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Young children love to be free and take off their clothes. Yet we can be so quick to cover them up, especially their feet! Children in the UK are often given shoes even before they can walk. 

Being barefoot is so beneficial and we feel so much of the world through our feet. A study in the journal 'Frontiers in Pediatrics' has shown that children who spend most of their time barefoot have increased motor skills and are better in jumping and balancing. 

Many teachers and forest school leaders here in the U.K share their experiences of children lacking in co-ordination and balance when moving around the uneven forest floor. 

When we spend time indoors we are greatly limiting the types of surfaces children learn to walk on and get used to moving around on. These are normally smooth and firm with no roughness or bumps.

When we take our shoes and socks off outdoors we are also connecting our bodies directly to nature which benefits our wellbeing too. Helping our...

I have created a list of over 50 wonderful nature based children's books to support our Rewilding your Wanderlust Child Nature Study.

Do let me know your favourite nature books.

Slow Down: Bring Calm to a Busy World with 50 Nature Stories

Seasons

Watch six breathtaking landscapes transform in front of your eyes in this beautifully illustrated book.

Once Upon a Raindrop: The Story of Water

Footprint

Hooray for Hoppy: A First Book of Senses

The Rhythm of the Rain

Wind (Whatever the Weather)

Snow (Whatever the Weather)

Tree: Seasons Come, Seasons Go

Explore the beauty of the changing seasons in this timeless peek-through book with gorgeous artwork.

The Big Book of Nature Art

From bestselling author Yuval Zommer, The Big Book of Nature Art is packed with twenty-two easy art activities inspired by nature. 

Nature's Treasures: Tales Of More Than 100 Extraordinary Objects From Nature

Nature's Treasures is a stunning nature encyclopedia for young readers...

Dandelions are beautiful, fascinating plants! Attracting Bees and little hands a like. There is nothing sweeter than blowing a dandelion clock and making a wish! They're known for their bright yellow flowers that turn into fluffy, white seed heads. Despite being considered weeds by many, they have several interesting characteristics. For example, their seeds are dispersed by the wind, which is why you often see them popping up in unexpected places. Additionally, dandelion greens are edible and nutritious, containing vitamins A, C, and K, as well as calcium, iron, and potassium. Some people even use dandelion roots to make tea or coffee alternatives. Overall, they're resilient and adaptable plants that have found their way into folklore, cuisine, and even herbal medicine.

1. Dandelion Biscuits
   
   Baking together is a lovely activity, working together and sharing what you have made.

   

2. Dandelion Playdough
   
   Add dandelions to your homemade playdough mix for a spring dough.
   
   

3. Loose Parts
   
   What can...

Seeing their own reflection in a mirror is magical and wonderous for babies. Do they recognise themselves? The awe and wonder of what else is reflected in the mirror, perhaps a parent, a favourite toy and their surroundings. Taking mirrors outdoors adds another dimension such as the trees, flora and fauna, the sky and clouds are also all reflected magically in the mirror. Babies will gaze for a long time into a mirror tray for example - trying to touch what they can see.

5 reasons why mirror play is important for babies:

1. Helping to develop visual senses

2. Encouraging gross motor movement - inspiring babies to reach and touch

Add some nature to a mirror tray, or droplets of water. This encourages sensory exploration, inviting them to reach out and touch the mirror and the items. Why not put on some music and have a little dance with your baby in front of the mirror. This is a fun way to encourage movement and coordination.

3. Developing a sense of self

Babies...

“Drizzle happiness wherever you go.”  A.D. Posey

Drizzle, damp and dreary weather may not have you excited for getting out into the outdoors with your children! In this blog post I want to share a few ideas of how you can turn the situation around and find joy on these types of days!

There is no such thing as bad weather only unsuitable clothing!

Embrace the rain! Dress for it - don the rainsuits and wellies, grab your brollies and go for a walk in the rain, splashing in the puddles as you go.

Walking under trees in the rain you can listen to the rain hitting the leaves above you. Look at the clouds, what colour are they? What can you smell? 

Embrace the rain and play with your water wall - these are easy to make with old guttering and a wooden pallet. Perhaps re create the nursery rhyme Ice Wincy Spider.

You don't have to be out for long.

When you get back from your adventures outside here are some cosy and warm ideas to enjoy:

1. Discuss why it rains...

What is a tinker tray?

Tinker trays are filled with open ended loose part materials that will spark curiosity, problem solving, critical thinking and imaginative play. The objects in the tray can be used in any way the child chooses and there is no set way that they should be used.  It is commonly used in the Reggio Emilia Approach to learning and can be adapted for a range of different ages and stages of development. 

 Materials for a tinker tray

Any tray with compartments can be used to display and store the loose parts to be used in play. I quite like using trays made out of natural materials like wood and seagrass as i always think we can display our materials in a beautiful way in these.

Here are some ideas of what you could use or re-use:

• A cutlery tray insert
• A chocolate box or biscuit box insert
• Bun trays
• Tie box
• Jewellery tray insert
• Desk drawer dividers
• Tool boxes
• Crafting boxes
• Cardboard box - glue in dividers
• Ice cube trays
• A tea bag caddy ...

I love maps and have got quite a collection now at home! As a child my grandparents would also have their maps and travel guides out and I used to be fascinated in looking at them. I would love going on long car journeys and following our route on the AA road map (before the time of Sat navs) and they would always give me such a sense of excitement. These days I love using maps for planning road trips around new places or finding a new Wainwright to walk in the Lake District.

Maps are a great way of creating that sense of Wanderlust in young children and there are many ways we can support this in our homes and learning environment. Perhaps having a world map on the wall with places pinned off that have been visited by someone we know, when visiting a local park with children encourage them to use a map to discover where they would like to go, a collection of maps in a basket in a book corner along with some travel guides and postcards, a globe to explore and lastly going on an...

What is a tinker tray?

Tinker trays are filled with open ended loose part materials that will spark curiosity, problem solving, critical thinking and imaginative play. The objects in the tray can be used in any way the child chooses and there is no set way that they should be used.  It is commonly used in the Reggio Emilia Approach to learning and can be adapted for a range of different ages and stages of development. 

Materials for a tinker tray

Any tray with compartments can be used to display and store the loose parts to be used in play. I quite like using trays made out of natural materials like wood and seagrass as i always think we can display our materials in a beautiful way in these. Here are some ideas of what you could use or re-use:

• A cutlery tray insert
• A chocolate box or biscuit box insert
• Bun trays
• Tie box
• Jewellery tray insert
• Desk drawer dividers
• Tool boxes
• Crafting boxes
• Ice cube trays
• A tea bag caddy   

Items ideas...