Books

his book is a complete guide to Forest School provision and Nature Pedagogy and it examines the models, methods, worldviews and values that underpin teaching in nature. Cree and Robb show how a robust Nature Pedagogy can support learning, behaviour, and physical and emotional wellbeing, and, importantly, a deeper relationship with the natural world. They offer an overview of what a Forest School programme could look like through the year.

The Muddy Puddle Teacher gives you everything you need to create an engaging, active and inclusive outdoor curriculum for your Early Years setting.

Based on the well-loved Muddy Puddle Teacher Approach and following the Three Muddy M’s – mother nature, mental health and getting more kids moving – this handbook is jam-packed with simple outdoor activities for every season. Whether you’re a forest school enthusiast or just getting started in taking your teaching outside, there are plenty of inspiring ideas to benefit children and save you hours of preparation time.

The stick is a universal toy. Totally natural, all-purpose, free, it offers limitless opportunities for outdoor play and adventure and it provides a starting point for an active imagination and the raw material for transformation into almost anything!

Kids will love this watercolour illustrated book packed with outdoor and nature-related craft projects! When children are outside and interacting with nature, they learn lots about the world through fun, creativity and skill-building. Tiny Explorers: Into the Wild is a book for children of all ages.

This fully revised edition of Understanding the Danish Forest School Approach is a much needed source of information for those wishing to extend and consolidate their understanding of the Danish Forest School Approach. It enables analysis of the essential elements of this particular approach to early childhood teaching and the relationship it holds with quality early years practice.

This June GMC Publications are delighted to bring out a new outdoor activity and green crafting book for families and children. Urban Forest School authors Naomi Walmsley and Dan Westall are bushcraft experts, forest school teachers and authors of the bestselling Forest School Adventure. Their first book focused on Forest School education in forests but this new book brings the action to towns and cities and shows it doesn’t matter where you live so long as there are gardens, parks, trees and green spaces there will be a way to share and enjoy the natural world with you children.

Both Dan and Naomi are parents and have a wealth of experience when it comes to educating children and parents about how to make the most of the great outdoors whether you live in the countryside, suburbs or a city.​ You don’t need a woodland to be able to hunt for bugs. You don’t need a garden to make mud pies, you don’t need a vast green space to play games and you don’t need fields and meadows to look for plants and wildlife. You can create your own nature space or, even better, spend some time searching it out. You may be surprised by what you see around you.

Discover the secrets of the seasons in this complete collection of all four What To Look For titles.

I’m thrilled to tell you about a new book from forest school practitioner Richard Irvine, author of GMC Publications’ bestseller Forest Craft. Wild Days (March 2021, RRP £16.99) is the perfect guide for forest school teachers and families – packed with advice, useful tips and simple step-by-step instructions, all accompanied by inspirational photographs, this book will prove useful to novices and experienced outdoors-people alike. With many parents home-educating this last year many families may be looking to provide a more diverse education this spring away from screens… if so this will be your go-to book, and if you’re concerned about allowing children to use tools all the safety advice you could need is in here backed up by the wealth of Richard’s knowledge and practical experience as an outdoors craft educator and as a parent.

Richard has been a joy to work with and is a wonderful teacher – he really knows what he’s talking about. “Every day can be a wild day. The wilderness is not always on our doorstep, but little bits of wild nature can be found everywhere – whether you live in a bustling city or its suburbs, or close to farms, forest or on the coast. There are adventures to be hard in parks, on city streets, canal tow-paths, riverbanks, beaches, woods, moorland and country walks. All that is needed is a bit of curiosity and maybe a guide like this book.” – Richard Irvine.