Wild Nights Out: The Magic of Exploring the Outdoors After Dark

by Chris Salisbury, Chris Packham (Foreword)

"The book gives adults ideas for activities to get kids outside after the sun goes down, from night hikes to trapping moths. It’s also a fascinating meditation on humans’ relationship with darkness.”― Outside   "A fun, inventive adventure guide about helping children explore nature after dark . . . Its activities are a great excuse to turn off the television, set down smartphones, and explore the rich, mysterious world just beyond the back door."― Foreword Reviews The go-to guide for exploring nature at night, whether on summer holidays, weekends away or even back garden adventures! Foreword by Chris Packham, author, naturalist, and BBC presenter   Learn how to call for owls, walk like a fox and expand your sensory perceptions.  Wild Nights Out  is a wonderful new hands-on guide for those who wish to take kids (of all ages) outdoors for fun, thrilling nighttime nature adventures.  Parents, grandparents, teachers and nature educators alike will discover a wealth of unique activities to explore the natural world from dusk till dawn. Alongside games, walks and exercises to expand our senses, storyteller and outdoor educator Chris Salisbury will bring this unexplored nocturnal dimension to life with lore about badgers, bats and minibeasts as well as tales of the constellations and planets to share around the campfire. In  Wild Nights Out  you can expect to Nature has so much to offer at night, so let  Wild Nights Out  be your guide to the dark.  It will boost the resilience and self-confidence of children and adults, and instill a lifelong love of having fun in the outdoors when the sun goes down.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature

209 pages, Paperback

Published May 17, 2021

Reviews

[Wendelle]

This book champions night exploration and night walks and is full of critter information, such as:
i) glow worms are beautiful beetles with bioluminescence, but their larva also have this vicious practice of riding a slug or snail, injecting their chosen beast of burden with a toxin that liquefies its internal organs, and consuming said liquefied inner parts
ii)woodlice are land crustaceans that eat their own feces, have blue blood, and change sex from male to female if carrying a particular parasite
iii)slugs practice apophallation, which is a terrifying practice to look up (hint is it involves the slug's phallus)
very great night guide

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the sun goes down, you’d think that there would not be much to see for the wildlife spotter, no need for a pair of binoculars, just a torch to see where you’re going. But it is not like that at all, you need to take a little time for your eyes to adjust to the dark. Strangely enough, it is a similar time from sunset to dusk.

All the nighttime creatures appear from the shadows, and now your eyes are used to the dark you’ll be able to see them. And your binoculars will still work fine, they will take all the light around and concentrate it into your eyes. As the brain cannot get all the information it needs from your eyes, it will heighten your other senses, so you may begin to hear and feel things that you might not have been aware of before.

But how to navigate in this environment?

In this book, Chris Salisbury has pulled together lots of advice and suggestion for activities for children of all ages (even big children) on subjects such as the night sky, how to find animals in the night and the skills and tools that you need to navigate without light. I didn’t think that this was a bad book overall, I am not really the target audience which it was aimed at. I skim-read the activities that he included for encouraging both children and adults to embrace the dark, that said if you are looking to lead these sorts of activities then this would be an excellent resource.

[J · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wild Nights Out was a book suggested to me and one I thought would actually be a nonfiction take on nocturnal animals. Instead the book's focus is much more for those who are into camp volunteering or even as guides for any type of park while with an emphasis for participation in the UK.

And just to reiterate how safe it is to take people out into the dark night, he explains his own participation in a night sit in Africa. Even so I would still recommend caution, especially when children are involved.

Otherwise Chris Salisbury is very wordy and most of the entries just seem to ramble on and on. Although attention to detail is good, he just likes to throw in anecdotes, repeat activities that are basically the same with a twist difference and random pop cultures.

After about half the book being to cover the basis does it finally get into some decent details but only enough to wet the whistle. The author seems to focus a lot on mating behavior while still throwing in even more activities with their data boxes.

If you are into such recreational activities the book may be better as a skimmable resource but I definitely wouldn't waste my money on it.

[Lynnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this a well-written book full of information and games to play, the book’s outdoor species and astronomy connect to Britain folks, not American.

[Katherine Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enlightening read with myriad ideas for exploring and learning about the outdoors at night with both children and adults. I enjoyed and will definitely be trying out a number of the activities with my own family!

[Cate]

A book of mostly outdoors nighttime activities and games.

[Jo McG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of interest, inspiration and fun ideas for how to engage with nature in the dark. Lots to learn and experience from this. Beautifully written.

[Janne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5.

[Ashley Lindsay · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cool book if you’re a camp leader, or maybe a parent interested in exploring the night time, bravely 😅. Bunch of activities in the book. A no for me though.

[Theresa Jump · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE this book! And I didn't feel it is 'just for kids'. There's something for everyone.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read, well written and practical ideas