Getting muddy at Forest School…

We have spent some lovely mornings recently at a local Forest School, a really fantastic way to get your children outside and into nature, learning little things along the way and embracing the liberating freedom of muddy hands and hide and seek among the trees.

Of course, you’re still dealing with toddlers, so there was plenty of whining and pleas to go home. And some complaining about the mud and the cold.

But it was a really different, refreshing way to spend a morning. All crowded round the campfire drinking hot tea and listening to Stick Man, it felt very special.

The activities for little ones are simple and manageable – making mud faces on the trees or creating stick men out of twigs and leaves. There’s always a game or two of hide and seek, plenty of time to sit around the campfire and get warm, and lots of opportunities to learn along the way – we’ve spotted seasonal green moss and red spring fungus, and listened to the different birds tweeting in the trees.

We went to the Cotswold Forest School, who run their Woodsprite sessions once a fortnight for 2-4 years, as well as regular workshops for older children. If you’re local you could also try Treecreepers who offer sessions across Gloucestershire, Sladebank Woods and Fireside Forest School – both near Stroud,  or Badger Wood near Cheltenham.

Otherwise head here for a list of all Forest Schools throughout the UK.