May Nature Connection Activity: Nettle Pancakes & Dandelion Syrup

Spring is the perfect time for cooking with these delicious wild edibles. For monthly nature connection ideas straight to your inbox, including recipes, you can sign up to our monthly newsletter here. For more outdoor cooking ideas, you can buy Lewis’ book here. If you’d like to learn more about our native flora and fauna you might like our Forest School Leader training course, info here.

Nettle Pancake Recipe

1. Gather your nettles

Wearing gloves, or carefully using scissors and holding a basket beneath, snip the top five or six leaves from the top of each nettle (this way the plant will continue to grow). 

2. Prepare the nettles

Give them a wash and then steam them in a saucepan for a few minutes in the water left on them from their washing. They should be wilted and bright green. This will kill the stings and make them soft. Then, blitz! We have an excellent hand-held whizzer we can recharge and use in the woods.

3. Prepare your pancake batter

We use self raising flour (gluten free self raising also works well), soy milk, and a little sugar and salt. Mix together to the consistency of thick cream. Add your pureed nettles.

4. Cook

Heat oil in a frying pan. Drop spoonfuls of the nettle-y batter and cook a couple of minutes each side, till cooked through.

5. Drizzle with something sweet, such as our dandelion syrup (below) and enjoy!

Dandelion Syrup Recipe

1. Gather dandelion heads

On a sunny day when the flower heads are open and full of pollen, collect the yellow flowerheads only. You can gather from a place where dandelions are abundant, or from a lawn before it gets mowed, where dogs haven’t weed! Remember they are an important plant for pollinators so if there a loads, pick a little; if there are a little, pick none. Shake them lightly to remove any bugs or leave them on a surface for bugs to crawl out.

2. Cook

Add a few slices of lemon and the dandelion heads to a saucepan and add enough water to cover them. Bring to the boil for a few minutes, then turn off the heat and let them stew overnight with the lid on.

3. Strain

Using a clean muslin cloth over a bowl, pour the dandelions and their cooking liquid into it to separate the flowers and the liquid. Gather the edges of the muslin and squeeze the flowers to get all the good stuff.

4. Cook

Add sugar to taste (more if you want to make a thick honey, less a runny syrup). Bring to the boil and boil for as long as you like to reduce down to the consistency you’re after (less time for a runny syrup). Enjoy drizzled over pancakes or porridge, or diluted for a refreshing drink.

April Nature Connection Activity

Listening for Chiffchaffs

I consider Spring to have arrived when I hear my first chiffchaff. They are small, easy to miss, light brown birds - and their two-toned song, which sounds like their name - is a joyful background sound in many outdoor spaces. I heard my first one yesterday!

Chiffchaffs arrive back to the UK in Spring from their Winter travels to the Mediterranean and North Africa. They don’t tend to visit bird feeders but can be spotted hopping about in branches looking for spiders and insects to eat. Their nests, made our of leaves and stems and lined with feathers, are on or near the ground, in spaces protected by nettles and brambles.

Studies prove that the sound of birdsong settles our nervous system and help us to relax, something we have kept from our long-ago days when we would have lived outside. Birdsong would have been a clear signal to our ancestors that the area was free from predators - birds tend to go silent when they approach.

You can listen to chiff chaff song here.

If you are looking to build your nature ID skills, and find out more about promoting nature connection with others, you may be interested in our Forest School Leader training which covers this and more. You can find out more here.

Wem x

March Nature Connection Activity: Wild Garlic Foraging

I think if you ask any of our regular Forest School participants what their favourite foraged snack might be, they would say anything wild garlic related. And here we are again, right at the start of wild garlic season!

Wild garlic leaves

Wild garlic is also known as ‘ramsons’, or ‘bear’s garlic’ as it is said to have been one of a bear’s favourite snacks too, when it emerged from hibernation back in the day when we had bears on our shores.

It can be found growing in shady damp conditions, and is often a signifier of ancient woodland, though I’ve seen it growing in parks and hedgerows too.

At the moment, the green leaves are just poking out. The white, pungent flowers will come later.

Be careful when foraging - there are two lookalikes that are poisonous: Lords and Ladies, with its heart shaped leaves, and Lily of the Valley (which is actually quite rare in the wild). However, with some practice with both eye and nose (wild garlic leaves will smell strongly of onion/garlic when rubbed), you will find this a really delicious wild edible that children can help to gather. Remember not to take too much - if there’s a lot growing, take a little; if there’s a little growing, take none.

To make garlic bread, rip or chop the leaves and mix with butter or dairy-free spread and add to slits cut into a french stick, and bake until melted. You can also add the chopped leaves to drop scone batter with some salt, to make wild garlic fritters. Enjoy!

Want to know more about our native plants and their uses? We cover lots on our Forest School Leader Training - more info here

Reflections on Forest School Leader Training

I wanted to resurrect this blog after a long hiatus and thought I would start with some reflections about being a Level 3 Forest School Leader trainer.

I’m having a lot of reflections about this right now, because our latest cohort’s certificates have just come through, so we’re organising a brunch in the woods for them to come and collect them (and putting some in the post for those who can’t make it).

For those who don’t know, Level 3 training is the comprehensive course for those who want to lead Forest School - whether that be as part of a school team, or self-employed on different sites, or setting up your own company. 

As soon as Lewis and I had been running Children of the Forest for a few years and we felt like we were getting the hang of it, I remember a strong urge for us to become trainers.  

Having worked in state education for 9 years before migrating to Forest School, I felt the effects of being in the woods so positively. I knew for sure that the ethos and practice of Forest School worked, for so many young people, for communities and also for the practitioners facilitating it. Either as an alternative or an enhancement to young people’s education, Forest School supported holistic development in a way that blew me away.

However, truth be told, I did feel sad - and little guilty - that I had gone from interacting with and supporting over 200 young people per week as a school teacher, to a much smaller number in Forest School. 

I knew that if we could share the value of Forest School with other adults and educators, they could take the magical suitcase of forest goodness on wider travels, opening it up in different places, to share with people we might never meet. And the ripple effect would cascade out. If we couldn’t have all the young people in the world along to our woods, at least we could help adults to bring Forest School to them!

I spoke it out loud to Lewis one day: “I would love to run our own Forest School Leader Training one day…”  imagining a time in the future, the two of us having the wonderful opportunity of being with adults in our woods, sharing insights and knowledge together and creating community where the next generation of Forest School leaders and advocates could be born. 

True to his nature, Lewis immediately looked into how we could become trainers and our journey began. Tinder and a spark, that’s what you need.

Since then we have run several cohorts, in several different ways - some over an intensive period, some over several months. Tweaking our delivery each time, observing and reflecting, in exactly the same way that we would whilst delivering Forest School sessions to groups. 

We’ve settled upon the model of 10 days of face to face training, meeting for 5-6 days weekly in the Autumn, followed by 4-5 days in the late Spring. This way, we can be in the woods with our trainees across different seasons (matching the FS Principle of long term!), it gives a longer opportunity for digesting new knowledge, reflecting on responses and attitudes, and practising new skills. The in-between time is spent completing coursework, with monthly Zoom calls to keep in touch with trainees and support them with each piece in their portfolio. 

We realised that the more we were able to run Forest School leader training like our Forest School sessions, the better we felt about it. Pivoting to meet the needs of the group; breaking up the more academic bits with games; creative crafts being open-ended and full of choice; moments of mindfulness and lots of play and silliness - it took a while to realise we could teach knots by playing at pirates but once we were there, there was no turning back…we also ensure that we make time to deep-dive on the topics we’ve found to be super important in our own practice: the theories of play, the idea of human needs, a non-judgemental approach to behaviour, and neurodiversity.

We have had a wonderful range of people on our training - from Primary and Secondary school teachers, nursery workers and childminders, those working in additional needs education, to horticulturalists, botanists, arborists and artists! Some people travelling from the local area, some from other areas of the UK and some as far as New Zealand! Each cohort brings an entirely fresh vibe to the woods, bringing their own culture, beliefs, and experience that have led them on a journey to this point. Some may have a deep connection to nature; others are passionate about helping children and know that many of them benefit from being in nature. 

Each cohort is like a big old pot, held safely in the woods, each person adding flavour through their own perspective and knowledge, and it all mixes together into a delicious soup. We, the trainers, are there to deliver the course content, ensure everyone is proficient and knowledgeable, but also to hold space - for learning, for awe and wonder, for connection, and sometimes powerful emotions, as lightbulb moments happen. It’s not that we’re running a cult, I promise, but Forest School sometimes has a life-changing effect on people.

We are currently running just one cohort a year, so that we can give each learner our full attention and still concentrate on the other communities we have in the woods. Being trainers alongside still delivering Forest School to children and families is important to us.

I’m so grateful to all those Level 3 learners who have taken the leap into Forest School with us, and can’t wait to meet the next group joining us in September. 

New Year: Noticing the Seasons with Children

It's still January, so I think it's still okay to talk about New  Year's Resolutions. This year, one of mine was: to do more to notice and celebrate the seasons.

At this time of year it's all too easy to feel gloomy and feel like the outside world is looking unchanged for weeks and weeks. It's still cold, the sky is still grey, the trees are still bare. We might notice big, dramatic things like high winds, icy roads and torrential rain.

But by taking a bit more time, and looking a little closer, we can notice tiny things that mean that the seasons are marching forwards - and these can really cheer you up! 

Being outdoors with a child, with no rush or set destination, really helps you notice these little things - children are very observant, and being closer to the ground, they often spot things like tiny shoots of plants coming up, interesting fungi, or ground dwelling creatures. 

At our woodland the children have already spotted the bluebells beginning to pop out (as well as the signs of badgers digging up the bulbs! The children chose to carefully replant some this week) and picked out changes in birdsong. They’ve also noticed beech leaves curled up ready for spring, and even a caterpillar. 

One idea we use in the woods to help us notice little changes in nature is Sit Spots. This involves choosing a place which you / your child feels comfortable sitting, outdoors. You could take a camping or exercise mat to sit on if you wish. Simply sit, listen and watch. Visiting the same place again and again, you will really get to know it and be able to notice the plants, animals and seasons. 

Here’s to 2018 - and noticing the little things!

If you’d like to notice and celebrate the seasons with your children in 2018 you can join us for our Forest Families sessions and seasonal Festivals - we’ve just put them on our booking calendar. You can book here.

3 ways for parents to keep warm at forest school sessions.

1 -  Layer up!­­

It’s very easy to spend all our energy getting the kids dressed and completely forget about ourselves!

When the kids get cold, we’ll often give them one of our layers but sadly it doesn’t work both ways. I look utterly ridiculous trying to ram a toddlers hat onto my enormous head or shove my fist into a pair of tiny mittens!

It’s much easier to keep warm than get warm, so make sure you’re trapping that heat from your house or car in as many layers as possible.

Here’s a little example of what three of our leaders wear for a session out in the winter temperatures:

2 – Get Moving!

Moving around gets that blood pumping around your body, from the warm parts like your torso and legs, around and into the extremities like fingers and toes.

We’ll always give you plenty of excuses for a run around. Hide and seek, hunters and rabbits or just a game of chase are all chances to get moving and model for the kids how to stay warm by moving.

Sitting by the fire isn’t the best move in our forest. It’s a big open fire, losing heat in all directions and standing still will mean the same parts of your body are getting exposed constantly to the biting wind. Get running or walking around and it’ll give you body a chance to heat you up all over.

3 – Positive Mindset

It gets cold in Britain. it got cold last year and it’ll get cold next year.

Much as the British love discussing the weather, it isn’t always helpful to be sharing stories about how cold our fingers are or how long it took to defrost the car.

Like we would say to the children, reframe your experience! Go exploring for beautiful signs of winter: icy spider webs, crunchy leaves, squrrels searching for nuts. Or even focus on the hot things around us. Talk to the children about how warm the fire is or share a cup of hot chocolate and really focus on feeling that warmth as you swallow and it warms your middle.

Dressing Children for the Outdoors in Winter

Here at Children of the Forest we only cancel sessions in high winds, when it’s not safe to be under trees. In rain, snow, sleet and low temperatures - we’re playing in the woods! In this blog post I talk about how to dress your little ones for the woods. If you didn’t know, we have an Outdoor Clothing library for all to use, where you can borrow clothing in your child’s size for as long as you need it and then return it. If you have any donations for this box they are also gratefully received. It is located in the Children’s Section of Cullompton Library.

Winter seems to have arrived quite suddenly now, and I wanted to share some of my findings on dressing little ones in cold weather, so they can still enjoy the outdoors. This is a mixture of research and first hand experience from dressing my 3 year old.

If you think your little one is suitably togged up, but then seems a bit miserable outdoors, check out the tips below. Avoiding cotton is a big one that you might not know about - I didn't until recently.

Kids often can't process for themselves the fact that they're cold, let alone communicate that to you, so observing your child's mood and behaviour is a good way to check they're warm enough. Smiling, active, relaxed kids = probably warm enough. Whiny, clingy, tearful, not wanting to be active = signs your child might be cold. It's interesting that cold kids, who really need to get moving to warm up, are often the most reluctant to do so.

Here is a picture of my daughter’s Forest School ‘uniform’.

Layer 1: Snug fitting proper base layer to wick away moisture. Made from wool or man made fibres e.g. polyester. (My 3 year old has some of these stripy merino ones from Mountain Warehouse, and is really grumpy outdoors if she’s not wearing them.) Avoid cotton next to the skin - as soon as your child sweats or gets wet, the cotton stays wet, and your child can get very cold very quickly. Same goes for jeans - they are not good for the outdoors.

Layer 2: Mid layer to insulate. Wool, lightweight fleece or man made fibres ideally. Since my daughter's coat is quite thick, I've gone for a wool jumper. You could go for an extra layer in here if it's really cold or your outer layer is thinner.

Layer 3: Outer layer to protect against rain and wind. Waterproof jacket and over trousers. Look for thicker fabric which is actually waterproof and windproof rather than flimsy ones. We have two pairs of waterproof over trousers, one from Muddy Puddles, one from Rukka. Hat to keep head and ears warm. My daughter won't wear gloves but if yours do, great.

On my shopping list as the weather gets colder are non-cotton socks, a nice light weight mid layer fleece, and some gloves she might actually keep on!

See you in the woods for some winter fun!