Into the Woods

Slow down, look closer and listen. There’s a little adventure hiding around every tree.

You don’t need to travel far to become a forest explorer. A woodland path, a park or a tree-lined trail can be the start of a new discovery. Take a grown-up along and try these three little missions together.

The Leaf Detective

Can you spot three different leaf shapes? Look for one that is long, one that is round and one with a jagged edge. Notice their colours and patterns. Leave growing leaves on their branches and draw your favourites when you get home.

A Minute of Forest Music

Stand still somewhere safe and listen quietly for one minute. Can you hear a bird, rustling leaves or a twig moving in the breeze? Count the different sounds on your fingers. Which one would you like to hear again?

Who Passed This Way?

Look beside the path for clues: a footprint in soft mud, a nibbled pinecone or a feather on the ground. What might have left it there? You don’t need to know every answer. Look without touching, keep your distance from wildlife and leave each discovery where you found it.

My Forest Discovery

Back at home, take a blank sheet of paper and draw the most interesting thing you noticed.

I spotted…
I heard…
I wonder…

Give your drawing a title and add the date. It’s the first page of your own little nature journal!

Before You Set Off

Explore with a grown-up, dress for the weather and stay on marked paths. Never taste unknown plants or mushrooms. Take your litter home and leave the woodland as you found it.

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