DIY Structures in a Swedish Outdoor Nursery
This week I have had the privilege of visiting the Stramash Outdoor Nurseries. All of the nurseries are noticeably good at making do with free and found materials to create structures and resources for, and with, the children. The approach reminded me very much of...Well Dressing in Derbyshire – A Nature Art Custom
Every cloud has a silver lining. As I was unable to travel back home this past weekend, I stayed in the Peak District and savoured the fine weather. From a fellow traveller, I learned about the well dressing custom that is rife in Derbyshire and decided to visit...The Sand Dog Sculpture – No Fakes and Lots of Learning and Play
Back in 2102 I blogged about the sand dog sculpture below. I was genuinely delighted at the ingenuity of the person who was creating a dog from a small bag of sand. In the years that followed I’ve received numerous enquiries from people about whether these dogs...Love Locks and School Leaver Locks
In 2014 I posted about the love locks I came across in Vilnius. I’ve kept this post much as it is and have left it down below. Not long afterwards, whilst working at St James Primary School in Caerphilly, I discovered a lovely twist on this tradition,...Fish Net Art
Since 2009 Inverallochy School has been actively making its school grounds an exciting place to play and learn. They are one of many schools now demonstrating that this is a process and not a product. It’s not about a one-off grant fund application or waiting...Play – A Hidden Phoenix of Christchurch
In April I had the privilege of visiting in New Zealand. Although it was a whistle stop 6 days involving training one day and flying the next, I did pause to catch my breath in Christchurch. I met up with an old friend and children’s citizenship and...Repurpose school books into seed packets
There are many books especially textbooks and non-fiction books which are simply no longer fit for purpose. Some charities, such as Books Abroad, will take unwanted educational texts, but their criteria needs to be checked and only specific books can be donated....The Hobbit House at Highway Farm
When I visited Highway Farm in October, the Hobbit House immediately grabbed my attention. It is a beautiful, bespoke structure. Naturally I had to find out the story behind its existence. At Highway Farm Activity Centre – where there is an out of school club...From the ‘Hood to the Wood – Brother Yusuf Burgess
Earlier this week, thanks to Richard Louv’s blog post on the Children and Nature Network, I learned that one of the most inspiring US outdoor educators, Brother Yusuf Burgess, had unexpectedly passed away on 5th December. He had lived and worked in Albany,...The Biblical Garden
A couple of months ago, I was passing through Elgin and took the opportunity to visit the Biblical Garden, which is the only one of its kind in Scotland. Having never visited before, I was rather intrigued to find out more. They are known for housing some...The Bike Track in School Grounds
I love stumbling across features in school grounds which make me drool. The dirt bike track at Muirfield Primary School in Aberdeen is one of them. It is cool… The community appear to think so too. In the past, most developments in the grounds have been...UN World Environment Day – A Child’s Right to a Better World
Recently, I was presenting at a Kirklees Council conference, I’m a Kid, Get Me Out of Here, which was based at Cliffe House. This council-run outdoor centre is a wonderful place. Aside from a beautiful location, really quirky dormitories with decent beds...Permanent Shelters in School Grounds
All over the UK and beyond there are a wide variety of shelters to be found in school grounds. This post looks at some matters to consider if you are considering a fixed shelter and gives a range of examples which go beyond the standard shelters typically found in...The Art of Woodland Play
Do you ever stumble across interesting play spaces? When went for a walk into the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park nearby Aberfoyle. Scottish Forest has been very busy creating an accessible walk that is just right for a young family to complete in an afternoon....Den Building
What’s your idea of a den? I worked largely in tarmac playgrounds and school grounds which often had few trees suitable for den building. The dens I saw children build tended to be reliant on boxes, lattice tunnels and attached to fences or a line of rope tied...Best in the Show
On Sunday I finally made it to the Turriff Show, which is the biggest 2-day agricultural show in Scotland. This was a wonderful event with lots of ideas, food for thought, and big machinery. I find wandering around such events, gives me good inspiration and an...Free Play Adventures at Broxburn OOSC
You know you are going somewhere good when all you can hear is children laughing and other happy sounds coming out of a woodland. This was my introduction to Broxburn Family Centre’s Out of School Care. For more than a week of the Easter holidays, they have...Keeping Parents Informed About Outdoor Learning
I often get asked about how parents will view learning outdoors There is no short answer to this query as there are many possibilities and options. Operation Eco Allochy At Inverallochy School, parents are kept fully informed about the playground and other outdoor...The Bunk Shack – Palettes in their Place!
The focus on palettes continues. I was staying in The Bunkroom Hostel recently which had a tiny social space outside. As with all hostels, this was created on an ad hoc and shoestring budget. Naturally this means lots of potentially transferable ideas to cash-starved...
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Recent Posts
Story Stones and Thinking SkillsA little stone can give a lot of empowerment in a funny sort of way.
Outdoor Toilets and ChildrenWhen children need to go they need to go!
Hand hygiene outdoorsRemoving one of the barriers to working outside with groups.
12 reasons to have stumps in your outdoor spaceStumped for ideas? Check out this blog post about why every school needs a stump or several!
Dunblane Nature Kindergarten – A transformation from traditional to nature-based practiceFantastic example of positive impact of nature-based practice.
Legacy and LossWhat’s your professional and personal impact?
Education Scotland Outdoor Learning Webinars FREE to viewLots of free outdoor learning webinars all in one place from Education Scotland
Out to Play 12: Caring for Our Outdoor SpacesJust published. Time-saving links and a download.
Compass Points – Outdoor Suggestions15+ ways to learn about compass directions – all in a download.
7 Conker Games and AdviceEvery school needs a conker tree
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