Woodland Games

[docsquid]

It is coming up to the school summer holidays, and I wondered if anybody would like to share here any games for children to play in the woods. I know children often like to just run about, but the children who visit our woods also like some structured games. One I have played with them is memory sticks (not the electronic kind). A stick has some twine tied to one end. Children can then pick up things that they find on a walk around the woods and wind it onto the stick with the twine. Afterwards, they can recount the story of their walk using the things they have found as a prompt. The Beavers enjoyed that when they visited, and some children specialised - one with feathers, the other with leaves.

Any other good games that you play?

[treebloke]

My grandkids like to make mud monsters, helps if you have a bit of clay on site for the body and head, obviously there will be plenty of twigs for legs and leaves for ears.

[Keith Williams]

Building dens, lighting fires and using knives seem to be what kids like most - all need good supervision (plus an adult who knows what they're doing) and a first aid kit to hand (plenty of cold water with fires)!

Also for formal games try

http://www.welshwildlife.org/attachments/env%20games%20lesson%20plan.pdf

For older kids, identifying tracks, identifying trees/flora, silent movement games with a blindfolded victim the others must creep up on - or do this at night. Camouflaging themselves with mud/ash and leaves if you don't mind the clean up afterwards.

[Keith Williams]

and http://pathfinder-uk.com/1723-2/