BEING Outdoors CIC

We have been reflecting over the Easter holidays how best to support our local schools, families and community groups and organisations.

So we have decided to create a mix of skills ideas, a live Forest School inspired weekly session and some posts and videos around supporting our wellbeing during COVID-19.

We look forward to reconnecting with you all over the coming days and weeks.

Rachel & Graham

BEING AT HOME EASTER FOREST SCHOOL EASTER CAMPS IS HERE!!

We have put together some ideas to try – one for each day of the week – bringing a taste of our woodland holiday camps into your home!

We hope you find these easy to try with your children and most importantly lots of fun.

We would also love to see a photo of you having a go at these so do post and share.

We can’t wait to see all the Forest School Easter fun that you get up to!

Rachel & Graham

Next up for supporting independent play is a loose parts nature box.

Loose parts are simply pieces of materials that you can find on the ground either in your garden or on your daily walk – fallen leaves, sticks, twigs, stones, shells, seeds, pine cones, feathers to name but a few.

Why not collect some on your next walk or when you are in your garden – you’ll be surprised at what you can find.

Then let the children’s imagination flow as they create fairy homes, dens, bug hotels, stick swords or wands and use them in their imaginative play.

Enjoy your brew as they immerse themselves in their play!

As we embark on a new week and new routines we thought we would share ideas for encouraging some independent play – keeping the children happy and hopefully the chance for adults to breathe!

The is for all those children who are missing their muddy Forest School fun! Just grab those pots, pans, cutlery and containers that you don’t use from the cupboards, find a space where you can access top soil and mix with water to get your mud!

And why not create your mud kitchen in your bath if you can’t access a garden at the moment for endless water play with pots and pans!

You could also grab some resources like sticks, stones,cones, seeds etc on your daily walk and add them for all sorts of creative play.

And off you go….ENJOY!

With the changes to our daily lives anxiety can easily run high. Here’s a great mindful experience to help bring you back to the present and hopefully feel a bit more relaxed.

You can do this in your outdoor space at home, in a relaxing space inside or just by looking outside through your favourite window.

Making sure you are comfortable – find a good chair to sit on, grab a rug or cushion or sit on your lawn – spend as much time as you are happy doing on each sense working down from 5 to 1.

• 5 things you can see
• 4 things you can touch
• 3 things you can hear
• 2 things you can smell
• 1 thing you can taste

You can also replace taste with ‘how you feel’ if that works better for you.

Enjoy getting back to the present and hopefully feeling a bit more grounded.

If you are self isolating today with your children why not pop out into your garden with their favourite cuddly toy and build them a den out of whatever you can find. Once built there will be endless opportunities for adventures.

No outdoor space – sheets, boxes and pegs are just as much fun for creating dens.

Enjoy.

#wellbeing #connection

So as we start a new way of schooling we have been pondering how best to support our lovely schools, families and the local community with your wellbeing during these uncertain times.

So here we have our new blog -something I have wanted to start up for ages but never had enough time!!!!!

We know how important spending time together as a family outdoors and connecting with nature is in supporting your mental and physical health so we will be posting ideas on how to connect with nature in your back garden, at home, or if you go for a walk (of course following current social distancing advice).

We would also love to hear from you about the experiences that you have enjoyed together so do share your comments.

Lets get blogging!!

Rachel & Graham