A collection of festive, nature-based outdoor activities inspired by Forest School principles. Ideal for Early Years and KS1 practitioners.
🎄 1. Natural Christmas Decorations
Use fallen natural materials to create environmentally friendly festive decorations.
Materials: sticks, pinecones, leaves, berries, twine.
Activities:
- Stick stars tied with twine.
- Pinecone ornaments with added ribbon.
- Leaf garlands (thread using large needles or pipe cleaners).
EYFS Links: Expressive Arts & Design, Fine Motor Skills.
🎅 2. Woodland Christmas Scavenger Hunt
Encourage children to explore the outdoors through a festive treasure hunt.
Find items such as:
- Something red
- A star shape
- A spiky object
- Something that smells like Christmas
Extension: Create your own festive clues.
EYFS Links: Communication & Language, Understanding the World.
🌲 3. Christmas Tree Building Challenge
Children use loose natural parts to construct their own mini outdoor trees.
Materials: sticks, stones, evergreen clippings (fallen), mud.
Task: Build a Christmas tree shape on the ground using only nature.
EYFS Links: Maths (shapes), Creativity.
❄️ 4. Winter Nature Collage
Create collages inspired by winter colours and textures.
Materials: blu tack/cardboard bases, natural finds.
Prompt: “Create a picture that feels like winter using textures you can find.”
🦌 5. Reindeer Footprint Trail
Make animal prints to create a reindeer trail for storytelling.
Materials: mud trays, sticks to carve shapes.
Extension: Children follow the trail to find a “lost present.”
EYFS Links: Literacy, Imagination.
🔥 6. Campfire Christmas Tales (If Appropriate)
Tell festive, winter-themed stories around a fire circle.
Ideas:
- The Woodland Elves
- The Snowy Animal Rescue
- The Forest Star Mystery
Safety: Follow Forest School fire protocols.
⭐ 7. Nature Star Weaving
Create stars using stick frames and weave natural materials through.
Materials: 5-stick star frame, string, grasses, leaves.
EYFS Links: Fine Motor Skills, Art.
🍊 8. Christmas Scent Pots
Explore winter scents outdoors.
Items to include: pine needles, orange peel, cloves, cinnamon sticks.
Activity: Children create their own scent combinations and describe them.
EYFS Links: Communication & Language, Sensory Exploration.
🎁 9. Santa’s Outdoor Workshop (STEM Challenge)
Set up nature-based festive problem-solving tasks.
Examples:
- Build a sleigh using sticks and mud.
- Make a present delivery ramp using slopes in the environment.
EYFS Links: STEM, Teamwork.
❄️ 10. Ice Decorations (If Cold Enough)
Freeze natural items into ice ornaments.
Materials: moulds, water, string, leaves, berries.
Activity: Hang frozen decorations on tree branches outdoors.
EYFS Links: Science (states of matter).
🌟 11. Christmas Woodland Mindfulness Walk
Use the senses to notice seasonal changes.
Prompts:
- What winter sounds can you hear?
- How does the cold air feel?
- What colours do you see in winter?
🐦 12. Feed the Birds Christmas Activity
Make simple wildlife feeders.
Materials: pinecones, seeds, lard/alternative, string.
EYFS Links: Understanding the World, Caring for Nature.
✨ 13. Nature Mandalas (Festive Edition)
Use symmetry and patterns to create Christmas-themed mandalas.
Themes: snowflakes, stars, wreaths.
EYFS Links: Maths (patterns), Art.
🎶 14. Outdoor Christmas Songs & Rhythm
Use sticks and natural percussion.
Activities:
- Tap sticks to rhythms of festive songs.
- Create new woodland Christmas songs.
🎄 15. Forest School Advent Trail
A daily outdoor challenge leading up to Christmas.
Examples:
- Day 1: Find 5 different winter textures.
- Day 10: Build a natural Christmas tree.
- Day 20: Spot 3 types of winter birds