Children + Schools
Verbal
HERBAL MAGIC
for children + schools
Amanda has created and shared Botanica Fabula herbal storytelling sessions with primary and secondary schools across the UK since 2011. She draws on her extensive experience to share insights through the use of multisensory herbal storytelling techniques, to create unique experiential CPD sessions for teachers and educators.
School sessions can be class-based or online and are at their best when individually tailored to enhance the current focus or curriculum theme in class after a short consultation with teachers.
Alternatively, Amanda is happy to draw on one of her ‘off the peg’ sessions: multi-sensory, interactive mini-workshops looking at plants, stories, and social history, designed to connect to popular classroom topics.
Sessions can also be held outdoors and designed for special events, or to fit in with specific projects.
Your class might enjoy:
Herbal Magic and Potent Potions - legendary plants and a spot of ‘real potion’ making.
Rainforests, mythology, Scottish rainforests and unexpected science.
WWI - why we need to listen to the stories our grandparents tell us, nettle soup and good luck charms.
WWII - the homefront, rosehip remedies and silk parachutes!
Victorians - changing times, vanishing meadows and poisonous sweeties!
The Language of Plants - (a workshop for high school students) A look at evolving language and endangered words, designed to get children using language creatively in an outdoor setting, learning about their local landscape, the plants we find their and sharing that knowledge using poetry and play. [Initially designed in collaboration with Dollar Academy English and Geography Departments.]
SCHOOLS Project Archive
Outside the Box: Other Formats
FOR VENUEs
She also creates sessions in a similar vein for venues and festival programmes, she has created interactive family workshops for Edinburgh International Science Festival and Achamore Botanic Gardens amongst others, find out more about her sessions for organisations at the link below.
SHORT STORIES
Amanda also shares short sessions of plant-embellished stories, designed to encourage literacy and creativity and increase respect and understanding of our relationship with plants and the natural landscape. These sessions work well if you have many classes all wanting short, twenty-minute sessions over a day for World Book Day or a similar event.
She has shared similar pieces live and online for over 8 years with the National Literacy Trust’s Young Readers programme.
You can see one of these online mini-sessions here:
Beyond the UK
Amanda has also toured IBL and bi-lingual schools, working with pupils from kindergarten through to senior year high school, internationally with Pana Wakke and loved every minute!
So if you would like to organise a tour or visit beyond the UK do not hesitate to get in touch!
“As a parent myself I know how important it is that children engage their senses in learning, how those first memories of stories, of unexpected but magical days when something extraordinary happens at school, stay with us and inform our understanding of each other and can create respect and engagement with the natural environment. My own pathway into storytelling and plant lore was inspired by an intergenerational school project I took part in when I was 11. Maybe one day I’ll tell you about it…”
“
-Amanda
”
Get in Touch
Curious to explore the process of creating a custom-tailored experience for your class with Amanda?
Tel +44 7884107466
If you’re in Scotland you may be able to apply for support to pay for a visit from the wonderful folk at The Scottish Book Trust, via their Live Literature programme. You will find their simple application form here:
https://www.scottishbooktrust.com/writing-and-authors/live-literature