Structured around the 4 seasons, this guide to outdoor learning and activities is packed with kids games, crafts, and skills to encourage your young ones to get outdoors—come rain, shine, or snow.

The Forest School ethos of nature-based play and learning encourages children to develop confidence, self-esteem, and emotional intelligence—and it’s exactly what’s needed in an era when childhood problems such as obesity and anxiety are on the rise.

Building on the success of the bestselling Play the Forest School Way, here is a brilliant selection of brand-new games, crafts, and activities to get kids developing new skills and exploring the natural world all year round. Structured around the four seasons of the year, each chapter is full of step-by-step games and activities that harmonize with the weather and seasonal nature patterns, including nods to seasonal festivals such as Easter and Christmas. Activities include:

Spring: Nettle Soup; Wood-cookie-Man; Earth Day Birthday Cake; Dandelion and Lime Tea
Summer: Bark Masks; Blackberry Ink and Feather Quill Pens; Nature Watch; Animal Tag
Autumn: Evergreen Paintbrush; Baked Apples; Den Building; Leaf Stitching
Winter: Elf Carving; Compass Treasure Hunt; Charcoal Pencils; Animal Track Casts

At Forest School, children return to the same location again and again, building a lasting connection with a specific part of the natural world. Each of the four seasonal chapters in A Year of Forest School includes a description of an extended session (combining active and quieter activities, plus an idea for foraging/cooking), capturing this key part of Forest School play and providing inspiration for parties, themed learning days, and outdoor adventures.

Today’s Book of The Day is sponsored by this week’s Kids’ eBook of The Week:

A magical Christmas storybook the whole family will enjoy.

The Nutcracker Dreams picture book for children is a twist on the classic ballet and story The Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffman. This heartwarming sister adventure takes you on a journey full of wonder through magical lands of snow and sweets.

It’s the night before Christmas Eve, and two sisters still don’t have a present for their Grandma Clara. When Grandma Clara tells her granddaughters a bedtime story of her adventures in a mysterious and magical world and her long-lost nutcracker, the girls know just what to give her for Christmas… her missing nutcracker! The siblings must work together to embark on a quest through magical lands full of peril to bring back the perfect gift for their grandma.

Kids ages 4-8 will love the dreamy and lush photo illustrations in this traditional holiday storybook. This book makes the perfect Christmas gift for little ballerinas or anyone who loves dance.