Outdoor Activities

We recently teamed up with our friends at Woodlands TV to create this short film. Using a pruning saw, palm drill, elder and hazel we show you all how to make a simple toy car out of natural materials found in the woods.

The Rowan is a small hardy tree that is also known as the Mountain Ash. In autumn its leaves bring early hues of orange and gold to the lower levels of the forest and on the hillsides. It's one of the first of the UK native trees to produce berries providing food for the birds and the eager forager

In this simple nature craft, we show you how to create a natural picture frame using only sticks, string and some nature finds. The frame can be used for a wide range of things, in this activity we show you how to use it to transform your family walks into a nature connection activity that will boo

Everybody loves making a den in the woods, regardless of age or experience, but sometimes the materials aren't available. In this short film we show you how you can set up a shelter out in the woods with simple string and a cheap garden tarpaulin. As we become more and more accustomed to being out

The Spruce Tree has always been a great companion to humans. It plays a huge part in winter celebrations, always provide shelter and comfort and in the springs the tips of its branches explode with dazzling fluorescent green tips that are beautiful to look at and delicious to eat too. In this acti

This activity gives you a two-in-one beautiful item, as well as letting you discover a weaving technique. This Easter Basket will be ready in time for the Easter egg hunt & can then transform into being a lovely bird feeder for your garden. Working with the weaving technique first in paper, click HE

Making this delicious pesto is something that we look forward to with anticipation each year. It's easy for little hands to help identify, collect, make & eat! We've been quietly waiting for the wild garlic in our garden to shoot up as an aromatic sign of spring (it'll happen), but it seems that a

One familiar site of spring is seeing birds gathering materials to make their nests. This week we have watched robins and sparrows busily gathering sticks, leaves, moss and mud to begin their construction. In this resource we head off into the woods to make some birds nests of our own. Using the st

Working with willow and hazel can be extremely satisfying. The wood is very malleable and an be shaped into a wide range of items. A heart is always a great way to show somebody they are loved and cared for. In this short film we show you how to take some really simple materials and make a lovely

There are many things that we love about winter. Each year we always look forward to the RSPB's Big Garden Bird Watch. We brew some warm coffee and hot chocolate and gather around the window to identify and count the number of birds that come to our garden. However, it's not always easy to attract

This short wood craft film was made in partnership with our friends over at Woodlands TV. If you've watched our other film that teaches how to make a woodland mallet, this is a nice little follow up that helps you develop some new techniques with new tools to help you advance your skills a little

There is such a bounty of delicious treats that can be found in the hedgerows in autumn. Hawthorn Berries are a very nutritious foraged food that has been linked with reducing anxiety. It's important to always prepare Hawes before eating as the stone inside can be very poisonous. In this short fi

Want to find a purposeful way to make use of all that new bramble growth on your site, at the bottom of the garden, along the edge of your overgrown favourite footpath walk, down the side of the garage, along the edges of the park & in the brush of the woodland? Well, this wonderful timeless techniq

A night out camping just isn't the same without a campfire. A campfire is a perfect place to gather for stories or to cook tasty sweet treats together while you look up at the night sky. In this short film, we show you how to safely prepare, build and light a campfire to bring that extra bit of

This activity was inspired by the story The Princesses and the Kingshuk Tree Each year we cycle through four seasons, each one bringing a unique set of changes to the world around us. If we don't slow down and notice these changes they can easily slip by. Setting an intention to notice these chan

This is a wonderful activity to do that results in a beautiful Easter Basket that you can decorate as you wish for the Easter egg hunt & then keep for forthcoming years. When it's lifecycle is complete you can also then recycle it afterwards. Working with the weaving technique first in paper allows

We love to do many things while out in nature, but one of our favourites is hanging out in a hammock. Our hammock is always one of the first pieces of kit we pack for a day outdoors. If you've never used a hammock before, you may be puzzled by a few things, including what a hammock should look like

After listening to the Tree People story (available in our 'Storytelling' section) we headed out into the woods to search for people in the trees. We looked for eyes, a nose, a mouth and sometimes even arms and legs, then we used natural materials to 'bring them to life' and give them new character

The return of spring always stirs a great sense of excitement in us all as we hear the birds singing earlier in the day, witness a new blanket of colour appear on the ground and begin to listen out for the migrating birds to return. For this activity print out the 'signs of spring' spotters sheet

Winter is here and if you don't have the luxury of a campfire outdoors the next best way to keep warm is by running around! Tree tag is a great game to play all year round, it's great fun AND helps us identify trees throughout the seasons. Give it a try with a group or with your friends and family

Birdwatching is brilliant! It's a great way to learn more about the creatures that live in your garden, town or local park. In January we love to take part in one of the biggest citizen science projects in the UK, the RSPB BIG Garden Birdwatch, but you can spot birds all year round. Take the printa

The start of autumn always make us think of trees ablaze with warming colours, the search for conkers and berries, and the sound of squirrels and mice collecting foods for their winter larders. Print off the 'signs of autumn' spotters sheet to take with you on your outings. When you spot one, cro

Elder is a remarkable tree- the branches have a soft pith that runs through the center which gives it unique properties for making craft items. In this short film, made in partnership with Woodlands TV, we show you how to transform a piece of Elder into a fun and functional whistle Make an Elder

While the weather is turning from spring to summer the hawthorn tree blossoms into life. It's also called the May Tree for this reason. In this session we show you how to use those fresh new blossoms to make a simple delicious tea which you can relax and drink while the world carries on around you.

Some people are afraid of nettles as a result of being stung by them as a child, but did you know they are a superfood? By learning more about plants, identifying them, cooking and eating them we develop a deeper connection with them and break the stigma that is unfairly attached to them. These deli

*****PLEASE NOTE- before foraging for wild garlic be sure to know the difference between this delicious plant and the poisonous Lords and Ladies. They sometimes grow together and early in the season the leaves look similar. They smell very different but if you're picking wild garlic your hands could

In this resource, we introduce you to a favourite activity that we often start in the spring but continue through to the end of autumn .What's on your patch is a great way to connect with nature from right outside your own front door. Your patch can be anywhere local; a garden, park, woodland or ev

With spring in the air we are already thinking about camping out or spending a night in the woods. If you have ever had the experience of not being able to get your pegs in the ground during your camp out then we can help, with this video you'll always have a mallet at hand. We use a couple of

During the winter the birds really need our help, especially when it is cold and the ground is frozen. We also love to attract birds to our garden so we can enjoy the therapeutic benefits of watching them in. In this video we show you how to make some bird feeders using all natural materials to ha

This is a fun winter nature activity for all the family and *can be added to by the wider community (*depending on where you make it) in places that have SNOW!!! We have been lucky here in the North of England to have had plenty snow in the past week for plenty of snow creations but many places are