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It’s time to take a thoughtful approach to bullying
In a post on her ‘Free Range Kids’ blog last week, Lenore Skenazy questions whether the US is in the midst of a ‘bullying crisis’. She quotes statistics from a piece in the Wall Street Journal that...
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The school where kids can build dens
Last week I visited a school where the students can build dens freely, any time they want, during breaks between lessons. In case you were wondering, Berwick Fields Primary School in City of Casey,...
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Join me on a tour of some of London’s most playful places
Glamis Adventure Playground This post is an invitation to join me – and some kindred spirits – in September, for London’s first ever ‘Open for Play’ event. The programme includes site visits to some of...
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A message to all those promoting outdoor learning
This weekend saw the launch of the Forest School Association, a new national body for those working in UK Forest School settings. I have agreed to be the patron of this new body. Sadly I was not able...
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Child reads own school report that says she cannot read
Last Friday I spoke with a parent from a local primary school about her 6-year-old daughter’s school report. The report stated that her daughter “has not met the expected standard for the Year 1...
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“To be nowhere at home but in life itself”
Here are some finely crafted lines on the role of adults in children’s education, from the German poet H H Dreiske: One should teach children to dance on a tightrope without a safety net, to sleep at...
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When anxious parents are the problem, what is the solution?
How should schools, nurseries, kindergartens and other education, childcare and play services respond to anxious parents? I was asked this question recently by an Australian early years educator who...
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It’s health and safety gone sane!
I see what you did there. So I take it you are not about to share another crazy story about kids being wrapped in cotton wool. Indeed not. Today is a good day for getting rid of the white fluffy stuff....
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The low-cost, anytime bug hunt kit
Want to offer your kids – or the kids you work with – a simple, cheap way to get closer to nature? Just follow these three simple steps. 1: get yourself down to your nearest health clinic to...
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“Sort it out for yourself” – sound advice, or too much to ask?
How do schools and other settings help children to deal with arguments and disputes? And are some well-meaning approaches doing more harm than good? A young Australian who I met on my recent visit...
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A revealing tale of rope swings and insurance (that ends well)
A few weeks ago I was approached by outdoor educator Mandy Tulloch, who told me that some insurers were getting into a bit of a tangle about rope swings. As you will see, her story held some revealing...
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Supporting a balanced approach to risk in schools: what I am doing, and how...
I am pleased to announce that this Autumn, I will be putting on some training on risk, targeted at schools. The workshops, organised by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom (CLOtC), will look...
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Think the Scandinavians have succeeded in reconnecting children with nature?...
Earlier this month I went to Denmark to give a speech at the Nordic Adventure conference, whose theme was reconnecting children with nature. It was not my first visit to the region. I can clearly...
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Is technology the enemy of an outdoor childhood?
Technology has an ever greater role in children’s lives, and its effects are the focus of ever more heated debate. It is easy for advocates of nature, outdoor play and everyday childhood freedoms to...
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Help build the policy case for play
This post asks for your help in building the case for play. I am writing a report – aimed at Government – that gathers together evidence for the difference that play facilities and initiatives can make...
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Crowdfunded campaign aims to give every child access to forest schools
I have long been a fan of – and cheerleader for – the forest school movement. That is why I am happy to give my support to Love Trees Love Wood – a new crowdfunding initiative that aims to spread its...
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My new report ‘The Play Return’ makes a powerful case to policy makers
Click image for pdf Today – the 27th annual Playday – sees the publication of my evidence review, entitled The Play Return: A review of the wider impact of play initiatives. As reported on the BBC...
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Seeking stories of the Kidzfield at Glastonbury
Can you help me find people whose lives have taken a different direction after going to the Kidzfield at the Glastonbury Festival? I am doing some work for the Kidzfield organisers, and am looking for...
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All party group puts play at the heart of proposed child health strategy
Positive news from parliament for the first time in a long time, with the launch of a new report on play from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on a Fit and Healthy Childhood. Central to the report is...
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Sir Ken Robinson speaks on outdoor play
Educationalist Sir Ken Robinson, known to millions for his work on creativity in schools, yesterday shared his thoughts on outdoor play. The 20-minute talk, in a video recorded as part of the Dirt is...
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