With 20+ years of teaching experience across Europe, I bring extensive expertise as a Reception Teacher and Forest School Practitioner. Passionate about play-based learning and the outdoors, I've developed a dynamic environment that fosters children's exploration and connection with nature. Here you'll find some of my outstanding resources to support your own teaching and learning!
With 20+ years of teaching experience across Europe, I bring extensive expertise as a Reception Teacher and Forest School Practitioner. Passionate about play-based learning and the outdoors, I've developed a dynamic environment that fosters children's exploration and connection with nature. Here you'll find some of my outstanding resources to support your own teaching and learning!
Everything you need to create your own bug hotel!
This lesson plan clearly presents how to easily build your own bug hotel while teaching children the importance of garden wildlife.
The Bug Hotel lesson plan remains within the Forest School ethos and focuses on the social and emotional aspects of learning.
The Bug Hotel lesson plan can be adapted to suit a Maths, Science or Forest School lesson.
The Bug Hotel lesson plan is recommended for children in Nursery, Reception and Key Stage 1.
This lesson plan/ activity will guide you through having a fire with your children. It is intended for children aged 4-8 but can easily be extended for slightly elder children.
The activity follows the Forest School approach to fire making and is an ideal means to introduce fire to children. the fire making is in a Kelly Kettle (Storm Kettle) and the plan guides you through the process of getting the children involved (gathering fuel) in order to boil water for their own hot chocolate! I have found this to be one of the most enjoyable sessions taught outdoors but I recommend it only be carried out when the practitioner has complete confidence in the behaviour of the chidlren. This suits nicely towards the end of a series of Forest School sessions and feeds beautifully into cooking on an open fire, which should follow the following week as a means of extending and imbedding the learning.
6 Lesson Plans/Activities including Art with Natural Resources, Bug Hunt, Building a Bug Hotel, An Introduction to Fire, Cooking on an Open Fire, and Small World Story Making with Faries (Fairy World). Also included is a Risk Assessment for having a fire and an Introduction to Forest School.
This is an ideal introduction to get you on your way to confidently leading a group of children outside.
The activities are designed for children from Reception up to Year 2 but they can easily be adapted for Nursery and older year groups.
Please be aware, these are designed for teachers and are there to be interpreted. True Forest School does not follow lesson plans. These resources are designed to give ideas and act as a back up for the practitioner to deliver a catalyst and prompts for learning whilst being prepared to follow the children in their learning journey! Forest School should be led by the children.
A great starter activity for KS1 when teaching mini beasts or insects in Science. Print this resource several times, laminate and cut up the photos and hide in a tray with shredded paper. Place a tray on each table and challenge the children to work together to place the photos they find on the correct name of each mini beast. The table to complete first is the winner!
This resource is differentiated by having a brief description of some of the more difficult to identify mini beasts, such as distinguishing between the damselfly and the dragon fly, written on the card…
This lesson plan will guide you with your group of KS1 children in your outdoor area. The plan includes games (to develop confidence, team bonding and language - great for EAL children) and an activity which encourages children to explore and discover their natural environment while developing their skills in design and creativity. This activity fosters resilience, cooperation, imagination and problem solving skills
This resource will enable you to take your children on an effective bug hunt in the garden of your setting. This resource will enable you to explore four different avenues to bug hunting while teaching children about habitats, names of insects/minibeasts, management of personal safety as well as fostering the development of confidence, independence, team work and communication and language.
An introduction to gardening through a forest school ethos. This lesson plan contains games (warm up activities) to promote language, literacy and confidence. It contains challenges to promote resilience and confidence and an activity to develop an awareness and respect of/for nature. The lesson/activity is planned for around 2 hours.
This lesson plan/ activity will guide you through cooking on an open fire with your children. It is intended for children aged 4-10 but can easily be extended for slightly elder children.
The activity follows the Forest School approach to fire making.
The plan guides you through the process of getting the children involved (gathering fuel) and having them prepare and cook the food (Camp Fire Pizza!). I recommend this session be carried out when the practitioner has complete confidence in the behaviour of the children. This suits nicely towards the end of a series of Forest School sessions.
A complete lesson plan and activity for baking Pumpkin Pancakes!
This is suitable for Nursery, Reception and Year 1 children.
The lesson plan first guides you with teaching a carpet session on baking, discussing the ingredients and process with the children.
Areas of Learning/ Learning Objectives are included to show what the children are learning from this plan. However, these are just examples as there are many Learning Objectives which could be applicable. The Areas of Learning are taken from Development Matters.
A complete lesson plan including resources for teaching your Nursery and Reception children about the life cycle of a pumpkin.
The lesson plan guides you with teaching the life cycle of a pumpkin and the PowerPoint aids this. There are also worksheets included which are differentiated into 3 abilities.
Learning Objectives are included to show what the children are learning from this plan. The Areas of Learning are taken from Development Matters.
Complete Pumpkin Bundle which includes The Pumpkin Life Cycle Resource Pack, Measuring Pumpkins and Pumpkin Pancakes.
This complete pack includes lesson plans, presentations and resources ready to use for Kindergarten and 1st grade children.
The lessons in this pack can also be purchased seperatly.
Life Cycle:
A complete lesson plan including resources for teaching your pre-schoolers, Kindergarten and Nursery and Reception children about the life cycle of a pumpkin.
The lesson plan guides you with teaching the life cycle of a pumpkin and the PowerPoint aids this. There are also worksheets included which are differentiated into 3 abilities.
Learning Objectives are included to show what the children are learning from this plan. The Areas of Learning are taken from Development Matters, England.
Measuring Pumpkins for Halloween:
A complete lesson plan and activity for teaching your pre-schoolers, Kindergarten and Nursery and Reception children about measurement.
The lesson plan guides you with teaching how to estimate and find out by measuring with interlocking cubes (ideal units for young children). It also teaches children positional and mathematical language when, for example, identifying position and comparing in relation to the other (bigger than, the same as, next to)
Areas of Learning/ Learning Objectives are included to show what the children are learning from this plan. The Areas of Learning are taken from Development Matters, England.
Pumpkin Pancakes:
A complete lesson plan and activity for baking Pumpkin Pancakes!
This is suitable for Kindergarten, First Grade, Nursery, Reception and Year 1children.
The lesson plan first guides you with teaching a carpet session on baking, discussing the ingredients and process with the children.
Areas of Learning/ Learning Objectives are included to show what the children are learning from this plan. However, these are just examples as there are many Learning Objectives which could be applicable. The Areas of Learning are taken from Development Matters, England.
EYFS Assessment pack including:
A long Observation Proforma with key prompts to make observing simple.
A Reading Observation Proforma with key prompts to make observing reading simple.
Numeracy Assessment Grid for recording on-entry baseline and termly progress in Numeracy
Phonics/Literacy Assessment grid for recording on-entry baseline and termly progress in phonics
A shape assessment grid for recording children's knowledge of simple 2d shapes.
Characteristics of Effective Learning: Bank of Statements
Complete your characteristics of effective learning easily with these ready-made statements which have been differentiated for the low, medium and high attaining child. Simply copy and paste the statements which most resemble the child in question and edit accordingly.
These statements will also prompt you with ideas for completing your more 'personal' report.
Outdoor Learning Forest School (Complete set of Activities)
6 Lesson Plans/Activities including Art with Natural Resources, Bug Hunt, Building a Bug Hotel, An Introduction to Fire, Cooking on an Open Fire, and Small World Story Making with Faries (Fairy World). Also included is a Risk Assessment for having a fire and an Introduction to Forest School.
This is an ideal introduction to get you on your way to confidently leading a group of children outside.
The activities are designed for children from Reception up to Year 2 but they can easily be adapted for Nursery and older year groups.
Please be aware, these are designed for teachers and are there to be interpreted. True Forest School does not follow lesson plans. These resources are designed to give ideas and act as a back up for the practitioner to deliver a catalyst and prompts for learning whilst being prepared to follow the children in their learning journey! Forest School should be led by the children.
Intervention Planning for Early Years. Targeted Support for Finger Gym, Numeracy and Writing:
This complete intervention pack includes activities for finger gym, numeracy, and writing. It is designed for support staff (LSAs and TAs) to grab and deliver targeted support without the stress of them having to plan it. It is also great for NQTs or new to Early Years teachers! This complete pack is organized in such a way to allow the person delivering the interventions to list the children involved and anno
Early Years Classroom Design (Setting up your Classroom)
This resources will suggest ideas for resources in curriculum areas around your classroom. With a focus on continuous provision and aimed especially to support NQTs and new to reception teachers, this resource will save you heaps of time planning what resources are needed where.
FREE: An 'All About Me' booklet to send home to your parents for the children to complete and return.
Playdough Leaflet: Ideas for parents
