INSPIRED FOREST SCHOOL KIT LIST
Here is a comprehensive Forest School Leader kit list. All of the equipment here has been put to the test by the most important customers in Forest School, the children! This Forest School kit is used daily and has been selected by a team of Forest School Leaders alongside the children who take part in sessions. Any questions, just drop us an email: info@InspiredForestSchoolTraining.co.uk
Whittling | Fire Lighting | Cooking | Den building | Tools | Books | Other essentials
Natural Mindfulness: Your personal guide to the healing power of Nature Connection
An easy-to-use guide that offers a Natural and Mindful path back to yourself.
Written by creator of Natural Mindfulness, and friend of Inspired Forest School Ian Banyard, let your journey begin with this journal style book.
SMALL, STRONG POPCORN MAKER
Priced around one pound, these small, strong metal sieves are the right size and weight for a home-made popcorn maker. Use a smaller stick and allow a few to cook around the fire at the same time.
Muurikka Griddle Pan
This wonderful griddle pan from Finland is a staple in Scandinavian gardens, offering cooking over an open fire on a larger scale. Treat the pan like cast iron, baking vegetable oil in to produce a dark patina (non stick) and provide long life.
Whittling – to carve into an object, usually wood, repeatedly cutting small slices with a knife or blade
Using the best, sharpest equipment provides Forest School users with the best chance to achieve in their small, achievable tasks. That is why we recommend the use of high quality kit.
MIGHTY MORA CARVING
Designed for woodcarving with a thin tapered edge of laminated steel, oiled birchwood handle complete with plastic storage case.
CLEVER QUICK-GRIP CLAMP
This tool was recommended to us, and demonstrated by Charles of Touchwood Crafts. Imagine a situation where you need to hold some wood tightly to drill/saw. A clamp is quick, simple to use and robust
OBVIOUSLY OPINEL LOCK KNIFE
If Opinel is the only name for you when you whittle, then this sharp lock-knife is the one to add to your kit list. We prefer to use the Mora knives at our setting, but many visiting Forest School Leaders have commented that the Opinel is the one for them - your choice!
WHITTLING WONDER HANDBOOK
Are you ready to take your wood crafting skills to another level? This book is perfect to give you and your students the ideas needed to take your whittling to its next stage. Please share your pictures of what you create!
LOCKED METAL KNIFE BOX
Keep your knife locked away in a box that you only have the key for. It fits inside the toolbox too. This is not a requirement, but useful if you want to take out just your knives and not the entire tool box.
WET SANDPAPER – TO CLEAN
Use this sandpaper to keep your tools looking their best. We use this after every whittling session to keep the blades sharp
SHARP SKILLS KNIFE
This Mora knife is made in Sweden and used by the local children as they take part in whittling (as seen in the video). The choice of tool is up to you and your setting.
SPOON CURVED CARVING KNIFE
If your whittling has advanced, and you would like to take on the next challenge, then a spoon carving knife if the next step for you.
RIGHT SIZED RIGGER GLOVES (MEDIUM)
Glove too small, gloves not tough enough…we’ve tried them all. We found that these gloves are a good size to fit small hands but also those with bigger hands. These are suitable for KS1, KS2 and adults
WOOD HANDLED PEELER
Having tried a number of brands and materials, we prefer the wooden handle and quality blade of this peeler. The handle is also thinner than some, perfect for smaller hands needing good grip when whittling.
Cooking – the practice or skill of preparing food by combining, mixing, and heating ingredients.
Forest School is a wonderful opportunity to cook outside and provide students with the skills to utilise their skills at fire lighting. With a range of tools that are fit for purpose, the Forest School Leader can enable learners to achieve by progressing the outcomes from a marshmallow to bread.
SMALL, STRONG POPCORN MAKER
Priced around one pound, these small, strong metal sieves are the right size and weight for a home-made popcorn maker. Use a smaller stick and allow a few to cook around the fire at the same time.
Muurikka Griddle Pan
This wonderful griddle pan from Finland is a staple in Scandinavian gardens, offering cooking over an open fire on a larger scale. Treat the pan like cast iron, baking vegetable oil in to produce a dark patina (non stick) and provide long life.
8 EXCELLENT EXTENDABLE FORKS
Highest quality FDA APPROVED power welded forks use Non-Toxic 18/8 304 STAINLESS STEEL to ensure no rusting & safe roasting. These are perfect for cooking damper, marshmallows, toast, sausages...
CAST IRON OVER FIRE GRILL
A cast iron over fire grill for use when cooking on a fire. This product is high quality, made of cast iron for durability and would be a wonderful addition to a Forest School kit list
OVER THE FIRE GRILL
This over the fire grill is strong, folds up nicely and can be used to cook over a fire at a regulated height. Perfect for korv (swedish for sausage) and many other small, achievalbe cooking tasks.
FRIENDLY FIRE PIT
At 870mm diameter this fire pit is perfect for use in a Forest School setting where a permanent Fire Pit area is not an option.
RED HOT WELDERS GLOVES
A pair of these is vital for your fire lighting tub. These can withstand serious heat and so can be used to move pots and pans and logs too
TOUGH THREE LEGGED TRIPOD
A tripod will allow you to cook using the Dutch Oven and hang a kettle too. Not an essential, but makes cooking much easier!
DELICIOUS DUTCH OVEN
What shall we cook today. Nettle tea, bread, soup, even tye dye t-shirts. This works best with a tripod or a grill to keep it off the fire
CAST IRON COOKING PAN
Perfect for cooking on the open fire and easy to clean. Remember to read the instructions on how to care for this versatile product.
Den Building – the lair or shelter of a wild animal, especially a predatory mammal or an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
Using high quality tarpaulins, of a usable size, and a good choice of rope/string, a Forest School Leader can provide participants with the kit needed to construct a good den. Offering images of potential tarp configurations can promote more successful outcomes.
3m x 3m EASY USE TARP
A 3 metre x 3 metres waterproof, light-weight and high quality tarp. This order includes the guy lines and pegs for creating dens and shelters. Most importantly, it is GREEN so it blends in with nature. Blue is so last year!
JUST BETTER JUTE TWINE
A natural product - made from hemp - that you can use as an alternative to para cord for knots in Forest School. This will also biodegrade and is more obvious due to its colour
TARPS
Choose from these tarps to find a size that fits you and your setting. Too large and the children will find them hard to work with. Too small and they may prove
HARD-WEARING HANGING HAMMOCK
We have owned a couple of these for a long time now. Easy to assemble and take down and comfy to use.
COOL CAMMO NET
These nets are great for a number of purposes including den building and creation of spaces for the children to enjoy. They also cover up unsightly equipment quickly and easily!
PERFECT PARACORD
This extra strong rope can be used in a number of situations. Always be aware that it blends in with surroundings and can be a hazard if tied at head height – always risk aware! 🙂
Tools – a device or implement, especially one held in the hand, used to carry out a particular function.
Forest School without risk taking opportunities is just not the real thing! Here we list the tool that we use with our child, aged 3 and upwards, with varying levels of support. Once they gain our trust, the tools provide wonderful chances to grow confidence and build resilience.
ELECTRIC SCREWDRIVER/DRILL
If hand drills aren't for you and your setting then think about an electric drill. The slow speed allows control and precision when drilling with your students and the bits that come with it allow you to double up as a screwdriver.
LOVELY LAPLANDER FOLDING SAW
A different product to the one used on training, but this is a higher spec - Sandvik blade. It also boasts anon-stick clade coating helps blade glide thorough even the most difficult materials and a Bahco XT toothing that cuts in both directions.
MAGNIFICENT MASSIVE MALLET
A rubber mallet to bang in steaks, use with 'Billy Billhook' and for knocking pegs into the ground. A heavy bit of kit for the kids to use, but a necessity as a leader.
PERFECT FOR PRUNING SAW
Always handy if the branch is too thick for the secateurs or for sawing smaller branches with the toolbox
FISKARS FINE SECATEURS
Fiskars Smart Fit is a great multi-purpose pruner for pruning thicker and thinner branches. A great price for a quality product and always useful in your toolkit
SHARPENING STONE
Keep your tools nice and sharp the professional way. Use this stone to maintain tools and make them easier to use.
PROTECTIVE PADLOCK
Use a padlock to keep your tool box locked safe. These simple padlocks fit onto the box nicely and use a three digit code for quick access and locking.
TOTALLY STRONG TOOLBOX
This toolbox is strong, secure, large and waterproof. You can place a padlock on to make sure that it complies with safety standards regarding storage of tools. Please be aware that the larger sized bow saw listed on this page will not fit inside this box.
WET SANDPAPER – TO CLEAN
Use this sandpaper to keep your tools looking their best. We use this after every whittling session to keep the blades sharp
SHORT SHARP CHOPPING AXE
Just the job for splitting logs for kindling or preparing some tinder sticks for fire lighting. A quality name and a sturdy product.
EXTENDABLE LONG LOPPERS
A perfect friend to help you to clear the Forest School site, chop smaller branches into whittling lengths or prepare sticks for kindling. The children enjoy pushing an arm each and observing the power of the loppers!
BRILLIANT BAHCO BOW SAW (21″)
Pull, pull, pull. This light-weight bow saw is just the right size for two to use when sawing wood. It comes complete with a blade cover and you can replace the blade to keep it sharp and safe to use.
BLADE SHARP BILLHOOK
A billhook can be used effectively as a coppicing tool as well as for splitting wood in the traditional Forest School way. This tool does not come with a sheath, but a length of hose could be used (although we don't use one as it lives in our tool box).
Fire -a collection of fuel, especially coal or wood, burnt in a controlled way to provide heat or a means for cooking.
Fire lighting has allowed man to reach the level of society we have today. Correctly used, it can provide fantastic learning situations and become, as one child told me the other day, ‘nature’s T.V’. Once students have mastered cotton wool, move on to find natural tinder, such as birch bark, to enhance their experiences.
Muurikka Griddle Pan
This wonderful griddle pan from Finland is a staple in Scandinavian gardens, offering cooking over an open fire on a larger scale. Treat the pan like cast iron, baking vegetable oil in to produce a dark patina (non stick) and provide long life.
DIGITAL WOOD WATER METER
Wood contains water. If you are looking for the best wood for a fire, you need wood that has less than 20% water content. This tool will instantly tell you the % water content of any stick or log. Use this to sort wood in your setting and help create success around the fire pit.
FSC APPROVED FIRELIGHTERS
Eco friendly, naturally based fire lighters approved by the Forest Stewardship Council. If your fire needs a little help to get going, but you don't want to use petrol based firelighters then these are a wonderful, albeit more expensive, alternative. They are also safe to handle as they ar made from vegetable fats.
FRIENDLY FIRE PIT
At 870mm diameter this fire pit is perfect for use in a Forest School setting where a permanent Fire Pit area is not an option.
BUY BULK MARSHMALLOWS
Buy them in bulk and never be without a bag, simple as that. Not Halal approved.
JUST A FIRE BLANKET
Ensure that you have one of these next to your fire pit at all times.
EASY GRIP FIRE STEEL
Having tried a number of brands and materials, we prefer the wooden handle and quality blade of this peeler. The handle is also thinner than some, perfect for smaller hands needing good grip when whittling.
Fuss Free Cotton Wool
A big bag of fluffy tinder to use when fire lighting. It is always worth
buying a few bags as they are cheap, perfect for the job and easy to store.
Essential – fundamental or central to the nature of something or someone.
This list of tools, equipment and some random items has been created as a reference to pick and choose from. Of course, what is essential is one setting wont be useful in another. Click and read the description of the items, and if you need further details about their use, just email us!
MULTI COLOURED MAGNIFYING GLASS
4 large, strong magnifying glasses to get a close up view of mini beasts
BRILLIANT BAT DETECTOR
These wonderful tools allow you to identify and hear the wonders of echolocation as the bats communicate and hunt in the darkness.
REPTILE SURVEY REFUGIA
Increase the chances of finding reptiles in your Forest School area with this corrugated bitumen roofing panel, used by professionals when surveying reptiles. The product is non toxic and should be sited in a sunny spot to attract reptiles. Please use a stick to lift the panel gently in case of snakes.
TERRIFIC TWO IN ONE SHARPENER
Fiskars, the trusted Swedish brand, have produced this popular axe and knife sharpening tool that is both easy to use and store.
VERY SHINY VACUUM JUG
Stainless steel vacuum jug to keep water hot for that all important hot chocolate treat. You can also use this to store soup, cold water or squash to warm for a chat at basecamp.
BULK PACK OF ICE PACKS
Buy these in a bulk pack to save costs and always have a few in your First Aid bag at the ready.
INDIVIDUAL MOUNTAIN WHISTLE
Use a whistle that makes a different noise to the otheres. Very easy for the children to hear above all of the fun and learning that is going on.
SHARPENING STONE
Keep your tools nice and sharp the professional way. Use this stone to maintain tools and make them easier to use.
WONDERFUL WALKIE TALKIES
Walkie Talkies are a great bit of kit for that quick communication with those indoors. It makes you feel more confident as a leader and enables ‘those inside’ to contact you without coming outside
PROTECTIVE PADLOCK
Use a padlock to keep your tool box locked safe. These simple padlocks fit onto the box nicely and use a three digit code for quick access and locking.
COOL CAMMO NET
These nets are great for a number of purposes including den building and creation of spaces for the children to enjoy. They also cover up unsightly equipment quickly and easily!
DURABLE DRY BAG (5L)
We use these to store first aid kits, gloves for tools use and even blindfolds. Different colours for each and they can all stay out even if it rains. If the listed item is still out of stock then scroll down and select a different colour.
TOUGH TUBB TRUGG
These plastic containers are durable and perfect to carry out all of your whittling or fire kit in one go!
SUN PRINT PAPER
Transfer nature onto paper with this small, achievable task. It is a wonder to see what can be created by some leaves, sticks and conkers
ALL-GOOD AIR DRY CLAY
A large (heavy) bag of air dry clay for Blobster making, Tree Face creating, jewelery making or whatever else the children think of. Lasts a long time.
COMFY KNEELING PAD
Used when fire lighting, this pad not only provides comfort for the user but also defines the fire lighting stations around a fire pit.
BLUE ROPE REALLY LONG
100m of blue rope won’t go far, but offers a clear and visible boundary for the children and you to work with. It is also great when rolled onto an old hose pipe reel for quick use.
Books – fundamental or central to the nature of something or someone.
There are books and then there a books that are worth reading. Here we list the books that have helped us, and our student Forest School Leaders, on the journey. They are full of easy to read ideas and factual theory behind the Forest School ethos.
Natural Mindfulness: Your personal guide to the healing power of Nature Connection
An easy-to-use guide that offers a Natural and Mindful path back to yourself.
Written by creator of Natural Mindfulness, and friend of Inspired Forest School Ian Banyard, let your journey begin with this journal style book.
A Year Of Forest School
A brand new book from the publishers of another title we highly recommend. This new publication was released in May 2018 and is full of the best ideas, laid out in a way that makes sense. #topbook
FOREST SCHOOL ADVENTURE : Play ideas for children
Learn how to light a fire without matches, build a shelter to sleep in, cook on a fire, hunt for bugs and much more. From essential bushcraft basics and Stone Age survival skills to joyful outdoor play, this book is packed with ideas to bring your little ones closer to nature and all its magical offerings.
Hoot Owl :: Teaching resilience
Hoot Owl by Sean Taylor is a fun book to be enjoyed by children of all ages with a strong message of resilience. Have a look at the 'Look Inside' option on Amazon and enjoy sharing this wonderful story with your group.
Developing a Forest School in Early Years Provision
This book explains what 'Forest School' really means and combines theory with practice on the importance of play and risk. It is an invaluable training manual for those studying to be a Forest School leader or practitioner and includes case studies from professionals.
101 Things for Kids to do Outside
Packed with games, projects, crafts, experiments and gardening inspiration, 101 Things for Kids to do Outside will have your children racing out to try something new. The huge selection of ideas covers all four seasons and ranges from quick 10-minute activities to a full day of fun.
PLAY THE FOREST SCHOOL WAY
Play The Forest School Wayis the first book to share Forest School games, crafts and skill-building activities with families, its magical illustrations and simple instructions drawing children easily into a world of wonder.
STICK BOOK ::: Forest School Ideas
‘A beautiful and inspiring book, bursting with practical suggestions which will appeal to every child’s imagination. I wanted to rush out to my nearest wood immediately!’
Julia Donaldson, author of The Gruffalo.
THE ORIGINAL FOREST SCHOOL
This book is a dream to read. It was written by one of the original pioneers of Forest School (as seen and discussed on the course) and provides the reader with a well documented and powerful insight into the reasoning behind everything we do.
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