On the first day of preschool, a little girl misses her mother, but on the second day she is excited to go back.

"Based on the TV series 'Dora the explore' as seen on Nick Jr."--P. [4] of cover.

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.

This comprehensive social game book is an eye-opening analysis of the behavioral dynamics of children in the contemporary classroom. It includes over 75 interactive, fun, social games and shows you how to effectively lead Social Play sessions in the classroom. Research has proven that this method of improving social skills actually increases test scores by 30%, because students become less antagonistic, more cooperative and more capable of increased attentiveness. Contains the secrets to enriching the entire school environment.

Woodland games, crafts, and other outdoor adventures from the Forest School—for parents and their children The rise of the grassroots Forest School movement in recent years is part of a groundswell of concern about the wellbeing of our children, with many media scare stories about child obesity, "nature deficit disorder" (as described in Last Child in the Woods), and lack of exposure to risk. This outdoor adventure manual is the antidote! Packed full of ideas, from making nature jewelry and whittling a bow and arrow, to building a shelter and foraging for food, it also celebrates the Forest School philosophy of encouraging self-esteem, confidence, and social skills through engagement with nature. The activities contain variations for varied age groups, small groups like play dates or birthday parties, as well as things to do with just one or two children. Parents are encouraged to guide the play but the activity instructions are written in a simple style with fun illustrations so that kids can take the lead as well.

A thorough revision of the essential guide to using play therapy in schools Fully updated and revised, School-Based Play Therapy, Second Edition presents an A-to-Z guide for using play therapy in preschool and elementary school settings. Coedited by noted experts in the field, Athena Drewes and Charles Schaefer, the Second Edition offers school counselors, psychologists, social workers, and teachers the latest techniques in developing creative approaches to utilize the therapeutic powers of play in schools. The Second Edition includes coverage on how to implement a play therapy program in school settings; play-based prevention programs; individual play therapy approaches as well as group play; and play therapywith special populations, such as selectively mute, homeless, and autistic children. In addition, nine new chapters have been added with new material covering: Cognitive-behavioral play therapy Trauma-focused group work Training teachers to use play therapy Filled with illustrative case studies and ready-to-use practical techniques and suggestions, School-Based Play Therapy, Second Edition is an essential resource for all mental health professionals working in schools.