Have you ever cooked seaweed? Not the kind you get from many takeaways (which is usually cabbage) but actual seaweed? Well you are in luck, the British and Irish coasts are abundant with edible seaweeds (just check the sea water quality!) so it’s all a matter of taste. In fact, until very recently, cooking andContinue reading "The One Where We Cooked Seaweed"
Wild Paper Making
The Beach Schoolers latest adventure in to sustainable crafts has been making their own paper. We have been taking advantage of the dry and sunny weather here in East Kent and making recycled paper. I prepared some pulp, made from used brown packing paper (soaked for several hours and then blended using a hand blender!)Continue reading "Wild Paper Making"
Clay Work
The Beach Schoolers and Kirsty @throughthehedge spent some time this week exploring natural clay. Clay is often overlooked in early years and schools for being a bit messy and unpredictable but it actually has the most incredible soft responsive sensory qualities. Clay lends itself to open ended creativity because children often need lots of time working withContinue reading "Clay Work"
I’m a Forest School Leader, but I am not an Outdoorsy person…
Rachel and Rose in the Locavore Garden at Martello Primary. They are looking at a freshly picked radish. There are spinach leaves growing in the foreground. I am a Forest School Leader, but I am not an outdoorsy person. At least I used to think that was the case… I have dyspraxia, which means thingsContinue reading "I’m a Forest School Leader, but I am not an Outdoorsy person…"
Outdoor Learning at Home: Week Two
Hello friends, I hope you are safe and well? Thank you for getting in touch about last week’s newsletter. I really love seeing what you have been getting up to and connecting with you. Except if you have had lots of snow, in which case, I am just extremely jealous… I don’t know about you,Continue reading "Outdoor Learning at Home: Week Two"
Outdoor Learning at Home: Week One
Getting outdoors in Winter can feel tricky. It’s not easy to motivate yourself when it is warmer and drier at home. But spending time outdoors has proven benefits to both physical and mental health, it can boost your mood and boost your immune system. Both essential in this period of Lockdown. Even though I haveContinue reading "Outdoor Learning at Home: Week One"
Tips for Adults in a Child-Supporting Role at Beach and Forest School
The Forest School philosophy is about connecting children (and adults) to their natural environment, creating opportunities to develop creativity, confidence, resilience and learning, as well as promoting ways in which children can experience risk. Forest School is often described as a child-led process, but I think it is much more helpful to think of itContinue reading "Tips for Adults in a Child-Supporting Role at Beach and Forest School"
The Certificate in Therapeutic Skills for Outdoor Leaders
Throughout July, August and September, I have been working on gaining the Certificate in Therapeutic Skill for Outdoor Leaders from The Therapeutic Forest CIC, who run inspiring inclusive Forest School groups for children with SEN in Manchester. This course is normally run at Manchester Metropolitan University. But due to the current pandemic, it has beenContinue reading "The Certificate in Therapeutic Skills for Outdoor Leaders"
Nature and Mental Health
Looking back, it often feels strange that something I love so much came in to my life at a time that was so dark and lonely, but I discovered Forest School when my son was a baby, when I was recovering from post-natal depression and anxiety. I quickly realised that it not only provided aContinue reading "Nature and Mental Health"
The Cloudspotter’s Guide
We see clouds nearly everyday, especially here in Britain. They float in the sky above us and sometimes block out the Sun. Sometimes clouds are white and puffy. Sometimes they are dark and cover the entire sky. Different kinds of clouds can mean different kinds of weather. Meteorologists study the formation and make up ofContinue reading "The Cloudspotter’s Guide"
Holdfast Beach and Forest School - East Kent, UK 