wild for life

best to do as a 1:1 activity

you will need:

• A stick of any length or thickness

• Leaves (Holly or Laurel or another substantial leaf works well)

• Items to make a face: seeds, berries, poppy heads etc.

• Some ribbon and string to attach the head to the stick

wild advice
Has your child switched off and lost motivation? Have they gone into themselves, stopped talking or seeking time alone? Perhaps they are not listening to you or reluctant to do school work or engage in activities with the family?

Maybe they are spending too much time immersed in the virtual world rather than the real one?

While you are making your festive friend you can ask open questions like, ‘ how is your friend feeling?’, ‘How would we know if he was happy?’, ‘Has he shared how he is feeling with you?’ etc.

getting started
While you are outside you will get the opportunity to spend time with your child and observe how they are out of the house. Try to make the collection of all of the natural resources fun and part of the adventure.

Think about the textures and colours of the items you collect and discuss what they may remind you of. Perhaps you select moss for your friend’s hair because it is soft and that may represent kindness?

Take time to assemble your friend and then give him a name so your child begins to use their imagination. You will be surprised at the conversations that start to take place.