A rich and abundant treasury in celebration of the outdoors, this book encourages children’s natural fascination with the forest and its inhabitants. The authors have produced an enchanting book where imagination, story and play bring alive the world of the forest. Full of games, facts, celebrations, craft activities, recipes, foraging, stories and Forest School skills, The Children’s Forest is much more than a manual: it is an invitation.
Ideal for ages 5-12 it will also be enjoyed by adults, families and younger children.

The book is organised into the eight Celtic seasons of Imbolc, Spring, Beltane, Summer, Lughnasa, Autumn, Samhain and Winter. Within each chapter are the following sections: The Life of the Forest; Plant Lore; Imaginary Journey; Tree Lore; Activities, crafts and games; Animals; Celebration. The appendices at the end of the book cover woodland skills, safety, the Ogham alphabet, story sources and further resources.

Dawn Casey is an author, mother and story-lover. She is inspired by the power and magic of tales of old, and the wonder of the natural world. Her collection of stories and activities, The Barefoot Book of Earth Tales, won the Gold Award from Nautilus for ‘books of exceptional merit that promote spiritual growth, conscious living and positive social change’.

Helen d’Ascoli is a founder of Talking Trees, a company dedicated to connecting people to nature. She has been practising Forest School education with children, community groups and schools for over ten years. Her mission is to create the next generation of conservationists. She works as a Forest School teacher, tutor and mentor.

Anna Richardson is a musician and artist. Co-author of Learning with Nature, she has been working as a Forest School leader with Talking Trees and Cultivating Curiosity for many years. She is a Forest School trainer with Circle of Life Rediscovery and specialises in plant lore. She collaboratively runs adult Nature Connection courses.

The foreword is by Jon Cree, one of the UK’s leading Forest School Trainers and former Chair of the Forest School Association.

“With this beautiful book – co-authored by Dawn Casey, Anna Richardson and Helen Ascoli – Hawthorn Press have scaled fresh heights in its vocation to put inspiring storytelling resources into our hands. There is naturally a practical aim at work in providing ‘stories and songs, wild food, crafts and celebrations all year round’. But this achieved with visual and verbal excellence.”– Donald Smith, Scottish International Storytelling Festival