As the season’s turn and the clocks fall back we have witnessed more people gaining inspiration from The Children’s Forest. The charming stories and activities for the outdoors are divided into eight spells of the calendar Imbolc, Spring, Beltane, Summer, Lughnasa, Autumn, Samhain, Winter.
The book inspires a sense of awe and a deepening fascination with all things natural , a great antidote to an indoor life, and just what may be needed to encourage children out into the wilds as the weather becomes cooler.
We’re now entering Samhain (pronounced SOW-in or SAH-win), half way between the Autumn and Winter Equinox and considered the Celtic New Year, or what we now call Halloween or 31st October.
Kevin Crossley-Holland is a Carnegie medal-winning writer, winner of The Mal Peet Children’s Award at the East Anglian Book Awards, 2019, is a seasoned specialist in retelling folktales, British folklore and poet. Crossley-Holland, best known for the Arthur Trilogy, a fresh look at the legend of the round table, and is a fan of The Children’s Forest;
“The Children’s Forest may be the most joyful book I’ve ever come across. The fruit of many seasons of quiet research, writing, illustrating and assembling, this cornucopia of stories and songs, activities and fascinating information is as timely as it is beautifully produced, and from the moment you engage with it, you’ll be aware of its vision, its wisdom, and the crucial lifelines that connect us to the natural world.” Kevin Crossley-Holland
Glennie Kindred, author of Walking with Trees and other books on Earth wisdom and natural lore is also a fan of The Children’s Forest;
“This delightful and deeply connecting book is an inspiration and call to all, to immerse ourselves in the forest, amongst the trees and the plants that have so many gifts to share with us. It speaks from the intelligence of Nature, which makes this important landmark book a profound breath of fresh forest air. Herein lies a rich treasure of beauty, creativity, and understanding that encourages true deep connection with the natural world of the forest. At this time when so many are hearing the call to return to a deeper relationship with Nature, this book has something for us all, children and adults alike. I highly recommend it.“
Forest School teachers and Nature Connections have found this book an invaluable resource for keeping their sessions enervating. Jon Cree, Forest School Association Director and ecological educator wrote of The Children’s Forest;
“This book is full of seasonal nature-connecting activity that will help children rediscover our Celtic connections to the land in contemporary times. It will help create a sense our ‘place in space and time’, seasonally and in the ‘forest’ community, a pressing need in our changing times.”
The Children’s Forest
