This twenty-six-page Forest School Skills Unit is a progressive, hands-on outdoor learning unit designed for Second Level learners, focusing on real tools, real responsibility and real problem-solving.

Pupils learn essential woodcraft, tool safety , fire making and shelter-building skills, culminating in a collaborative tarpaulin shelter build using handmade mallets and tent pegs, as well as building up to lighting a fire safely.

This resource is ideal for:

Forest School sessions
Outdoor learning blocks
Skills-based Health and Wellbeing & Technologies learning
Small groups, nurture groups or whole-class outdoor provision

What’s Included?

Twelve progressive Lesson plans aligned to the 2nd Level of a Curriculum for Excellence (can be adapted for younger or older learners)
Forest site assessment for children
Tree safety checklist
Safety visuals and instructions
Simple knot guide
9 mini skills practice cards

Each lesson has:
Clear Learning Intentions and Success Criteria
Easy to follow activity guide
Risk assessment guides
Simple plenaries and reflection points
At-a-glance resource list
Space for own notes/ next steps

Build engagement, resilience, safe risk-taking and confidence in learners. Help them to regulate by spending meaningful time in nature, while gaining new skills and developing perseverance.

This unit is designed to be picked up and used by leaders with little to no prep - just grab the resources shown and go!