specific ‘topic’ workshops for classes

As a leading expert and inspiration in creative outdoor learning Chris can put together ideas and activities to suit any topic and emphasis focus on core subjects.

Chris provides the following ‘off the shelf’ workshops that relate directly to National curriculum topics. So far he has done:

A sense of place – working with the senses, story and scrapbooks, map making, music from the landscape and historical poetry

Animals and us –  stories and animal forms – a whole day of exploration using art, music, dance, maths, and literacy to go along with the science

Australia – didgeridoo, stories and art

Celts – Making roundhouses, telling stories and looking how Celts perceived time and natural cycles

Containers – simple bark, willow and card containers inspired by traditional crafts from cultures around the world

Creation myths – storytelling and re-telling, making story sets and enacting the stories outside or inside

Cyclic patterns – land art based activity making circular maps

Egypt – shadoufs, stories and making a giant sculpture of the River Nile

Friction and forces – fire by friction, traps and shadoufs

Habitats and homes – storytelling, mini beasts and mini den making, big hut making

Keeping warm – How do we keep warm and how could we survive a night out in the woods – shelters, insulation, fire

Lifecycles – land art based sculptural interpretation of life cycles

Materials – what make a good survival shelter? how to build various kinds

Mother nature designer

Mountain environments  – Working with stories and looking at habitat change and weathering, ecosystems and hydrology

Myths and legends –storytelling from around the world and talk for write style re-telling and story set making

Our local area – Map making, music from the landscape, using many senses, working with a traditional story about creating a sense of place and belonging and timelines of local history

Patterns in nature – using patterns in nature to inspire poetry, music and land art, understanding ecotypes and developing a sense of place

Rainforests –  storytelling, learning about trees activities, blindfolded smell trail, acoustic worlds, making dreamcatchers, building a tree!

Rivers and watersheds – a trip along the River Otter or Lym with activities and observations along the way.

Shelters – making survival shelters and african huts – case study of looking at different types of traditional dwelling in Kenya

Stone Agestorytelling, creation myths, earth paint and stone tool making, working with animal skins

Survival skills day for year 5 & 6 –kickstarter for instructive writing

Tudors – looking at Tudor building techniques, Globe theatre, William Shakespeare and re-telling traditional tales

Victorians – activities and challenges include making mini railways, stations and bridges

Woodland walk – Tree ID, tree stories with activities along the way…may include a Gruffalo hunt.