Sep 27, 2024 | Personal & Holidays
“When we walk to the edge of all the light we have, and we take the step into the darkness of the unknown, we must believe that one of two things will happen. There will be something solid for us to stand on, or we will be taught how to fly.”Patrick...
Jul 3, 2024 | Developing School Grounds & Outdoor Spaces, Early Years Outdoors, Personal & Holidays, Whole School
Yesterday was a special day. I was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctorate of Education, Honoris Causa, from Queen Margaret University (QMU). This was an unexpected delight – to the point where I fell off the swing I was sitting on in a park when the original...
Jan 7, 2024 | Early Years Outdoors, Personal & Holidays
On 1st January 2024 an amazing person died. Diane Kashin was an early childhood educator who reached out to others worldwide to make the future for all children more hopeful and positive. She wrote a blog with post after post of supportive and reflective thoughts for...
Jun 11, 2023 | Art & Music Outdoors, Personal & Holidays
Since visiting Sweden in 2008 as part of my Churchill Fellowship, I have been inspired by the felted seats I saw at Mulleborg I Ur och Skur (In Rain of Shine) Outdoor Nursery. I came home and in due course acquired some merino wool to make my first felted seat. To my...
Nov 9, 2022 | Community Involvement, Early Years Outdoors, Personal & Holidays, RME Outdoors, Technologies
One of my favourite aspects of the festive season are Christmas lights. In my blog of Christmas activities, I mention the joys of going for a walk when sun goes down and the lights go on. As a child, looking at all the window displays and Christmas trees lit up...
Aug 17, 2022 | Developing School Grounds & Outdoor Spaces, Personal & Holidays
What makes a good play park? This is a question I always ask myself and to answer I have to go back to my childhood. I appreciate I had an extraordinary childhood with huge amounts of freedom and play parks featured heavily. Unlike many people, spending hours...
Sep 1, 2020 | Early Years Outdoors, Personal & Holidays
Guest blog by Lesley McLaren, Creative STAR Admin Assistant. I’ve worked for Creative STAR for a good few years now (behind the scenes) and although I occasionally tag along with Juliet to her courses, I haven’t experienced learning first hand with...
Mar 23, 2020 | Personal & Holidays, Whole School
NOTE: Since 20:30 on 23 March 2020, please ignore the comments about playing outside BEYOND your garden, backyard or similar, if you live in the UK. If you live in other countries, follow the advice of your Government. It’s the scenario we never wanted. Almost...
Jul 10, 2018 | Personal & Holidays
This blog post is written by Lesley McLaren, Admin Assistant at Creative STAR 🙂 It’s a lovely example of problem-solving and maths in an outdoor and family context. Enjoy… I have heard this question quite a lot over the holidays from my 10 year old son TM who...
Jun 12, 2017 | Personal & Holidays, Technologies
Last week I had the privilege of interviewing Tom Hall, 14yr-old Games Designer, and joining him and his family for a game of Bug Off. Tom has spent over two years developing the game and refining the rules and design. It is currently designed for 2-4 players, but...
May 21, 2017 | Developing School Grounds & Outdoor Spaces, Personal & Holidays
In May 2017 I was passing through Ambleside en route south and made my habitual stop at Rothay Park. To my amazement there had been a significant change. Sixteen months previously, the park suffered badly in the floods of Storm Desmond. Thus plans were put in place to...
Jan 25, 2016 | Nature Play & Learning, Personal & Holidays
I am just finishing reading David Sobel’s fascinating book Childhood and Nature: Design Principles for Educators. This past weekend, we took a trip as a family to Bennachie Nature Centre in Aberdeenshire and I couldn’t help viewing the outing through my new “design...
Dec 10, 2014 | Community Involvement, Personal & Holidays
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,...
Jun 5, 2014 | Community Involvement, Personal & Holidays
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...
Aug 24, 2013 | Art & Music Outdoors, Early Years Outdoors, Personal & Holidays
One aspect of outdoor learning that many practitioners can forget is making the link between outdoor experiences and how this impacts indoors. Where outdoor learning is an established way within a school or setting, the indoor environment reflects this. This is the...
Apr 1, 2013 | Personal & Holidays, Whole School
Up and down the country, outdoorsy people have a bit of tarp tucked away or perhaps proudly displayed somewhere. Whilst it does not carry the same level of status as a car, what type of tarp you have and your opinions about tarp can reveal a lot. Oh yes! Take this...
Sep 1, 2012 | Art & Music Outdoors, Personal & Holidays
I feel like I should be apologising madly for being a disorganised blogger. I know a lot of people pop by this site around this time of the year as the school year begins. In a perfect world, I’d be giving you my “Top 10 tips for starting outside with your...
Aug 8, 2012 | Personal & Holidays
Earlier on this summer I was visiting my parent’s house and waiting for me was my grandmother’s nature diary from 1931-32. As you can see from the cover, this was part of my gran’s course work. She was studying to be a governess at Charlotte Mason...
Jun 30, 2012 | Personal & Holidays, Social Subjects Outdoors
Two years ago I blogged about the Drove Roads Journey which I had planned to undertake. Sadly, owing to unforeseen circumstances the event was postponed. And it’s now happening next week! The purpose of the “mobile conference” is nicely phrased on...
Jun 9, 2012 | Personal & Holidays
In the summer of 2011, I had a trip of a lifetime. My husband kindly surprised me for my birthday with a trip to St Kilda. We were in the middle of a family holiday on North Uist which was the inspiration for this blog post. For those of you who don’t know, St...
