Rewilding Children’s Imaginations 99 Creative Activities Inspired by Nature and Folktales from Around the World

Rewilding Children’s Imaginations is a practical and creative resource designed to engage children in the natural world through folktales, storytelling, and artmaking. The guide introduces 21 folklore stories from across the world alongside 99 creative activities, spanning nature and the four seasons of the year. Using the lens of folktales and myths of the land, children are encouraged to explore a variety of activities and exercises across different arts media, from visual art making to storytelling, drama, and movement. This resource: Helps teachers and group facilitators to build confidence in offering a range of creative learning experiences, inspired by nature. Provides a collection of easy-to-use, cross-curricular and storytelling activities. Allows children to connect with nature, their imagination, and folktales from around the world. Builds new skills in oracy, artmaking, collaboration, wellbeing, care of the environment, diversity, respect, and tolerance, and more. Inspires children to tell stories and make art both individually and collaboratively, helping them build confidence as active creators in their community. Shares creative tools and positive learning experiences to inspire children, teachers, and parents across the school year. Rewilding Children’s Imaginations brings together nature, art, and oral storytelling in easy and accessible ways to help children connect with the world around them, as well as with their own emotional landscapes. It is essential and enjoyable reading for primary teachers and early years professionals, outdoors practitioners, therapists, art educators, community and youth workers, home schoolers, parents, carers, and families.

Acknowledgements Foreword Introduction to Rewilding Children’s Imaginations Chapter 1 - Benefits of creative nature-inspired learning for children Chapter 2 – How folktales and oral storytelling can support children Chapter 3 – How artmaking creates a bridge with nature Chapter 4 – Introduction to Folktales, Storytelling and Creative Activities Chapter 5 - Folktales Conclusion Links to organisations Sources of folktales References and bibliography

Pia Jones is an author, creative workshop facilitator and integrative arts psychotherapist, having trained at The Institute for Arts in Therapyand Education. Pia has worked with children and adults in a variety of school, health, and community settings. A love for myth, art, and nature underpins her practice. Sarah Pimenta is an artist, educator, creative workshopfacilitator, illustrator, and lecturer in creativity. She has delivered art and print-making workshops in over 250 schools, diverse communities, and public venues internationally. Nature and social change are huge inspirations in her art and creative workshops. Tamsin Cooke is an internationally published and award-winning children’s author, workshop facilitator, and former primary school teacher. She designs and runs innovative creative writing and drama workshops in schools across the UK and globally online.