How To Get Reluctant Kids Out Into Nature

‘The Stick Book’ inspired a generation of children off the sofa and into the wilds, turning branches into bows, boats and broomsticks. Their new book, ‘Make This Book Wild’, is an interactive scrapbook that encourages families to daub its pages with mud, dress up a dragon with leaves, or to leave it out in a downpour to try rain painting

This is the eleventh book you’ve worked on together. How did you first meet?
Jo: “Our boys were friends. I trained as a photographer, had done a psychology degree, and was a teaching assistant.”

Fiona: “I did a college degree in ecology and then a PGCE. I worked in environmental education for a long time and then stopped to have a family. I was shocked by how many people didn’t go for walks with their children.”

Jo: “My son’s friends were getting to a point where they were disconnected from the natural world. They’d come to our house and not want to get stuck in. And I thought, we can do something fun here!”

Fiona: “Jo had been taking pictures of all the amazing adventures they’d been having and I’d been toying with the idea of writing something to get kids out and about. And so we decided to do a project together.”

What was the idea behind the book?
Jo: “That there are no rules. If you look at the natural world, nothing is ordered. It’s beautiful. I think it’s so important so show children that actually, there are many ways of doing things, not just one. The natural world is out there to be explored, but you do it your way.”

Fiona: “There are lots of books that children interact with, but they’re pretty regimented. This is more free. It becomes part of your outdoor adventure. You can stamp in a puddle, then in some mud and then stamp on the book.”

Jo: “We say that you’ve got to make this book happy, and it’s only happy when it’s outside. We’re hoping that children will take it with them and do things on the spot and not worry about it getting a bit dirty or messy. Although you can collect bits and do it inside if you want.”

It’s a really unusual format. Did that throw up any challenges?
Jo: “We had to think really hard what order the activities were in. If you’ve got a page that has to be really neat, writing a story or something, then you couldn’t have a mud picture on the other side! It took a lot of planning.”

It feels as if it could start a movement…?
Fiona: “We’re hoping that readers will share their creations online. That would be fun!”

Jo: “It would also work well in a classroom or home ed. You could work on it over a year; some pages are about noticing and collecting things over different seasons. It’s designed so some things take a long time, others only ten minutes. We’re expecting the book to get photocopied a lot! As long as it results in some wonderful experiences outdoors.”

What are your favourite activities?
Jo: “I like the ones where you make a bit of a mess in the book. Painting with nature, or creating berry beasties.”

Fiona: “I love the wild draughts and wild chess ideas, where you make your own beautiful pieces from nature over time.”

Why is it so vital to get children interested in nature?
Jo: “I’m an ecologist, and my starting point has always been that without future generations being aware of, loving the natural world, then we’re not going to have people in the future who want to care about it. And, as we all know, it’s becoming increasingly obvious that we rely on a healthy and balanced natural world.”

Fiona: “And we come from the angle that you have to have fun in it from an early age. It’s not about learning the exact names of butterflies or flowers, but about really enjoying the wild, noticing small things and being wowed by its wonder. If you feel that wonder, you’ll want to protect it in the future. And there are all the other health benefits for children too, of course.”

What tips do you have for getting kids out of the door and into nature?
Fiona: “I think you have to come up with something exciting. If you say, ‘Let’s go for a walk’, most children will groan. Whereas, if you say, ‘Let’s go and make some bows and arrows,’ my boys would be by the door! Once you’re out, children will usually find other things to do too. That’s what this book is about, practical suggestions of fun things to get them outside.

Jo: “Parents probably need to relax. Does it matter if your kids get muddy coats? No, we’ll just throw them in the wash!”

Make This Book Wild by Fiona Danks and Jo Schofield is published by Wide Eyed Editions £10.99 quarto.com