Teaching matters

Winnie the Pooh inspiration for geographical and outdoor learning

idespread attention has with his son. been paid to the benefits of In 1921 A.A. Milne gave his son children learning outdoors Christopher Robin Milne a toy bear. Wsince the American author Richard Louv Initially called Edward, the bear was developed the concept of nature-deficit renamed Winnie after a brown bear disorder. In books such as Last Child in London Zoo. Harry Colebourn, a in the Woods, Louv linked the rise in Canadian lieutenant and veterinary obesity, attention-deficit disorder and surgeon, had brought the bear cub depression to children’s lack of contact to England at the beginning of World with nature. War I. Winnie was named after the city The Winnie the Pooh stories (Milne of Winnipeg and she was donated to and Shepard, 1994) can be used by London Zoo when Harry’s unit left for teachers to inspire outdoor adventures France. The origin of the second part of for children. During an era where the name ‘Pooh’ is explained in the 1924 children are spending less time book When we were young. The name outdoors, it is opportune to revisit the Pooh originally belonged to a swan, characters created by A.A. Milne. The as can be seen in the introduction magical setting for Winnie-the-Pooh’s of Milne’s When We Were Very Young. Ashdown Forest, Sussex Forest, Ashdown adventures is a real place: the Hundred “Christopher Robin, who feeds this Acre Wood was inspired by Ashdown swan in the mornings, has given him Forest, a wildlife haven that spans more the name of ‘Pooh.’ This is a very fine than 6,000 acres in southeast England. name for a swan, because, if you call Milne’s childhood connection with him and he doesn’t come (which is a nature inspired his writing as he spent thing swans are good at), then you can hours outside exploring the woods pretend that you were just saying

Subject Strand Strand Unit Geography Natural Environments The local natural environment

INTOUCH 49 APRIL 2020 Cúrsaí teagaisc

‘Pooh!’ to show him how little you children learn to make swings in trees, small scraps of fabric, images of Pooh wanted him.” to use ropes to climb muddy slopes, and and friends and PVA glue or sticky dots. The friendship between Christopher to be outdoors in all weather conditions. Then ask them to glue materials onto Robin and Winnie the Pooh inspired They take risks, develop gross motor skills the map, to create a tactile and sensory a collection of books starting with and engage in problem solving. Teachers piece of art. Include local versions of Winnie-the-Pooh in 1926. The books were can design multiple outdoor activities the key sites which feature in the story illustrated by E.H. Shepard. Winnie the inspired by the Winnie the Pooh stories. e.g. the ancient black walnut tree on Pooh has also been immortalised by the the edge of the forest that became animated film created by the Walt Disney Geographical and outdoor activities Pooh’s house, a bridge to represent Corporation. Milne’s stories have been based on Winnie the Pooh Poohsticks Bridge and an old quarry translated into 50 languages and are • Select a special tree from the local where Roo played in his sandy pit. considered classic children’s stories today. environment. Find out its name and • Create a honey trail in the school Other characters, such as Eeyore, Piglet, special characteristics. Draw a sketch grounds using templates of bees Tigger, Kanga and Roo were also based on of this tree using E.H. Shepard’s dotted around the school ground. stuffed animals belonging to Christopher illustrations as inspiration. Encourage Children understand that bees are Robin. Most of these stuffed animals are the children to label their picture with important pollinators. A decline in now on display in the New York Public a title inspired by the Winnie the Pooh the bee species causes a decrease in Library. The characters, Rabbit and Owl, books. Also include the child’s name, pollination, new plants, flowers and were based on animals that lived, like the date of drawing and name of tree. ultimately honey. Part of the school swan Pooh, in the surrounding area of ground can be planted as a wild garden Milne’s country home, Cotchford Farm in Initiatives such as with an explicit aim of attracting Ashdown Forest, Sussex. It is this area on bees and enhancing the school’s which the 100-Acre-Wood was based. forest schools ensure biodiversity. The end-paper to Winnie the Pooh by • On a fine day organise a Christopher A.A. Milne, first published by Methuen that children have an Robin Tea Party outside. Children can in 1926, is a map of the 100 ‘aker’ wood dress up as their favourite characters or (Hundred Acre Wood). Using the device opportunity to play bring miniature toy versions. of a map or bird’s-eye view, it shows • ‘The case of the missing tail’: Create a each of the characters in their own outside, to swing treasure hunt to enable the children to home or locality in the Hundred Acre find Eeyore’s missing tail. Wood, where the story is set. When E.H. from ropes, climb • Print out Winnie the Pooh characters Shepard first drew the map of the 100 on cardboard. The children can use ‘aker’ wood he based the location on trees and explore these to create new Winnie the Pooh Ashdown Forest, near the home of the stories in their school grounds. These Milnes in East Sussex. Over the years natural habitats with characters can also be used to create there has been much speculation about a diorama with a scene from the the location of the story and how many a sense of adventure Hundred Acre Woods. of the landmarks were inspired by real • If the school is located near a river places. According to Christopher Robin rather than fear. or stream the children can play in his own autobiography The Enchanted poohsticks. This is a game whereby Places, Ashdown Forest is 100 Acre Wood. • Using an iPad or video camera, record each player throws a stick over the The best-known landmark is Poohsticks children reading a favourite line from upstream side of a bridge into a stream Bridge, which on the local map is called the story and their reasons for this or river, the winner being the person Posingford Bridge. choice. You could film this outside whose stick emerges first from under In his later years, Christopher Milne under a tree and use props to make the bridge. recruited Pooh to help in the campaign it look like the Hundred Acre Wood. for the survival of Ashdown Forest, which Collate the film clips together and Further resources available: was then being threatened by a proposed show them to the rest of the school in Aalto, K. (2015) The Natural World of exploration by British Petroleum. assembly, or play the video on a loop Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring the Real Fortunately, Ashdown Forest was saved at parents’ evening. There is excellent Landscapes of the Hundred Acre Wood, for posterity. support available on the FÍS Film Timber Press Initiatives such as forest schools ensure Project website via PDST. Louv, R., 2008. Last child in the woods: that children have an opportunity to • Map work: Situate the story in a local Saving our children from nature-deficit play outside, to swing from ropes, climb landscape. Show children a map of the disorder. Algonquin books. trees and explore natural habitats with a Hundred Acre Wood. Discuss the map. Milne, A.A. and Shepard, E.H., 1994. sense of adventure rather than fear. The Ask the children to draw a map of their The complete tales of Winnie-the-Pooh. forest school movement originated in local area as a setting for the Winnie Penguin. the Scandinavian countries in the 1950s the Pooh stories. Give each child a and since the mid 1990s is increasingly large piece of paper and a selection of DR ANNE DOLAN is a lecturer in primary being supported in the UK and more collage materials, including coloured geography in Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. recently in Ireland. At forest school events, and patterned papers, twigs and leaves,

INTOUCH 50 APRIL 2020