By Andrea Frommherz, Edith Biedermann, Translated by Bernadette Duncan
Format: PAPERBACK

REVIEWS

‘I love nature, but I’m not very experienced at simply being in and just enjoying nature. I generally need a little bit of guidance when I’m outside with my kids, or else I just end up sitting and watching them play with the plastic toys that are in our yard. This book really appealed to my left-brained self because of the way the activities are organized. Each chapter is about a different tree, and each chapter is broken up into 4 seasons. So if I am suddenly inspired to do an outdoor activity with my children, I just open up the book to a tree we have in our yard and flip to the page for the season we are in, and ta-da! We’re ready to go be with trees!
Trees included: Apple, Birch, Beech, Oak, Ash, Spruce, Hazel, Hedge Rose, Elder, Chestnut, Lime (Linden), Walnut, and Willow.
Some of the activities are appropriate for all ages, including infants/toddlers (readings about trees, art projects, etc.) while others require the concentration or fine motor skills of an older child (creating runes from bark or essential oils). Most sections have many activities to try, so there always seems to be something for us (3- & 6-year-old) in each section.
Warning: A few activities have a religious nature and would not be appropriate for classroom use (mentions of Jesus, spells, etc.) Despite the inclusion of these few activities, I still feel this book would make a nice resource for Reggio, Waldorf, Montessori, and nature-based or outdoor preschool / child care programs.’ –Goodreads