Experimental MumScience + Children = Fun + Mess

I thought I’d periodically review books that have encouraged our family to experiment.

This first review, isn’t a science book but it is a fabulous book for encouraging older children and teenagers to step away from the computer and explore the big wide world.

I reserved the book using my local libraries online “items recently added to stock” section, so I didn’t see the cover – I was sold on the title alone.

Written by Jo Schofield and Fiona Danks, “Go Wild! 101 things to do outdoors before you grow up” describes in 160 pages a ton of cool things to do outside.

Here an extract from the back cover:

Go Wild! Is about tempting teenagers outdoors to enjoy the natural world. The authors provide, clear, practical instructions for such activities as building a shelter, foraging for wild food, creating fire without matches and cooking on hot coals, learning to make tools and weapons from natural materials, and much more..

I had many favourite chapters but particularly enjoyed the sections on fire making and creating outside kitchens, although I can’t EVER see me skinning a rabbit!

The collecting and cleaning your water section are like little mini experiments in themselves, so we might give them a try in the back garden.

Freya can’t wait for it to snow so she can practice building an igloo, whereas Erynn, with her toilet humour, found the latrine making hilarious!

There is a fantastic website to accompany the book, Going Wild, and I for one will be looking out for their future books, Make It Wild and Run Wild.

In the meantime, I have reserved their earlier book, Nature’s Playground, from the library. Geared towards younger families, I’m sure we’ll get a lot out of it.

Photo Credit: Frances Lincoln Publishers Ltd