange on the ground to make words or pictures. Sticks make a frame. Make an art gallery to show parents and teachers.

Alternatively, make leaf portraits. Can children make a picture of themselves?

10. Make a maze

Gather up sticks or fallen leaves and use them to mark out a trail or maze on the ground.

The adults can make the maze for the children to follow, or older children might like to have a go at making a trail or maze of their own, for a friend to try.

11. Make damper bread

I have mixed feelings about damper bread. It's not tasty, but it is edible. Jam makes it better, in my opinion!

Children seem to love making the dough and as the afternoons get chillier, there's even more reason to draw around the fire circle.

Here's our favourite campfire bread on a stick recipe.

12. Drill conkers

Get the hand drills out and start making holes in conkers!

For me, the fun is in the drilling and using tools. But for many children, the fun part comes next: stringing up the conkers so they can be used for games!

Tip: Many schools discourage the old-fashioned conker bashing game now, and for health and safety reasons it would be best to do that with safety goggles - even if that isn't that look we had when we were kids in the 80's.

If you think drilling conkers might end up in conker bashing, then do your risk assessment and make sure the activities are carried out safely.

13. Conker finding and sorting

If tool use isn't an option for whatever reason, younger children will enjoy hunting for conkers and then sorting them into piles or arranging them into patterns.

Make a long line, or put them into piles of 10. There are so many ways that conkers can be used to support curriculum-based learning if you are allied to a school.

14. Acorn hide and seek

In their book, Play the Forest School Way, Peter Houghton and Jane Worroll introduce the game of acorn hide and seek.

Basically, children hide a handful of acorns each. Then you do another activity just to break up their memory pattern. Then they have to go and find their acorns again.

This is a good game to play to tie into the curriculum about hibernation, squirrels, habitats, the food chain... the list goes on.

15. Bramble weaving

Bramble weaving takes a bit of effort but it's something to think about with slightly older children. And it gets messy if you take it to the next level, adding mud to the woven structures!

Which one of these will you try first with your forest school group?

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Are you looking for easy forest school activities for autumn! (Or fall, as our US readers would call it!). You're in the right place.

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43 Lammas crafts ideas in 2024 | witchy crafts, crafts, pagan crafts

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Jan 28, 2024 - Explore Carole LaVanway’s board “Lammas crafts” on Pinterest. See more ideas about witchy crafts, crafts, pagan crafts.

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Apple Candleholders

Naturally, you'll want to put candles on your altar to celebrate this Sabbat. Why not use vegetables and fruits symbolic of the season to make a candleholder? These easy candleholders are perfect for holding a taper-style candle. First, you'll want to select some firm fruits. Red apples, early acorn squash, even eggplants all work well, but apples seem to last the longest. Rinse and dry the fruit or vegetable thoroughly. Polish the outside with a soft cloth until the fruit is shiny. Stand the fruit up on its bottom, and use a knife or a corer to make a hole in the top where the stem is located. Go about halfway down into the apple so that the candle will have a sturdy base. Widen the hole until it's the same diameter as your candle.

Pour some lemon juice into the hole and allow it to sit for ten minutes. This will prevent the apple from browning and softening too quickly. Pour out the lemon juice, dry out the hole, and insert a sprig of rosemary, basil, or other fresh herb of your choice. Finally, add the taper candle. Use a little bit of dripped wax to secure the taper in place.

Grapevine Pentacle

This is a craft which is simple to make, although it takes a little bit of patience. You'll need several grapevines of thin to medium thickness, freshly picked so they're pliable. If they've dried out, you can soften them up by soaking them overnight in a bucket of water.

Strip all the leaves and stray stems from the vines. Select your longest vine and shape it into a circle about 18" in diameter. Continue coiling the vine around the circle until you reach the end, and then tuck the end up under the other layers to hold it in place. Take your next longest vine, and repeat the process. To start each new vine, tuck one end into the existing circle, coil it around, and then tuck the end in. Repeat this until your wreath is the desired thickness-five to seven vines ought to give you a good base.

Now you'll need five pieces of grapevine that are of equal lengths, and they should each be about 2" longer than the wreath's inside diameter. These five pieces will form the star in the center of the pentacle. Take the first piece and work it into place across the center of the wreath, anchoring each end by tucking it into the outer vines of the wreath. Repeat with the other four pieces, overlapping them where needed, until you have a star in the center. Use a bit of florist's wire to secure the ends in place.

Finally, tie off a short length of florist's wire to the top of the wreath, so you can hang it on your wall or door.

Lammas Rebirth Incense

By the time Lammas rolls around, it's usually pretty hot. In some parts of the world, gardens are beginning to dry out, and the earth has gone from soft and pliable to dry and cracked. If you haven't harvested your herbs yet for drying, now is a good time to start doing so-in other words, pick them before they die on their own. Any fresh herb can be dried simply by picking it and tying it up in small bundles in a well-ventilated area. Once they are completely dry store them in airtight jars in a dark place.

To make your own magical Lammas incense, first determine what form you'd like to make. You can make incense with sticks and in cones, but the easiest kind uses loose ingredients, which are then burned on top of a charcoal disc or tossed into a fire. This recipe is for loose incense, but you can adapt it for stick or cone recipes.

As you mix and blend your incense, focus on the intent of your work. In this particular recipe, we're creating an incense to use during a Lammas rite-it's a time to celebrate the beginning of the harvest. We're thankful for the foods we've grown, and for the bounty of the earth, and the knowledge that we'll have enough to eat through the coming winter months.

You'll need:

1 part basil

1/2 part cinnamon bark

1 part coriander

2 parts goldenrod

1 part heather

1/2 part rosemary

2 parts Sweet Annie (you can use dried apple blossoms if you don't have Sweet Annie)

1 part yarrow

Add your ingredients to your mixing bowl one at a time. Measure carefully, and if the leaves or blossoms need to be crushed, use your mortar and pestle to do so. As you blend the herbs together, state your intent. You may find it helpful to charge your incense with an incantation, such as:

We're thankful this day for the gift of rebirth,
Fruits and vegetables, the bounty of earth.
For the Harvest Mother with her basket and scythe,
Abundance and fertility, and the blessings of life.
We're grateful for the gifts we carry within
And for what will become, and what has been.
A new day begins, and life circles round,
As grain is harvested from the fertile ground.
Blessings to the earth and to the gods from me,
As I will this Lammas, so it shall be.

Store your incense in a tightly sealed jar. Make sure you label it with its intent and name, as well as the date you created it. Use within three months, so that it remains charged and fresh.

Cornhusk Chain

If you're having a cookout and planning on eating corn on the cob, this is a great craft for using all those leftover corn husks. The fresh ones work best, but dried ones can be used if you soak them in water for ten or fifteen minutes and then pat them dry with paper towels. Separate the husks lengthwise into strips about one inch wide. They should tear easily on their own. Form the first strip into a circle and staple or glue it closed.

Take the second strip, loop it through the first, and staple (this is just like those paper chains you made in school when you were a child). Repeat until all the strips of husk have been added to the chain. Once you've completed your chain, there are a number of things you can do with it.

As it dries, the husks will shrink and fade from green to tan, but it will still make a great Lammas decoration!

Make a Berry Bracelet

In some counties in Ireland, it became traditional to celebrate Bilberry Sunday at the beginning of August. Everyone went out with buckets to gather berries, and it was custom that a big berry harvest in August meant the rest of the crops would be bountiful a few weeks later. Berry-picking was also an excuse to sneak off into the woods with a lover. Young men plaited fruit and vines into bracelets and crowns for their ladies.

Afterwards, the best berries were eaten at a big fair, complete with singing, dancing, and general merrymaking.

You can make a berry bracelet easily, if you can find firm berries that still have stalks attached to them. Ideally, if you can pick them right before you begin this project, you'll get a really nice result. It also helps if you pick berries that aren't super-juicy, or whoever wears the bracelet is going to end up with berry juice all over them.

You'll need:

Thread the needle with the cotton thread. Run the needle through the stalks of the berries to make a bracelet. If you have other items handy, like seeds or nuts, feel free to add those into the mix as well. Give them to a loved one to wear as a Lammas token.

Make a Rain Barrel

For many Pagans, an important aspect of the spiritual journey is reverence and respect for the earth and all its resources. Part of this respect for the planet often includes conservation of the resources we use regularly.

By the time Lammas, or Lughnasadh, rolls around, summer is in full swing. Many areas are forced into water rationing, some face drought every year, and the crops in our gardens are beginning to look a bit brown and parched. By making a rain barrel, you can gather rain all year long, and then use it during the dry season to water your garden, wash your car, or even bathe your dog. This works best if your house has a downspout running out of a gutter, but you can still make a rain barrel if you don't have a spout-it will just take longer to fill the barrel.

Rain barrels are available commercially from many home improvement stores. However, they typically cost between $150 to $200. Here's how to make a rain barrel of your own for just the cost of supplies-and if you're thrifty, you can do it for less than $20.

Gather Your Supplies

To make a rain barrel, you'll need the following:

A plastic, food grade 50-gallon barrel. You can usually find these in the classified ads.

3/4" C-PVC fittings - basically, you'll need a piece to run down out of the barrel, a 90-degree elbow, a length of straight pipe about 6" long, and t-connector with a spigot on top*

Clear PVC glue

1 3/4" brass hose fitting

Connect Your Fittings

The top of your barrel, which should have at least one removable cap, is actually going to be the bottom. That means that after you put it together, you're going to flip it over, so think of the barrel as being upside down while you're working.

Attach all your fittings together so that you have a drop of about two inches out of the bottom (which is really the top), a 90-degree turn, and then a straight length of pipe that comes out beyond the rim of the barrel. Be sure to use PVC glue so that everything stays together permanently.

Invert The Barrel

Connect the top threaded piece of pipe into the removable cap-it should have a threaded center so you can screw in a piece of 3/4" pipe with no trouble at all.

Flip the barrel over so that the pipe is now coming out at the bottom, as shown. You'll need to place your barrel on an elevated stand, because gravity is your friend-the water has to be able to flow downwards to get out of the barrel. You can use cinder blocks, or even build a table out of scrap lumber. Be sure that whatever you use is sturdy - a full 50-gallon barrel can weigh 400 pounds!

Make a Hole for Your Water Source

If you're using a downspout gutter as your water source, this part is really easy. Simply cut a hole in the top of the barrel (which used to be the bottom) large enough for you to insert your house's rain spout through.

If you don't have a downspout, and you want to simply catch rain in the barrel, you can still do this. Cut away the top of the barrel using a saw. Place a section of sturdy screen over the top of the opening, and then staple in place. You may wish to cut a frame out of the top piece that you cut off, and place that over the screen to keep it in place. The screen will keep bugs and leaves from getting into your water, but still allow rain to collect. Ideally, the downspout is the best collection method, because all the rain that runs down your roof will end up in your barrel.

The Finishing Touches

Finally, drill a small hole near the top of the barrel. This will be in case of overflow-it will prevent excess water from sloshing out the back of the barrel where the downspout is, which is right by your house wall. Attach a brass hose fitting at the end of the PVC pipe. When you're ready to use water out of the barrel, simply attach your hose, turn the spigot, and start spraying. If you don't like the idea of a plain barrel sitting in your yard, you can decorate it with designs and fun symbols.

Note: Some people create multiple barrels, and then connect them all together using fittings beneath the stands. This method works well if you have a lot of space. Most people can get by with one or two barrels.

Make a Corn Doll

In one of her many aspects, Brighid is known as the bride. She is a symbol of fertility and good fortune, and is seen as yet one more step in the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Traditionally, the Brighid doll is made of woven grain such as oats or wheat. This version, however, uses corn husks.

If you make a doll at Lughnasadh, you can re-use it in six months, dressing it up in spring colors for Imbolc. This way, the Harvest Mother becomes the Spring Bride. Some traditions, however, prefer not to re-use their harvest doll, and instead choose to start fresh and new in the spring. Either way is fine.

To make this simple doll, you'll need some corn husks-and clearly, in January or February, you probably won't be able to find a lot of those growing outside. Check your grocery store's produce section to get husks. If you're using dried-out husks, soak them for a couple of hours to soften them up (fresh husks need no special preparation). You'll also need some yarn or ribbon, and a few cotton balls.

Take a strip of the husk, and fold it in half. Place two or three cotton balls in the middle, and then twist the husk, tying it with string to make a head. Leave a bit of husk in the front and back, below the head, to create a torso. Make a pair of arms for your doll by folding a couple of husks in half, and then tying it at the ends to make hands. Slip the arms between the husks that form the torso, and tie off at the waist. If you like your dolls plump, slide an extra cotton ball or two in there to give your Brighid a bit of shape.

Arrange a few more husks, upside down, around the doll's waist. Overlap them slightly, and then tie them in place with yarn-it should look like she has her skirt up over her face. After you've tied the waist, carefully fold the husks down, so now her skirt comes downwards, towards where her feet would be. Trim the hem of the skirt so it's even, and let your doll completely dry.

Once your doll has dried, you can leave her plain or give her a face and some hair (use soft yarn). Some people go all out decorating their bride doll-you can add clothing, an apron, beadwork, whatever your imagination can create.

Place your Brighid in a place of honor in your home for Imbolc, near your hearth or in the kitchen if possible. By inviting her into your home, you are welcoming Brighid and all the fertility and abundance she may bring with her.

Make Your Own Smudge Sticks

Smudging is a great way to cleanse a sacred space, and most people use smudge sticks made of sweetgrass or sage for this purpose. Although they are available commercially-and are fairly inexpensive-it's easy to make your own if you've got herbs growing in your garden, or if there's a place nearby where you can go wildcrafting.

Scissors or garden clippers

Cotton string

Plants such as sage, mugwort, rosemary, lavender, or juniper

Cut off pieces of the plants in lengths about 6 - 10 inches long. For more leafy plants, you can make the pieces shorter, but you may want to use a longer piece for a plant that has fewer leaves.

Bundle Your Herbs

Cut a length of string about five feet long. Put several branches together so that the cut ends are all together, and the leafy ends are all together. Wind the string tightly around the stems of the bundle, leaving two inches of loose string where you began. You can use any kind of herbs you like.

Although the use of wrapped smudge sticks is generally attributed to Native American cultures and practices, the burning of fragrant herbs in a ritual context is found in numerous societies throughout history. Herbs were burned in ancient Egypt, and the practice is recorded and documented in a tablet inscription that has been dated back to 1500 b.c.e. Many eastern spiritual systems, including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Shinto, utilize burning herbs-either loose or as compacted incense-in ritual practice. For the ancient Greeks, smudging was included in rituals to contact the dead, and often was used in tandem with ritual fasting.

Wrap the remaining length of string around the base of the branches several times to secure it. Then, gradually, work your way along the length of branches until you reach the leafy end. Return the string back up to the stems, creating a bit of a criss-cross pattern. You'll want to wind the string tightly enough that nothing gets loose, but not so tight that it cuts off pieces of the plants.

When you get back to the stems, tie the remainder of the string to the 2" loose piece you left at the beginning. Trim off any excess pieces so that the ends of your smudge stick are even.

Dry Your Smudge Sticks

Place the bundle outside or hang it up for drying. Depending on what type of herb you used, and how humid your weather is, it may take a couple of days or as much as a week to dry out. Once your smudge sticks have dried completely, you can store them in a bag or box in a dark cabinet until it's time to use them and then burn them in ritual for smudging simply by lighting one end.

Safety tip: Some plants may have toxic fumes. Do not burn a plant unless you know it is safe to do so.

Corn Husk Herbal Sachet

During the late summer, particularly around the Lammas season, corn is in abundance. It's everywhere, and if you've ever picked fresh corn straight from the fields, you know how delicious it tastes! When you pick your own corn - or even if you buy it from your local farmer's market-you typically have to figure out what to do with all those leftover husks. You can use them to make a corn dolly or a husk chain if you like. Another great way to use them is by making corn husk herb sachets.

You'll Need

Several corn husks

Dried herbs of your choice

A hot glue gun

Not sure which herbs to use? Check out our list of Herbal Correspondences.

Weave the Husks

Trim the ends off the husks, and cut them into strips-about 1/2" - 3/4" in width is the most manageable size. Weave several strips together in a grid. Once you've created a square, use your hot glue gun to anchor the stray edges into place, so you have a nice even edge.

Add Your Herbs

Fold the square in half and glue the short sides together, creating a small pocket. Fill the pouch with herbs of your choice, and then hot glue the long open edge closed. To give your sachet some magical mojo, select herbs based upon purpose and intent:

Healing: Apple blossom, lavender, fennel, chamomile, sandalwood, wintergreen, peppermint

Money/prosperity: Bay leaf, basil, chamomile, Buckeye, myrtle, apple, sunflower, pennyroyal

Love: Allspice, apple blossom, catnip, lavender, clove, yarrow, marjoram, basil.

Strength: Oak, acorns, bay leaf, thistle, yarrow.

Once your glue has dried you can place these sachets around your house or in your drawers. The corn husks will dry naturally, and you'll be left with scented woven packets. If you like, decorate them with a pretty ribbon, some berries, or other seasonal items.

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Craft Projects for the Pagan Lammas Celebration

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Celebrate Lammas, or Lughnasadh, the first Pagan harvest sabbat, with these fun and easy craft projects to honor the season.

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For children: 'Treedogs, Banshee Fingers'

For adults: '32 Words for Field'

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Manchán Magan, writer, television presenter & Gaeilgeoir. Ireland

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Open Your Eyes to the Wonders of Irish Nature (What Can You See)!

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Discover the magic of nature right on your doorstep, from the back garden to the local park and the countryside.

This breathtakingly exciting book introduces you to Ireland's flora and fauna with every changing season.

Even the smallest garden is a vast canvas of nature with its worms, insects, flowers and birds. Listen to the blackbird's song , find an madra rua in your local town, discover why the ash tree is good for making hurleys, count a snail's 27,000 teeth, watch stags fight and spot jellyfish at the seaside, laughing as you discover the meaning of their Irish name, smugairle róin!

With stunning and detailed art Naturama will entrance any child or adult world with an interest in nature. So put your boots on - it's time to go outside!

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Naturama: Open Your Eyes to the Wonders of Irish Nature (What Can You See)

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Naturama: Open Your Eyes to the Wonders of Irish Nature (What Can You See) : Michael Fewer, Melissa Doran: Amazon.co.uk: Fashion

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Environmental and sustainability-themed workshops for schools.

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Sue has an imaginative and interactive approach to teaching students about sustainability and she has achieved a lot in a short space of time. The students were engaged throughout the module and benefited hugely from it. Sue was always positive and enthusiastic and built a good repore with students.

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School Workshops Workshops can be run as a standalone class to coincide with a curriculum topic, as part of 'Green Week' or as a full course on

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Free ID guides and posters (as Gaeilge freisin).

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Inspiring Children, Protecting Nature - Ireland's leading biodiversity youth training organisation. Nature Conservation for Kids - Caomhnú an dúlra do pháistí in Éirinn - Biodiversity Projects, Resources and Workshops for Schools across Ireland.

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Free assemblies and ID guides for schools (adaptable to the Irish curriculum).

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Credit: Michael Heffernan / WTML

Why take learning outside?

Outdoor learning has so many benefits, both for individuals and your class as a whole. It improves team working, problem solving, communication and self-esteem. It boosts physical and mental health. And it's a brilliant way to encourage a lifelong love of trees and nature.

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Outdoor Learning Resources For Schools - Woodland Trust

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Credit: Michael Heffernan / WTML Why take learning outside? Outdoor learning has so many benefits, both for individuals and your class as a whole. It improves team working, problem solving, communication and self-esteem. It boosts physical and mental health. And it's a brilliant way to encourage a lifelong love of trees and nature.

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Free webinars on Outdoor Learning (how to introduce it to your school)

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National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA)

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Watch NCCA’s webinars on outdoor learning in the primary school.

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Free resources, checklists & downloadables (as Gaeilge freisin)

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Educational Resources - Leave No Trace Ireland

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Whether you're new to Leave No Trace, or are researching a specific topic, the guides in these sections are to help everyone practice responsible outdoor recreation. Click on any of the images to see the full range of resources for each topic.

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5 free modules and 2 online trainings w/Marina Robb.

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Our foundational online training is designed for teachers and teaching assistants who would like to run Forest School activities with their groups.

It is also perfect for Forest School practitioners and other youth leaders who want lifetime access to inspiring activities with step by step instructions.

The course has 8 modules with 87 video lessons and 15 downloadable resources, including Risk and Benefits Assessments for each module.

It's full of tried and tested activities and games that make learning through nature fun, with activities for early years, primary and secondary children.

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Our foundational online training is designed for teachers and teaching assistants who would like to run Forest School activities with their groups. It is also perfect for Forest School practitioners and other youth leaders who want lifetime access to inspiring activities with step by step instructions.

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Curriculum-linked resources and downloadable lessons for outdoor education

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To get the best possible experience using our website we recommend that you upgrade to a newer version or other web browser.
Upgrade your browser now

What you need...

To register for a Scoilnet Account you will need to have a Teaching Council number and a roll number for your school in Ireland.

If you already have a Scoilnet Account then you can sign in here.

The benefits...

A Scoilnet account will allow you to upload your resources or weblinks to Scoilnet as well as enabling you to share and add resources to a favourites listing. Users who have a Scoilnet Account will also be able to fully access Scoilnet Maps and Census@School from home.

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To get the best possible experience using our website we recommend that you upgrade to a newer version or other web browser. Upgrade your browser now To register for a Scoilnet Account you will need to have a Teaching Council number and a roll number for your school in Ireland.

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I'll be honest: just the thought of spending the summer in non-stop mom mode has me firing up my espresso machine. I am exhausted. After a hefty school year, it only feels right to simplify things a little bit this summer.

With two kids underfoot, I have leaned hard on screen time, a swing set, and a ridiculously enormous bounce house in an effort to diffuse seemingly boundless energy. But there's something to be said for embracing the slow and simple-and the dog days of summer were made for doing just that.

To that end, I am hoping to fill our summer days with creativity and fun, nudging my little ones to flex their imaginations and explore in the great outdoors. To make that happen, I have compiled a list of 18 nature crafts for outdoor-loving kids-all simple things you can do with a little creativity and stuff your kids can source right in your own backyard.

18 Nature Crafts Your Kids Will Love

Invite feathered friends into your backyard with this easy homemade bird feeder. Children can do most of the work here with some help from an adult for the final assembling. Hang this one near a window to encourage your kids to get acquainted with the birds as they feast.

Encourage your child's inner artist to take over with this simple yet highly-imaginative craft. With only a few backyard supplies, your little one will be creating their own fairy figures in no time. The best part? Each one is bound to be unique.

In my house, it may as well always be Valentine's Day for the amount of heart-shaped crafting perpetually taking place. This project is an easy way to get your child totally invested in their artwork-and leave them with something adorable to display in the end.

This craft doubles as a minimalist garland and an easy activity to boost developing motor skills. Set your little one loose in the yard to collect twigs and an assortment of leaves. Add some twine, and you're well on your way to watching your child dive into this beginner sewing lesson.

My kids have managed to make wands out of practically everything like bottle brushes, rulers, and spatulas. So, I'm confident that tasking them with creating their own sequined and sparkling wands with some outdoor supplies will be high on their summer to-do lists.

A craft that can double as a simple and friendly competition is the kind of craft we like! Little ones will love making and then racing their DIY rafts for a full afternoon of fun. Bonus: this is a great STEM craft.

With a little adult supervision and guidance (OK, maybe a lot), kids can make these pretty magnets with just a few ingredients and flowers collected in your yard or around your neighborhood. The result is a lovely (and practical!) summer keepsake your family will enjoy and (actually) use.

Remember Pet Rocks?! Simply collect a few rocks, use Googly eyes and paint to decorate, and then glue these little cuties into mini Terracotta pots and you've got a set of adorable pals to hang out with at home all summer long.

I can't be the only one who has a little kiddo in their life that goes a little cuckoo (or should I say, hoo-hoo) for owls. That's why I was so excited to find these adorable pinecone owls-not only are they adorable and fun to make, I think they would make a great Christmas ornament as well!

Some of the most fun nature crafts for kids-and crafts in general-involve getting creative with paint. Follow these instructions for adorable leaf paintings they'll be so proud of.

When I was little, my grandma taught me that we could press flowers and save them by putting them in the pages of a big book. This craft takes that simply lovely idea a step further. This is guaranteed to be an art project you want to put on display.

Help the kiddos make their own bird feeders with these easy-to-follow instructions. They'll love being able to design it however they want, and be excited every time they see a new flying friend use it.

This is one of our favorite nature crafts because kids basically get to go on a treasure hunt before putting together all of their findings. The possibilities with this one are truly endless.

When I was little, I thought dragonflies were fascinating and beautiful. Needless to say, I would've loved this craft, and I know lots of little ones will too. They'll have their very own dragonfly to put on display when they're done.

We can't think of a single thing better than a craft that doubles as a game. Not only will kids love crafting this Tic Tac Toe set out of rocks, but they'll want to play with it again and again.

Nothing says 'summer' like a DIY science experiment. All this one takes is a few white daisies, some mason jars, water, and food coloring. Kiddos will be amazed at how the coloring in the water actually changes the hues of the flowers.

Any little ones who enjoy helping out in the garden will love making these labels. With just popsicle sticks and some paint, they'll be able to make garden markers for all the fruits, veggies, and flowers.

Kiddos who love science will enjoy making these nature sensory bottles out of items found in the yard. All you need are some empty water bottles and whatever can be found in the great outdoors.

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18 Crafts Nature-Loving Kids Can Do in the Backyard

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We gathered 18 nature crafts for kids-all simple things you can do with a little creativity and items sourced right in your own backyard.

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Story: History of the Rag tree, Fairy tree, Money tree

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Story: History of the Rag tree, Fairy tree, Money tree

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In Ireland, fairy beliefs have been intertwined with the natural world for centuries. Trees, in particular the hawthorn, have played a significant role in Irish fairy folklore and tradition. The hawthorn tree, a small deciduous tree native to Ireland, has been known for its medicinal properties and has been used in folk medicine for centuries. Despite this, it is also associated with superstitions and beliefs that have been passed down through generations. In this article, we will explore the role of the hawthorn tree in Irish fairy beliefs, its properties, and the superstitions and beliefs that have surrounded it for centuries.

Farmers and landowners have long avoided disturbing these forts, as well as other ancient sites such as Neolithic tombs, stone circles, and standing stones, due to the belief that they are sacred and associated with fairy activity. Folklore has played a significant role in protecting these monuments and trees, including the sacred hawthorn trees which are believed to be associated with supernatural forces and bad luck if damaged or removed.

The Hawthorn Tree:
Traditions, Superstitions, and Properties

The hawthorn tree is a common sight throughout Ireland and has long been revered in Irish folklore and tradition. Its prickly thorns made it useful for hedging to contain livestock, and it was often brought into gardens during springtime to decorate "May bushes" with eggshells and flowers. Children would snack on the new leaves that appeared in spring, which were known colloquially as "bread and cheese".

Anything associated with faery activity in Ireland was traditionally avoided by the people, who used many rituals to appease them. These trees that grew of their own accord, unplanted by human hands, were those most associated with faery activity. The hawthorn tree was particularly associated with the fairies and was regarded as a tree to be avoided, particularly at night.

Despite its association with superstition and belief in fairies, it also has a number of positive superstitions associated with it, such as the belief that the tree could bestow healing or blessings on those who asked for its favour. As we will see below, the hawthorn 'rag tree' has long been revered among the Irish as a tree with healing properties. They will most often be found close to the healing holy wells that were first known and used by the druids. In modern times, the hawthorn tree has been known for its medicinal properties for centuries. Research in the field has confirmed that hawthorn can be used to improve heart health by reducing blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It has also been used to improve circulation and as a natural diuretic in Chinese medicine.

An Old Irish Tradition:
Tying Rags on the Rag Tree for Blessings from the Fairies

The hawthorn tree is a common sight throughout Ireland and has long been revered in Irish folklore and tradition. Its prickly thorns made it useful for hedging to contain livestock, and it was often brought into gardens during springtime to decorate "May bushes" with eggshells and flowers. Children would snack on the new leaves that appeared in spring, which were known colloquially as "bread and cheese".

Rag trees are often hawthorns that have been decorated with rags or cloths as part of a custom in Ireland and Scotland. The practice involves tying a rag to a branch of the tree while making a wish, usually for healing, good luck, or protection. The belief is that as the rag disintegrates, so too will the ailment or worry that it represents. Rag trees are seen as a way of connecting with the land and with the spirits of the natural world. The practice is also popular among those who follow Pagan or Celtic spiritual traditions, as well as among some members of the Irish Traveller community.

The hawthorn is also associated with Christian holy wells, where offerings are sometimes tied to the trees. Today, rag trees can be found throughout Ireland and Scotland, often near holy wells or other sacred sites. They are a tangible link to the ancient customs and beliefs of the Irish and Scottish people, and a reminder of the close relationship between the people and the natural world.

In pre-Christian times, they were used to mark sacred sites and were associated with nature spirits and fertility. However, rag trees have a long history in Irish folklore, and their use predates Christianity.

The importance of the hawthorn tree to Irish folklore and tradition was demonstrated in 1999, during the construction of a new motorway in County Clare. The proposed route would have meant the destruction of a hawthorn tree that was believed to be sacred to the fairies. The tree was situated on a "fairy path," a route that the faeries were said to travel along.

Renowned Irish storyteller and seanchaí, Eddie Lenihan, became involved in the campaign to save the tree. Lenihan learned from a local farmer that the tree had a long-established history with the faeries and that "lumps of green stuff" had been spotted on the hedge, indicating recent fairy battles. He warned that tragedy would strike if any disruption to the faeries were to take place.

Lenihan's letter to the Irish Times was published and made its way into the New York Times, sparking an international frenzy surrounding the superstitions of the Irish people. Major news outlets such as CNN, the BBC, and French, and Swedish media all began to report on the story. The tree ultimately remained standing and became a comical tourist attraction, with people coming from far and wide to rub shoulders with some good old Irish superstition. The campaign to save the sacred hawthorn tree was a powerful demonstration of the deep respect and reverence that the Irish people have for their natural and cultural heritage.

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Centuries Beneath the Rag Tree | Discover How the Irish 'Fairy Tree' Still Invokes Superstition, Reverance, and Healing - The Brehon Academy

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Discover the rich tapestry of Irish folklore and tradition surrounding the Hawthorn tree and Fairy Trees. Learn about the medicinal properties, superstitions, and beliefs associated with these sacred trees, as well as the customs and practices of tying rags to the trees for good luck.

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Printable: Free nature journal template (Suitable for 8 years +)

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Printable: Free nature journal template (Suitable for 8 years +)

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Learn how to start a nature journal with your kids using the help of this guide.

It includes ideas on how to start nature journaling, what to include in your nature journal, and free printable prompts to get you and your family started.

Creating a journal is the perfect excuse to get outdoors with your kids a few times a week and enjoy nature's health benefits. All this while helping your children develop their science, writing, and art skills.

Let's get outside!

Contents
1. What is Nature Journaling 2. Why Keeping a Nature Journal With Children 3. How to Start a Nature Journal With Your Kids 4. Printable Nature Journal for Kids 5. Nature Journal Prompts
What is Nature Journaling

Nature Journaling is a creative way to explore nature and record all the wonderful things that we discover.

It can be a fun family activity to develop strong bonds with your children. It is ideal for them because they already have a natural curiosity and a desire to figure things out.

A nature journal is also a place to write, draw, or paint our ideas, feelings, and experiences. It can be a great place to store findings and pictures as well!

So, you might be wondering where do we start?

It's pretty simple. Like Gary Snyder once said:

"Nature is not a place to visit. It is home."

You don't need to go camping or visit the jungle to start a journal.

All you have to do is take a look at your own backyard, go for a walk around your town, visit a local park, or simply read a book.

What matters is that you enjoy the natural world and pay close attention to all its amazing details.

Why Keeping a Nature Journal With Children

Parents and teachers can use a nature journal to help kids develop deeper relationships with nature, appreciate the wildlife, and grow their conservationist mindset.

Also, as a family activity, journaling can help you grow closer with your children and create memories that you'll treasure for years to come.

But that's not all!

Letting your children keep a nature journal has cognitive and emotional benefits. Here is a short list to name a few:

Nature Journals Reinforce Observational Skills

Keeping a nature journal requires taking a deeper look at our surroundings.

Writing about a particular plant or drawing an unusual animal demands noticing all the little details that we might not have distinguished otherwise.

It also encourages us to use all our five senses to identify particular characteristics.

Nature Journals Help Develop Creativity

Starting a nature journal is the perfect excuse to draw or paint on a regular basis. And since there are no limitations, kids can freely develop their own artistic styles.

Nature Journaling Is A Multi-Disciplinary Activity

Besides exploring visual arts, nature journals allow kids to develop their science, math, and literacy skills.

When they find something unknown on a nature walk, they may want to learn what it is exactly.

You can help them by asking questions to reinforce their descriptive and scientific language.

These questions don't need to be elaborate; they should just give them an idea of what to start looking for.

How does it look like? How does it smell like? Is it a living thing? are great questions to begin with.

Encourage them to write their answers down, make a drawing, or both.

Then, you can count how many of that object can you find, or how many legs/spots/eyes does it have.

You can also talk about its shape, size, and symmetry. You will be reinforcing their mathematical understanding without them knowing.

Finally, if your kids are really interested in a topic and want to know more about it, you can go home and do some research on books and websites. This way, you are encouraging research-based learning while improving their vocabulary and spelling.

Nature Journals Encourage Physical Activity

Let's not forget that journaling gets you in the habit of going outside, which will bring great benefits to your family's health.

Nature Journals Teach Us To Be Thankful

Last, but not least, nature journaling helps us be grateful for all the things in our surroundings.

From a little ant to a giant tree, you will learn to appreciate everything on our diverse planet.

How to Start a Nature Journal With Your Kids

The best part of starting a nature journal is that there are no rules!

Your kids can simply pick an empty notebook and start filling it with all their findings and ideas.

If they like writing, they can register how they feel in nature, record the weather conditions, describe the settings, compose a song, or even write a novel.

If they prefer exploring their creativity, they can draw sketches, make collages, paint, or collect items.

The most important part is that you focus on the process rather than the end results.

Talk about what they have learned about the plants, animals, and landscapes they have been researching.

And don't forget to provide your children with all the materials needed to start journaling. Some pencils, colors, crayons, erasers, sharpeners, binoculars, and a camera can come in handy.

Printable Nature Journal for Kids

If you are still not sure how to help your kids start their nature journal, download this free printable template that includes creative prompts and activities for them to complete.

Print the pages double-sided on to three white cardstocks and fold them in half.

If you are going to fill the journal while going on a hike, bring a sturdy surface like a clipboard.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE NATURE JOURNAL
Let's take a look at what activities are included in this printable journal!

The first page is Nature and Me.

Here, kids are prompt to write or draw the answers to some questions such as:

What is your favorite place to visit in nature? Why?

What do you like to bring when exploring nature?

Go on a walk. What do you see? What can you hear?

Then, we have The ABCs of Nature.

In this activity, kids have to choose a letter and find items in nature that begin with it.

They can draw one or multiple items, write them down, or make lists. Let them do what they are most comfortable with.

They can find the items by just thinking of them or by going on a walk with you.

Some letters, like U, X, and Y, are more difficult than others. You can help your children find the items by searching online or reading books.

Next, we have a Let's Explore Nature prompt that encourages kids to get outdoors, find, count, and draw different plants and animals.

After that, you can find Nature's Other Half, an activity that promotes research-based learning.

It combines both art and science by requiring your kids to draw the missing parts of an apple, a flower, and a butterfly; and then label their parts.

On the next page, I also included a writing prompt where kids have to create a Nature Poem.

Finally, your children will have to make their own Nature Stamps.

For this, they will have to get outside and collect leaves, flowers, and seeds. Then, they have to cover their findings with watercolors, acrylics, or tempera paint and press them into their journal.

Nature Journal Prompts

So, what's next?

If your children enjoyed our Printable Nature Journal, now they can start a brand new one from scratch.

Remember that they can fill it however they want, either repeat activities from the previous journal or try new ideas.

Here are a few Creative Prompts:

Pencil drawings

Watercolor paintings

Notes on colors, sizes, patterns, and shapes

Photographs of plants and animals

Pressed flowers and leaves

Poems they have written.

Quotes they have read.

Little bags with seeds they have discovered.

Lists of flowers, birds, or insects they have found

Lists of books they want to read

Comparison charts

Cuttings from magazines

You can also encourage your kids to write more in their journal with these Nature Writing Prompts:

What is your favorite time of the year?

Imagine you are a falling leave. Where would you travel?

Write a story about life with no nature.

What part of nature are you most grateful for?

Why is taking care of the Earth important?

Imagine plants could be able to talk. What would you ask them?

Write a story about an animal rescue from the perspective of the animal.

Download the Printable Nature Journal Template!

Ready to get started journaling?

Click the link below to download the free printable Nature Journal and start this new adventure with your kids.

Don't leave without this free printable!
GET THE PRINTABLE NATURE JOURNAL FOR KIDS *Please remember that these printables are for personal use only. You may not sell, share, or link directly to the files. Instead, link to this post.
More Activities to Explore the Nature with your Kids

DIY Nature Journal for Kids

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Printable Nature Journal: Fun Fall Activity for Kids

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Learn how to start a nature journal with your kids using the help of this guide. It includes ideas on how to start nature journaling, what to include in your nature journal, and free printable prompts to get you and your family started.

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Bank of outdoor activities for preschoolers: 

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Bank of outdoor activities for preschoolers: 

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Outdoor learning ideas | Learning through Landscapes

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Hundreds of free lesson ideas and activities for every age and subject area — ideal for curriculum-led outdoor learning and Forest School.

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Guide: Website for 5 everyday medicinal plants w/ recipes.

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Guide: Website for 5 everyday medicinal plants w/ recipes.

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Guide: Plant identification & facts (nettles)

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Guide: Plant identification & facts (nettles)

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In our folklore there are many uses for Nettle.
'To cure a sting of a nettle, place a dock leaf over sore part for a few minutes and it will be well''The water of boiled nettles if drank will cure anyone suffering from worms'** 'Cure for dropsy. It is said if a person went to a graveyard and plucked a bunch of nettles that would be growing there and boiled them and give the water to drink to a person that had dropsy if would cure him' *** * '3 doses of nettles in the month of April will prevent any disease for the rest of the year' ***** * NFC 107.341 From Co Wexford
** NFC 782:359 From Co Kerry
*** NFC 782:362 From Co Kerry
**** NFCS 454:333 From Co Kerry
***** NFCS 4555:226 From Co Kerry
'For rheumatics a bed strewn with nettles'****

All from the National Folklore Collection, University College Dublin.
'Nettles may be found by feeling for them in the darkest night'.
17 th century herbalist and apothecary, Nicholas Culpeper is reputed to have said:

They are recognised as being a rich source of vitamin C and contain more iron than spinach. Indeed they make a very tasty soup but it is essential to pick them where no chemicals or pollution may have affected them and to use only the upper leaves as the lower leaves may contain irritants. Nettles also contain anti-histamines which are helpful to those with allergies and serotonin which is reputed to aid one's feeling of 'well-being'.

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Irish Wildflowers Irish Wild Plants Irish Wild Flora Wildflowers of Ireland

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In our folklore there are many uses for Nettle. 'To cure a sting of a nettle, place a dock leaf over sore part for a few minutes and it will be well' 'The water of boiled nettles if drank will cure anyone suffering from worms'** 'Cure for dropsy.

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Guides: Fun facts about dandelions for kids!

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Guides: Fun facts about dandelions for kids!

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Lesson plans: Dandelion crafts & cookery for older learners

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Lesson plans: Dandelion crafts & cookery for older learners

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Guides: Plant identification & facts (Dandelion)

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Guides: Plant identification & facts (Dandelion)

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Guides: Plant identification & facts(Dandelion)

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Guides: Plant identification & facts(Dandelion)

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Includes dandelion folklore.

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Crafts: Dandelion crafts, games and cooking

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Crafts: Dandelion crafts, games and cooking

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Creative STAR Learning | I'm a teacher, get me OUTSIDE here!

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At this time of year, wildflowers are beginning to bloom, one of the best of which has to be the dandelion. It is a sure sign that the soil is warming up and spring has arrived. So enjoy some playful explorations for all ages.

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Have you ever been curious about how the jungle kings are appointed? Do you know who the king of the Jungle is? Yes, Lion! Well, this story will tell you about one such time when the birds had to appoint their kings! This is the short story on birds with morals that teaches you the power of intelligence and wisdom. Sometimes being physically stronger is not greater than being clever. Read and find out who wins this competition and becomes the king of the birds.

All The Birds Assemble

How Did Little Brown Wren Become King of the Birds?

The birds gathered in the forest and the owl persuaded them, " We need a king, we should have one too. All the other animals have rulers. " Suddenly, all of the birds began to twitter and flap their wings while asking, "But who should it be?" Owl said, "Our smart and clever bird."

Small brown wren chirped and sang a pleasant song, a beautiful peacock extended its feathers, a talking parrot joined in, a sweet nightingale sang a little song, a pecking woodpecker pecked, a raven ruffled his black feathers, and a dove ruffled her white feathers.

Flying High

The eagle stretched up and stared about with his brilliant golden eyes, "but the most important thing was flying high." The highest-flying bird will compete in a race to select who will rule all other birds. The eagle beat his wings.

After much tweeting, it was decided that the race would take place the following day. We are all skilled flyers and singers, but the eagle is so large and powerful that he will prevail, Little Wren was thinking.

Little Wren, though, was unsure whether the biggest was always better. All the birds gathered for the major race the following day. There was a lot of tweeting, hooting, crowing and little wren sang a sad little song quietly to himself.

All the birds lined up on the branch of the biggest tree. The owl got ready to be the starter, "when I say hoot, you all fly up as high as you can",

The owl screeched.

Owl Begins The Race

They all took to the air, flying as high. They flew past the highest point of the trees and up close to the fluffy clouds, but one by one they all came to a stop. Extremely high! Dove shrieked. Raven yelled, " I'm out ."

The Eagle, Still Soaring High but Little Wren Soared Higher

The eagle, still soaring high, was the only bird left. However, the eagle was unaware of his small companion, tightly tucked inside his feathers. Little wren clung on tight. The eagle told everyone, " I am the highest, I am winning! " Then he started getting tired and slowed down. The little wren suddenly emerged and soared even higher. Little wren soared higher as a lot of the birds shouted out to it. "Little wren is the winner, little wren will be the king."

But the bigger birds were furious and were screeching, " The eagle is big and stronger and the highest, little wren tricked him ."

Owl tried to stop the shouting and squawking. "What is better, winning because you are bigger? Or winning because you are cleverer?"

The birds were speechless to that.

Wren Comes Out of The Eagle's Wings

Moral of the Story

The power to rule or the power to dominate should not be decided based on the size or physical strength of the being, but the wisdom and intelligence. It is the intelligence that gets the battle won as seen in the case of the little wren. He was not strong and mighty but used his mind to win the race, so the wiser can take over the physically stronger.

There are various king stories for kids present but little brown wren is the king of the birds is the most interesting story. In this story, the king of birds is found out by all birds. The owl told the birds, and the eagle suggested that they should have a competition to fly Higher. When the competition started and one by one all the birds started giving up, ``I am the highest flyer, I am the winner!" Little wren came out from his hiding place, which was in the middle of the wings of the eagle, somewhere inside the feathers! and flew up even higher. Even then many questions arise related to the fairness of the game and the winner. Then lastly the owl calmed the shouting crowd by asking just a simple question. Who should be the king? The bigger or the wiser? This was the end of this short story on birds with morals .

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Little Brown Wren is the King of the Birds - Interesting Stories for Kids

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Little Brown Wren is the King of the Birds - Click to read one of the best inspirational moral stories for kids. Teach kids moral lesson with the short story

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Preschool/early-primary activities based around the topic of the moon.

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These moon rocket forest school activities are perfect for outdoor learning and play with a space theme.

As I'm a bit (okay, a lot!) of a space nerd, I was really excited when one of my sessions coincided with the Artemis 1 moon mission launch. I wasn't going to be able to stop talking about it anyway, so I made the moon and rockets the theme for the day.

While NASA may not have got off the ground (that time), the sixty children who took part over the course of the day had a little bit more success. We shot straw rockets at a woven vine moon, ate moon-shaped cakes cooked over the fire, painted a moon mural, made leafy aliens and clay moon faces. And we left literally no stone left unturned in our search for life...

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Space and moon rocket forest school activities list

Here is the full list of the activities I made available to the children for this space-themed forest school session. Some are very specific (straw rockets!) to the topic. But others are activities we do regularly, just given a bit of a moon and space spin.

As forest school sessions are child-led, all of these were optional activities or suggestions. The children could use or ignore them as they liked. But this theme really captured their imaginations and even the smallest participants got caught up in our moon rocket adventure!

Other ideas for space and moon rocket forest school activities

Moon, space, and rocket ships are great themes for forest school activity prompts. They allow all sorts of imaginative play, natural world exploration, physical challenges, and scientific observation. Pretty much any standard forest school activity can be given a space twist. I had so many ideas for our session that I wasn't able to do them all this time.

Astronaut Food. Cook up some food and turn it into a meal for astronauts. Use a pestle and mortars/mashers to create a puree. This could also be a (non-edible!) mud kitchen activity.

Footprints on the moon. Make a muddy (or sandy) patch where the children can make their own footprints or write their names on the ground. Just like the astronauts on the moon!

Catapult launcher: build a catapult out of sticks, to launch a pinecone rocket to the moon.

Rocket stick: whittle and/or paint a rocket out of a chunky stick

moon phases flick book: make a moon phases flick book using leaves for your materials.

Moon and space collages made of leaves and other natural materials, inspired by artists such as Andy Goldsworthy.

Weave a sphere to make a moon. Using willow withies, vines or other long, thin, bendy sticks.

Make a twig star.

Make conker comets

Make a rocket hand kite

Here are a few other ideas for you to try:

Moon, Rocket, and Space themed books for story time

In some of my forest school sessions, we'll sit down together and share a story. This time, as we were doing moon forest school activities, we wanted a book with a similar theme.

Obviously there are many, many children's books with stories about the moon, rockets or space - we're really spoilt for choice! Here's just a few that work well for me as forest school books (read aloud in a group). All these story books are short and humorous, with lovely illustrations. These are best suited to nursery and primary-school aged children. But saying that, I've seen quite a few older siblings getting into them at story time as well!

You can't go wrong with an Oliver Jeffers picture book, and this is one of his classics. The simple tale of a boy who finds an aeroplane at the back of a cupboard and takes a quick flight to the moon... but forgets to fill up on fuel first. Luckily for him, an alien boy has crashed his own UFO nearby. Perhaps they can help each other out of their respective pickles...

One of Jill Murphy's great 'Bear Family' books. Whatever Next? is the story of a little bear, determined to go to the moon even though his mother says he can't. With a lot of imagination, perseverance, and inventiveness, he sets off on an adventure. But will it live up to his expectations, and what will his mother say?

Meg on the Moon by Helen Nicol and Jan Pienkowski

Another absolute classic, by two great authors. Who doesn't love Meg and Mog?

Given that a slightly bonkers magic spell is the engineer of their spacecraft, you'd think this would be a complete nonsense from a science point of view. But the story cleverly weaves in elements such as weightlessness and an encounter with astronauts who invite them back to tea in their moon lander. Touching on footprints in the moon dust, moon buggies, gravity, and astronaut food in a tube, this is a great introduction to space travel for little ones.

And of course it's very, very funny at the same time.

Moon and space non-fiction books for children

Alongside story books, I sometimes bring along reference books for the children to look at. This is great if they want some quiet time. These three are among the most engaging and easily accessible books across the nursery through primary school age groups.

The first two books ( Moon and On the Moon) are written in the form of a non-fiction story. While the remaining books in this list are more straightforward 'fact' books. I find that the story form works well for very young children and for encouraging imaginative engagement. But by their nature won't give as much information as the other reference books.

Moon by Patricia Hegarty & Britta Teckentrup

Moon is a beautiful and very forest-schooly picture book, with gentle, rhyming text. I find it works better as a book read together with just one or two children rather than a whole group though.

While cut outs on each page change to show the phases of the moon, this book is entirely focused on the Earth, describing the night-time activities of different creatures around the world.

On the Moon by Anna Milbourne and Benji Davies

On the Moon book is a lovely option for a rocket to the moon theme as it focuses on how astronauts travel to and from the moon, and what they do when they get there. The book begins and ends with a young child dreaming about going to the moon, then takes with us through every step of the journey.

Told in present tense with real-life photos of astronauts cleverly integrated into the illustrations, this one is great for encouraging play and discussion about what it would be like to be an astronaut.

What is the Moon? by Katie Daynes and Marta Alvarez Miguens

What is the Moon? Usborne lift-the-flap book is a very sweet first reference book. Like the others in the series (which includes What are the Stars?), it's full of lovely illustrations and simple facts about the moon, with flaps to lift to reveal additional facts or answers to questions.

The level is definitely pre-school to early primary, but covers everything from what the moon is made of to what images people see when looking at it, to how we got to the moon and what it is like on it's surface.

The Usborne Book of the Moon

A shorter reference book (32 pages) for children up to about six years old, this is nevertheless full of fascinating and amusing facts. The book starts with all the questions that children might have about the moon, and then proceeds to answer them.

There's a little bit about the moon's location, a lot about the myths associated with the moon and the history of humanity's thinking about and studying of the moon. And of course the Apollo moon landings are covered too, with some fun comic-book style spreads describing the Apollo 11 mission.

We love the Professor Astro Cat books - and there are plenty of space-themed titles in the series to choose from. This one is from the set aimed at slightly younger kids (similar to The Usborne Book of the Moon, above), so has slightly simpler layout and text.

For younger children, there are also Astro Kittens titles in the Astro Cat range. Probably the only board books to cover worm holes, the speed of light, and suspended animation.

If you are after one for older children, go for Professor Astro Cat's Frontiers of Space instead. This is a longer book with more detailed information, but the same vibrant and fun style of illustration.

This last title is released in November 2022, and is a beautifully illustrated and engagingly written book that covers all sorts of information about the moon and the NASA moon missions. At 80 pages, this is the same length as the Professor Astro Cat Frontiers of Space book, and is aimed at the same age range of about 7 - 10.

Covering a huge range of moon-related topics, there is a mix of lovely illustrations but also images from NASA and ESA.

Do you have a favourite moon related book? Let me know in the comments below - I'd love to add to this list.

More Forest School activities from Rhubarb and Wren

Looking for more fun things to make and do with the kids? Check out these great forest school activities from Rhubarb and Wren.

Pin these moon rocket forest school activities for later!

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Moon Rocket Forest School Activities - Rhubarb and Wren

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Inspired by Nasa's Artemis 1 moon mission, we've got a whole host of forest school activities for you with a space, moon, and rockets theme.

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Creative STAR Learning | I'm a teacher, get me OUTSIDE here!

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Learning about birds – lots of play and practical challenges.

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Simple dentification guide and vocab pages for learners.

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Creative STAR Learning | I'm a teacher, get me OUTSIDE here!

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"Be careful what you wish for because it may come true"
(Proverb)

Celtic folklore exists about the use of wishing rods which are found tied to beech trees. The beech tree is also known as the tree of wishes. Fallen beech branches are said to be invitations from the wishing fairies. You can write a wish on a branch and stick it into the ground. It will be collected by a fairy and taken to the Fairy Queen for consideration.

In my school grounds, mature beech trees can be found bordering two sides of the boundary fence. It is the one tree species we have. So naturally I was intrigued by this folklore and decided to give it a go with one class.

Alas the activity went a little haywire for various reasons. So the whole thing did not turn out as planned although some children did write their wishes on some sticks. I had hoped to get the children to look for fallen beech sticks as this is a natural starting point. However we ended up using the sample sticks I had brought in.

We used deco acrylic marker pens which work well on many different surfaces.

The next task was to stick the rod into the ground. I decided this would need some thought and attention. I was particularly inspired to do this by my visit last weekend to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

"You cannot simply put something new into a place. You have to absorb what you see around you, what exists on the land, and then use that knowledge along with contemporary thinking to interpret what you see."
Tadao Ando

One child decided to place hers within the school grounds. The others wanted to take their wishing sticks home with them. So we will have to wait and see if any of the wishes come true.

I discovered this folklore and a bit more as a result of one sculpture at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, if you take a walk along Oxley Bank through the ancient woodlands, you come across a very subtle piece of artwork. I would have missed it, had it not been for a sign which told me what was ahead. As you can see in the photo below, it just looks like an ordinary worn woodland path in winter, with a few tree roots sticking out of the surface.

Upon closer examination, the roots look part and parcel of the environment. Like any other beech roots. Except they aren't. These are bronze castings of the roots of a fallen beech tree in the wood which have been placed here, by Hemali Bhuta, an Indian artist with a background in interior design from Mumbai. When you prod them with your foot, you realise something is not quite right.

According to folklore, the roots of beech trees look like snakes, which are a symbol of wisdom and rebirth in Celtic mythology. The photo below makes you realise just how snake-like these roots are. The way the bronze roots have been placed, they also serve as speed brakers, causing passers by to slow down lest they trip.

The video clip below is well worth watching and explains Hemali's reasons for creating this artwork. She wanted a subtle intervention which would catch the eye rather than dominate the landscape. The use of bronze is a reminder of the Bronze Age, traces of which are layered in the earth.

So, if you are passing a beech tree, who knows, perhaps you too can find a fallen stick and make wish too. And slow down as you negotiate their surface lateral roots...

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"Be careful what you wish for because it may come true" (Proverb) Celtic folklore exists about the use of wishing rods which are found tied to beech trees. The beech tree is also known as the tree of wishes. Fallen beech branches are said to be invitations from the wishing fairies.

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Wild Republic BIRD19490 RED... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M4J6CFT?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

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Wild Republic 19490 13 - 16 cm Robin with Real Bird Calls Plush Toy,Brown

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Wild Republic 19490 13-16 cm Robin with Real Bird Calls Plush Toy for 3 years to 18 years,Brown & 19484 13-16 cm Chaffinch with Real Bird Calls Plush Toy : Amazon.co.uk: Toys & Games

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Also available for invertebrates id.

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This is our new Leaf viewer. The viewer now has a total 14 native UK native species etched on the viewer. On the handle there is a handy ruler with a scale of 11cm. The leaf ID is made from 3mm Highest quality Birch plywood and overall length is 24cm. All our products receive a light sanding and finish with a natural mineral oil. We recommend that you use linseed oil every season to keep the plywood sealed from moisture. This is a viewer and not a magnifier. The idea behind the viewer is that it allows your learner to focus on the leaf / object and not their surrounding peripheral vision.
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Leaf Id Lollipop, Personalised Teachers Gift, Birthday Leaving Gift, Forest School, Primary, Eyfs - Etsy UK

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This Learning & School item by Littlelearnersfs has 391 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from United Kingdom. Listed on 14 Mar, 2024

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Really nice for linking with 'Measures' in Maths too.

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Worm Calculator Measurer, Personalised Teachers Gift, Birthday Leaving Gift, Forest School, Primary, Eyfs, Montessori, - Etsy UK

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This Learning & School item by Littlelearnersfs has 204 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from United Kingdom. Listed on 14 Mar, 2024

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TIMESTAMPS: \

00:00 – Welcome & Introduction

01:08 – Song 1 – ‘We’re on our way to Forest School’

02:39 – Lyrics Sheet for Song 1

02:43 – Song 2 – ‘The trees in the wood’ 04:09 – Lyrics Sheet for Song 2

04:14 – Song 3 – ‘Now it’s time to say goodbye’

05:02 – Lyrics Sheet for Song 3

05:29 – Poem

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Early Years Songs for Forest School – 3 Simple Forest School Songs for Early Years

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Nature-themed games to keep warm during the colder months of Forest School!

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Get Moving and Keep Warm – 3 simple games for Forest School

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Book: 'A Year of Forest School' by Jane Worroll & Peter Houghton

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Book: 'A Year of Forest School' by Jane Worroll & Peter Houghton

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Pdf with seasonal ideas for Forest School.