Outdoor Activities
Create a mobile from sticks and leaves. Bring the woods home and make a memento of your day out. Your mobile can be as big or as small as you like Look for leaves that are different colours, shapes and sizes Paint your sticks for an extra splash of colour Hang your mobile in your room, or leave it in the woods for other people to discover.
Ahoy, me hearties! Make ye own pirate hat and set sail. Collect lots of different shapes, sizes and colours of leaves and stick them to your pirate hat. Add a pirate symbol like a skull and cross bones to the front of your hat Are you the captain or best mate? Always ask a grown-up to help you when cutting out Now you’re ready to set sail and scavenge for buried treasure!
Use leaves and crayons to create amazing pictures. Make your own autumn woodland using real leaves. Collect leaves that are different shapes and sizes Use the wide sides of crayons to rub over leaves Try and get all the little details, like veins and crinkly edges Once you’ve rubbed enough leaves, stick them on your wall and make a leaf rubbing forest!
Make a sensory box using leaves and toys. Add your autumn items and favourite toys to a shoebox, and get hunting! This is a fantastic sensory activity for tiny Nature Detectives Describe the sounds the leaves make in the box rustle, crunch, shush! Choose lots of different toys balls and wooden figures are great
Gather lots of autumn leaves and play a game of leaf snap. Remember you’ll need at least two of each kind of leaf. Matching leaves can be the same colour or the same type it’s up to you Don’t forget to set the rules on what’s a match before you start playing! The last person with a handful of leaves is the winner Learn about the leaves with our handy leaf ID sheet.
Tell stories around a roaring fire – made from leaves! In autumn, there are lots of flame-coloured leaves around. Get collecting, then build your own leafy campfire. Arrange some conkers or stones in a circle. Stack some sticks in a teepee shape. Cover the sticks with the brightest leaves you can find, so they look like a flickering fire. Real fires in woods can be dangerous. This is a safe alternative that’s great fun to make!
Time spent cloud gazing and describing what they could see encouraged lots of description and imagination.
Welcome to the second edition of the Loose Parts Play Toolkit. Since 2016, when it was first published under Scotland’s Play Strategy, we have seen a burgeoning of loose parts play in schools and nurseries, play, care, childminding and out of school settings. Across the country, education and play practitioners are building a body of knowledge from their experiences of facilitating play and, at the same time, managing an array of challenges that come from the introduction of loose parts
Get baking and create this amazing ladybird cake. Get ready to wow your friends and family, and tuck in! This cake is great for parties, birthdays, or just for a fun treat! Decorate it using brightly coloured icing and sweets Get inspired by real ladybirds will you make a seven-spot, five-spot or orange ladybird? Have a go at making cakes inspired by other woodland minibeasts try bumblebees, caterpillars and ants.
Make your own wand and weave a little woodland magic. Find a special stick and turn it into a magic wand. Then get set to cast some spells! Your wand can be as brightly coloured as you like Try making different wands for different spells Don’t forget to add natural items like feathers and fallen leaves to your wand You might need a grown-up to help you peel the bark from your stick.
Make a magic potion using natural treasures. If you go down to the woods today, you’ll find heaps of ingredients to make your own make potion. Collect some mysterious bits and bobs. Can you find a fluffy feather, some scented pine needles, a shiny acorn? Add water and a little food colouring. Use a special stirring stick to give everything a magic mix Now make a wish! This is a great activity for Halloween, or if your kids like playing witches and wizards.
Feed the birds, outsmart the squirrels. Next time you feed the birds, try these top tips to stop squirrels stealing their snacks. Use things you have at home, such as Vaseline, bowls and plastic tubes Experiment with different techniques Make sure you ask your grown-up to help you! Did you manage to stop the squirrels in their tracks?
Transform ordinary sticks into dazzling star decorations. This is a great craft to try in winter when you’ll find lots of twigs on the forest floor. Fasten some sticks together in a star shape Paint it bright colours Hang your star on your Christmas tree or on your bedroom wall!
Make your own wreath using twigs, pine cones or evergreen leaves. This hands-on activity is great fun. Here are some ideas to get you started: Twist twigs together to make the wreath base, or use cardboard Experiment with different shapes – a square, an oval or a star Keep the natural look or paint your wreath bright colours A wreath is a traditional Christmas decoration, but you could display yours throughout winter as a celebration of this beautiful season!
Keep a log of your woodland adventures. Record your next woodland adventure in this wonderful woodland log book. Draw, paint and write about everything you discovered Think about how you describe the woods and trees you see Remember to use all your senses and see what you can spot Keeping a record like this helps you remember your favourite woods, and what you got up to on your visit.
Pop your woodland treasures into a paper bag and decorate it. You’ll need somewhere to store all your wonderful woodland items, so why not make a treasure bag? Use these sheets to decorate your treasure box or bag Make sure the bag is brightly coloured you could even add patterns! Maybe you could give it a special theme? Try woodland animals or leaves. Now you’re all set to collect your woodland treasures remember to take your bag next time you go on an adventure!
Gather blackberries and make this refreshing iced tea Foraging is thirsty work! Squish your blackberries and brew up this tasty tea. Only the best explorers find the juiciest berries, so get hunting! Remember to leave enough for the birds and other animals It’s the perfect drink to enjoy in the sunshine You could even take your iced tea out on your next woodland wander!
Create your very own tasty blackberry lollies. What can you make with foraged blackberries? Lollies, of course! Make sure you leave enough berries for birds and animals Don’t forget to get rid of the pips! All you need to do now is eat them in the sunshine. Try other fruity combinations: raspberry and apple, or strawberry and blueberry. Yum!
Use blackberries and apples to rustle up these tasty treats. Gather your ingredients and get creative in the kitchen. Choose the ripest, juiciest blackberries and your favourite type of apples Maybe you could try different types of fruit? Ask your grown-up to help you the oven can get very hot Eat the swirls as soon as they re ready, or pack them up and take them on your next woodland wander.
Create these easy peasy tasty treats. Get inspired by real life conkers and whip up these yummy sweets. Conkers are a bit knobbly, so don’t worry if yours aren’t perfectly round You can even make their green shells using marzipan and green food colouring Will you get to lick the bowl afterwards? It’s the best bit! Chocolate conkers are perfect for sharing with your family and friends. Yum!
Have a go at baking these yummy fairy cakes. Got your ingredients ready? Let’s get baking! Create tasty fairy cakes for your family, friends or yourself! Unleash your imagination and get decorating Perhaps you could invite your friends to a cake party? Get inspired by a walk in the woods and show off all the colours of the season in your cakes. Yum!
An easy and fun Bonfire Night craft. In autumn you’ll find the most beautiful leaves on the ground. They are perfect for making colourful leafy fireworks. Look for leaves that are different shapes, sizes and colours Get creative make a long tail, lay down layers of different colours, or make a huge circle or star shape! Build a bonfire using sticks and flickering leafy ‘flames’ to go with your fireworks This activity can be done in your garden, park, school grounds, or local wood. Just find a clear patch of ground and start creating!
Crown yourself king or queen of the woods! Find leaves of different shapes, sizes and colours Your crown can be as fancy or as simple as you like Maybe you could create a crown using your favourite leaves? Try making a new crown every time you go to the woods during autumn.
Make a brrrilliant blizzard! Practise with our printable snowflake template, then try snipping out your own designs. You could… Experiment with size. Can you make huge or tiny snowflakes? Use silver paper to create snow that sparkles Use different-shaped hole punches instead of scissors (Remember to check with a grown-up before using scissors – they can help cut out the tricky bits too!) Paper snowflakes make fantastic winter decorations. Hang them on your Christmas tree, stick them to your windows, or string them together to make a snowy garland.
Make 2D shapes using sticks