Our promise in practice
Promise 1
Care for the environment
We look closely at plants and creatures without harming them, and we talk together about how to be gentle with nature.
What we might find in September
- 🌰 Conkers and acorns for counting and sorting
- 🍁 Sycamore helicopters to drop and watch spin
- 🍂 Fallen leaves changing colour, for rubbings and pictures
- 🕷️ Spiders' webs sparkling with dew, because September is peak spider season
- 🐞 Ladybirds, woodlice and snails tucking themselves away as the weather cools
Why now?
Autumn is a time of change. Trees drop their seeds, and creatures feed up and find shelter before winter.
How we care for them
We only collect what's already on the ground. We look at bugs gently, then put them back where we found them. If we lift a log, we put it back, because it's someone's home.
Try at home: go on an autumn treasure hunt. Can you find a conker, an acorn, a helicopter seed, a red leaf and a spider's web?
Promise 2
Leave no trace
We take home everything we bring, and we put logs and stones back where we found them.
What it looks like
- 🎒 Everything we bring goes home with us: snack wrappers, craft bits, even the tiniest scrap.
- 🪵 Logs and stones go back the way we found them, the right way up, so the creatures underneath still have a home.
- 🌳 We leave our spot as we found it, or better.
Why now?
Many creatures are settling under logs, stones and leaf piles for the winter. Putting things back just as we found them matters even more at this time of year.
Why it matters
Woods and green spaces are homes for wildlife and are shared by everyone. Leaving no trace means the next family, and the next beetle, finds it just as we did.
Try at home: next time you visit the park or woods, play "leave no trace detectives". Before you go, take a last look around together. Is there anything we need to take home?
Promise 3
Reduce, reuse and recycle
We use natural and second-hand materials for our crafts, and we avoid single-use plastic.
What it looks like
- 🍂 Nature is our craft box: sticks, fallen leaves, pine cones and mud become paintbrushes, pictures and potions.
- 🫙 Second-hand treasures: old jars, tubs and fabric scraps get a new life at our sessions.
- 🚫 No single-use plastic: no throwaway cups, bags or glitter.
Why now?
Autumn is nature's craft season. Leaves in every colour, conkers, acorns, seed heads and pine cones are all free, all around us, and there's no packaging in sight.
Why it matters
Children learn that beautiful things don't have to be bought new, and that what we already have is worth using again. Less waste means less rubbish ending up in the places we love.
Try at home: make a "nature paintbrush". Tie a bunch of leaves, grass or a feather to a stick with string, dip it in paint and see what patterns it makes.
Promise 4
Protect wildlife
We make homes for bugs and birds, and we stay quiet around nests and animals.
What it looks like
- 🪵 Homes for bugs: we build log piles and bug hotels, and pack them with sticks, leaves and pine cones.
- 🐦 Help for birds: we make simple feeders and keep an eye out for who comes to visit.
- 🤫 Quiet voices and gentle feet: when we spot a bird, a squirrel or a nest, we stop, watch and give them space.
Why now?
Autumn is a busy time for wildlife. Creatures are looking for somewhere safe and snug to spend the winter, so a new bug home or a pile of leaves can make a real difference.
Why it matters
When children help to make a home for a creature, they start to see wildlife as their neighbours, and neighbours are worth looking after.
Try at home: leave a pile of fallen leaves in a quiet corner of your garden. It makes a cosy winter hideaway for bugs, frogs and even hedgehogs.
Promise 5
Take only what we need
We never pick anything. We only collect things that have already fallen to the ground.
What it looks like
- 🌰 Just what we need: enough conkers for our counting, sorting and threading games, and a handful of leaves for a picture. The rest stay for the wildlife.
- 🌱 Nothing growing gets picked: flowers, berries and leaves on the branch stay where they are.
Why now?
Autumn's fallen seeds and nuts are winter food for wildlife. Squirrels and jays bury acorns to eat later, and the ones they forget can grow into new oak trees!
Why it matters
Taking only what we need teaches children that nature is something we share. What we leave behind feeds the animals and helps new plants grow.
Try at home: on your next walk, choose just three treasures to take home. Talk together about why you chose those ones.
Promise 6
Learn by doing
We talk together about what we notice and why it matters.
What it looks like
- 👀 Noticing: we stop, look closely and share what we've spotted. "Look, this leaf has holes in it!"
- 🤔 Wondering: we ask open questions, like "I wonder who's been eating it?", and let the children come up with their own ideas. There are more in our Questions to ask outdoors.
- 🙌 Getting hands-on: we touch bark, smell leaves, squelch through mud and splash in puddles, because children learn best with their whole bodies.
Why now?
Autumn changes happen fast. From one week to the next, children can see leaves turning, conkers dropping and mornings getting misty. It's the perfect time to notice and talk about change.
Why it matters
When children discover something for themselves, it sticks. Talking about what they notice helps them understand the world, and care about it too.
Try at home: pick one tree near your home and visit it once a week this autumn. What's different each time? You could take a photo every visit to make your own tree diary.
Promise 7
Lead by example
Grown-ups join in too, because children copy what they see.
What it looks like
- 🥾 Grown-ups get stuck in: parents, carers and our team all get muddy, crouch down to look at bugs and have a go.
- 🤲 Gentle hands, shown not told: children learn to be gentle with nature by watching how we handle a snail or put a log back.
- 💬 Talking out loud: "I'm going to leave these berries for the birds." Simple words like these help children understand why we make the choices we do.
Why now?
As the weather turns cooler and wetter, children watch how the grown-ups react. If we pull on our wellies and head out smiling, they learn that every kind of weather can be fun. Our What to wear guide can help.
Why it matters
Children learn far more from what we do than from what we say. When they see the grown-ups they love caring for nature, they grow up doing the same.
Try at home: next time it rains, head out together in wellies and waterproofs. Jump in a puddle first, and see how quickly they follow!
