Journey sticks

By Andrew Treavett, Year 5 Form Teacher

As we progress through the dappled woodland shade – a blue train of overalls curving past hart’s-tongue ferns and unfurling bracken, over fallen logs and under dangling catkins – each Forest School learner carries their carefully chosen journey stick. Using grass stalks or twine, they attach meaningful items they encounter along the way: a soft feather caught on a bramble, chestnut leaves gifted by autumn, sweet-scented primroses from the verge, the coil of a snail shell, the smoothest of pebbles.

Each child considers what their items mean – what they say about them. In the hush of the forest, with a buzzard calling overhead and leaves whispering in the breeze, they share and compare their treasures.

Journey sticks have ancient roots. Used by cultures across the world to track travels and tell stories, they offer both a visual map and a verbal narrative. In Native American traditions, the journey stick links the holder to the earth and the spirit realm. For children, these sticks inspire creativity, introspection and connection – to the natural world and to themselves.

Arriving at our destination – having glimpsed a deer, negotiated the edge of a badger set, and clambered over trunks toppled by winter’s storms – we settle beneath a great beech tree on a bed of leaves. Here, each child tells the story of their journey, physical or metaphorical.

One traveller reflects on her path through the forest: the tangle of brambles, the place her friend fell into a soft abyss of ferns, the patch of ochre clay unearthed by a burrowing mole. Another shares memories from further afield: the silk of sand between his toes, the gentle touch of a grandmother’s hand, the friendships made on his first day at school.

These stories spark questions, curiosity and empathy. The children listen, reflect and explore what triggers emotion. Through this exchange, they develop communication, compassion and self-awareness. They learn to respect each other’s stories and see the world through someone else’s eyes.

Forest School is a space for adventure, imagination and discovery. As the Forest School Leader for Years 3, 4 and 5, I have the privilege of guiding these moments across 22 acres of ancient woodland. But a leader is also a learner. I too create a journey stick, and in reading this, you’ve shared in mine.

Life is a journey, not a destination. Sometimes, the best thing we can do is pause, reflect, and tell our story – stick in hand.