Across the UK, schools are re-discovering the importance of play and its ability to impact on some of the most significant aspects of child development. They are also discovering that natural environments and natural materials offer some of the richest play opportunities. While many schools are now developing playgrounds to create natural play spaces, hundreds of schools already have access to a wonderful, but unused, woodland playground right on their doorstep. We wanted to find out how woodlands in or adjacent to schools could be made accessible for regular play. We have visited schools that have been doing this for years and worked with others that have recognised the potential of their woodlands for play but who needed help to turn their aspirations into reality. This booklet shares what we have learned along the way. Not only does it illustrate the unique range of experiences and benefits offered by woodland play to children of all abilities, but also how the schools have managed the practical issues that might otherwise have prevented them from making the most of this wonderful resource.

Hundreds of schools across the UK have discovered that a school orchards can be an effective and practical way of enriching learning and school life in many ways. This booklet distils what we have learned from supporting the creation of school orchards in over 70 primary and secondary schools across England, Scotland and Wales. The tips you will find here are school-tested, practical and inexpensive. Our hope is that it will inspire you to get going and create your own school orchard and give you the practical guidance that you need to make it a success.

A free staff training resource - to help schools develop happier and healthier break times. Taking learning from the Scottish ‘Natural Play Project’, we share inspiration and practice with opportunity to decide your own schools practice. The course contains 10 short reflective sessions with accompanying video’s.

A fantastic guide for any school looking to develop loose parts play. The book is full of practical advice and information, based in years of experience in loose parts play.

Assigning a character to a tree may be all the inspiration you need. Is the tree wise, tired, angry or kind? There are many examples of talking trees from Greek mythology and literature. An alternative stimulus could be research about gargoyles or the green man. The practical purpose of gargoyles in architecture is to channel water away from the masonry walls. They were designed to look grotesque or fantastical in order to protect those that they guarded. The green man is a facial sculpture surrounded by leaves. Forms of this character are found in many different cultures through the ages. The icon is generally interpreted as a symbol of the cycle of new life at spring.