The Bumper Book of Nature: A User's Guide to the Outdoors

by Stephen Moss

When was the last time you climbed a tree? Picked blackberries? Held a snail race? Made maple syrup candy, an old-fashioned quill pen from a bird feather you found, or a plaster cast of an animal track?  If the ­answer is "can't remember" or quite possibly ­"never," The Bumper Book of Nature will inspire you to get outdoors and enjoy the very best kind of free entertainment for you and your family. 

Who wouldn't love to discover a colorful butterfly ­hibernating in a woodshed for the winter or look at a ­snowflake under a magnifying lens? In warmer weather, why not explore rock pools by the seaside, pick wild ­meadow flowers (and then fry up elderflower fritters!), or go on a city safari? 

Whether you live in the heart of the city, the suburbs, or the deepest countryside, The Bumper Book of ­Nature will bring out the child in you with its treasure trove of offbeat, playful nature activities arranged by season. With lovely full-color illustrations as well as related trivia, quotes, and bits of poetry, it's a wonderful keepsake as well as a one-of-a-kind field guide.

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction, Reference, Science, Childrens

257 pages, Hardcover

First published April 2, 2009

About the author

Librarian Note: there is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.

Stephen Moss is a naturalist, broadcaster, television producer and author. In a distinguished career at the BBC Natural History Unit his credits included Springwatch, Birds Britannia and The Nature of Britain. His books include The Robin: A Biography, A Bird in the Bush, The Bumper Book of Nature, Wild Hares and Hummingbirds and Wild Kingdom. He is also Senior Lecturer in Nature and Travel Writing at Bath Spa University. Originally from London, he lives with his family on the Somerset Levels, and is President of the Somerset Wildlife Trust. He is a regular contributor to the Guardian.

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now Stephen Moss’s suggestions in his 2009 The Bumper Book of Nature: A User’s Guide to the Outdoors for getting children of all ages to play in and to engage with nature, such as building outside dens and forts, identifying trees, animal tracks and scat marks, these do generally all sound both fun and educational. But of course, I am also only pointing out a very select few of Moss’ suggestions here (in my review), as there truly is a simply humongous amount of ideas included and featured in The Bumper Book of Nature: A User’s Guide to the Outdoors (divided into both seasonal activities and ones that can be done and engaged in all year round) and listing all or even a sizeable majority of them would thus not really be an option (since yes indeed, The Bumper Book of Nature: A User’s Guide to the Outdoors is simply replete with interesting, with both playful and engagingly enlightening considerations regarding nature play and nature discovery).

However and as a small word of caution, I also (and personally) do tend to think that some of Stephen Moss’ nature activity recommendations (such as for example tree climbing, observing snakes, mushroom and berry picking) could also be potentially dangerous and that in my humble opinion, parents do therefore also need to be both willing and able to provide adequate supervision to and for their children, that they should not simply allow their children to play and explore outside with no monitoring whatsoever, that just sending children out alone to roam and explore might not always be all that inherently safe (and while I do know that many individuals do enjoy catching butterflies, I kind of am against this out of principle). Still and even with my above mentioned caveats regarding adequate parental supervision, Stephen Moss does indeed with his The Bumper Book of Nature: A User’s Guide for the Outdoors present an in my opinion essential resource and true treasure trove of diverse nature-based activities, with the only real drawback being that quite a number of Moss’ suggestions are sadly far more viable and possible in rural than in intensely and totally urban settings.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent resource for outdoor play and exploration.

[Cheryl]

on openlibrary if not readily avl. in paper

[Suzanne Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stephen Moss hits a home run with this useful and charming book of activities for children and adults alike. My copy is an Advance reading Copy, but the retail edition will be chock full of whimsical color illustrations by Patricia Wynne.

The dedication sets the tone: "For David and Martine Osario for allowing us to be free-range children instead of cotton-wool kids." Doesn't that make you just want to dive in?

The book is divided into sections titled: All Year Round, Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. "All Year Round" because of course there are activities that aren't dependent upon seasons or weather such as Build a Den (inside with blankets and chairs or outside with branches and boards. This one reminded me of my own childhood. Other activities include things both playful and scientific: making a rope swing, telling the age of a tree and listening to the heartbeat of a tree, time thunder and lightning to work out how far away a storm is. Then there are the seasonal activities: feed the ducks, identify trees by their leaves, make a compost heap and much more-all activities to educate young minds and get the kids outside doing enjoyable activities that educate rather than play video games.

One can learn about the creatures in a rock pool and identify them by the illustrations or build a sand castle wit easy-to-follow directions. A primer on owl identification shows how to identify each owl by its call and there are instructions to build a birdhouse.

The book claims to be "the consummate guide to the great outdoors for the young and young at heart." It is a treasure, no matter what one's age. Over 250 pages of fascinating information and activities. Buy it now! You will be glad you did.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Bumper Book of Nature: A User's Guide to the Great Outdoors by Stepehen Moss

The book is beautifully crafted but it is flawed. Essentially it's written to recapitulate the author's child (with a heaping of load of "kids these days" condensation). So it starts with the insulting introduction to parents who are too stupid to let their kids play out back (or even to know what grows near them) and moves on from there. While the book contains some lovely color pages of "typical American" flora and fauna, again the book is heavily skewed to the north eastern states. So for twenty pictures of flowers, there's a tossed in California poppy. For trees, there's a redwood. Etc. Basically the non eastern examples are the most obvious, ubiquitous species that any dumb (see introduction) kid would already know.

MEH.

[Myra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fabulous little book full of all those things I did as a kid but that many children never get to experience these days. It includes things like catching butterflies, making leaf rubbings, making daisy chains, seeing who like butter using buttercups, identifying wildlife, and hatching tadpoles. Aimed at probably late elementary and middle school children (although my library has it cataloged in adult non-fiction), it is broken down into seasons as well as a section of activities that can be done year-round. It also includes ideas that can be done in urban settings. Many of the activities require only a paragraph or two of reading, although some are a couple of pages. A great resource for any family with kids or for any adult who just wants to go back and do some of these things again.

[Lici · Rating 5 out of 5]

We picked up this book from the library and I just fell in love with it. Sometimes our family gets so bogged down with our daily junk that we forget to put in time doing what we really love, getting outside. This book reminded and motivated us to get out there. It has charming illustrations, good activities and identification pages that would be great to use as scavenger hunts.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a neat book, with tailored illustrations and lots of fun suggestions for getting outside. The text does seem to be aimed at children, but that did not take anything away from the usefulness of the book. If I was still teaching, I would have a Nature Table in my room!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of great ideas for kids AND adults

[Jeanine · Rating 1 out of 5]

So disappointed!!!! As an outdoor educator I had a lot of hope for this book especially for its ease of use (activities are divided into each season and year round). Unfortunately this book is very unlikely to become the go-to reference and idea fuel I'd hoped and is now being used as a doorstop. Luckily I found it at a thrift shop and I should have taken the hint!

I agree with many other people's reviews of this book. The author turned me off of reading it for months from his condescending introductions and comments throughout the book. His theme of anti-technology is present throughout and only ONCE did he suggest using technology as a tool (taking photos to identify at home). In my career I also try to keep things as low-tech as possible especially for very young students, but it is unrealistic and unhelpful for the student's learning to completely ignore technology because it IS an important tool! It's a very big part of all our lives right down to the clothing we wear in order to stay comfortable while exploring nature. Just very disappointing that he doesn't do a better job acknowledging or addressing technology as a tool.

At multiple points throughout the book I was cringing at some of his suggestions or even outright angry. His lack of caution or concern for safety is appalling! Another review noted that not all the venomous snakes are listed as venomous (the rattlesnake is not), many of his other points around interacting with snakes furthur in the book are pretty good actually except his advice on snake bites.
IMPORTANT! NEVER suck the venom out of a snake bite!!! That is very outdated and can cause much more harm to the bitten person and even to the person performing the first aid in the rare case they have a cut in their mouth.

He encourages the foraging and eating of wild plants which is something I support! But he doesn't talk at all about how to be sure and triple check your plant ID before eating, or being mindful of the quantity you eat of wild plants (both for your own health as well as the plants), or even around how to harvest safely or respectfully! While it may be true that you don't need to worry about collecting too many spring flowers when you're in the English countryside as the author seems to feel, that is NOT true when you're in a major urban centre like Toronto where if every family that goes out to a certain park goes picking wildflowers without care, there will very quickly be none left for others or even for our pollinators that need them! So please be mindful of your interactions in urban naturalized spaces!

Another time that really upset me was when he even refers to an indigenous First Nations community in Canada by their name given in colonization! Not once does he acknowledge or mention any other indigenous people in the rest of the book. Even in this case he was only mentioning them for one self serving point.

I didn't really mind some of the issues other reviews had such as the ecosystems where some of his suggestions take place or the lack of depth for what species can be found because this book is just a little sampling and by having just small introductions to different animal groups or activities located by an ocean it means a wide range of families can find SOMETHING that works for them in it.

I could go on, but I think that's what this book was missing the most. Respect. In outdoor education I also try to have urban children build understanding, curiosity, and respect for the natural world through hands-on interactions with nature, but children need some boundaries and respect for them to have successful, positive experiences outdoors. The range of skill and abilities needed for the activities vary greatly. Overall it left me feeling that he's very out of touch with children (although I know he has 5 of his own) so he wasn't able to write this book appropriately because he doesn't know his audience.

TLDR: Not useful as outdoor education inspiration, questionable to outright dangerous suggestions and instructions, endorses destruction of nature more than respect, author should stick to Bird books for adults.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most pleasant reads I’ve ever enjoyed. Funny, informative and delightful. I found myself daydreaming of all the outdoor adventures I hope to have with my kids over these years to come.

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A pleasant way to spend a few hours and a portal to nostalgia for me... But I didn't feel the need to give it to any kids I know. The illustrations are lovely.

[Dayna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, simple book for naturalists and children that should inspire going outside to play and explore the natural world. Great book for families looking to bond over nature.

[Karissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got an uncorrected proof of this book through the Amazon Vine program. Overall it is a great book and gives you some interesting information and activities to do outside. It is aimed at kids, but as an adult I found some of the information included to be interesting.

This book is broken into five sections. The first section talks about things you can do in nature all year round; then there are sections on spring, summer, fall, and winter. The content of each section is somewhat random: info on how to play hide and seek, how to press flowers, and how to raise a tadpole are some examples of what activities are covered. All of the activities take place outside or involve nature somehow. Some of them need parental supervision; difficulty ranges from needing cooking skills to making snow angels.

Each section closes with some information about lore relating to the season; this was very interesting, fun, and a nice addition to the book. I also loved the diagrams included. They are very general but include, for example, pictures of common types of leaves, common snakes, common small mammals, etc. For more specifics and deep details in any area you would need a different handbook and the author acknowledges this, but this book is a great overview for kids.

Urban settings are not focused on but they are addressed in a small section. In general the book assumes you have access to forested areas, bodies of water, and (at parts) even coastal areas. This is something that isn't true for all kids, but they should be able to find something in this book to do. Some of the activities explained are a bit silly; the author explains how to play hide and seek and how to make snow angels...these are two things my son knew by the time he was 2 years old, I can't imagine many kids needing instruction on these things.

There are a couple specific things that could have been done better. The diagram on snakes fails to mention that some of the snakes are poisonous (for example the rattlesnake is not listed as poisonous) it bothers me a little to have a kid running around looking for snakes and not knowing that they are poisonous. The author spends time talking about mushrooms and fungi but there aren't any pictures. It would have been great to have a diagram of some common mushrooms. Also there wasn't an index at the back; that would have been helpful when you are trying to find certain activities.

My only last quibble is the author's intro. The introduction actually really turned me off because it talked about the evils of technologies and how much our children are missing. It was also talked about how technology activities should be turned away in favor of nature outings. While I agree that nature is important to a child's development (we are huge campers and spend every moment we can outside) I think the author would have been better serviced to discuss how technology can be used to enhance outdoor enjoyment for children. For example we use our GPS to "treasure hunt" or geocache outside with our son. We use skymap tools on our phones to go out at night and view constellations. I just felt that the author did a dis-service to the book by taking a "technology is hurting our children" approach and it put a bad taste in my mouth. Personally I would recommend just skipping the intro.

All in all the book provides a great general overview of nature activities and had some very nice diagrams for identification. It is a bit hard to find things in the book, so an index would have been nice. The book also assumes access to forested areas and bodies of water. This is a book that we will bring camping with us and keep around for general reference. Overall a great read.

Pros:
- Interesting general info
- Has a small section on urban wildlife
- Nice general diagrams on plants/animals etc.
- Liked the organization by season
- Liked the sections on lore relating to each season.

Cons:
- Intro attacks technology rather than teaching how to merge tech with nature
- Doesn't tell which snakes are poisonous in snake diagram
- Assumes access to forest/ponds and even coastal areas
- Lacks a diagram to fungi/mushrooms discussed
- Some activities explained are way too basic
- Activities aren't organized all that well and there's no index

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was definitely misnamed for it isn't a user's guide to the great outdoors nor does it really give you with a bumper crop of nature facts. Instead it is a collection of older activities based in nature from much of our childhoods who were raised in the '90s and in previous years when being outside was more a rule of thumb than the exception.

Stephen Moss breaks the book down into chapters with the first being a catchall while the remainder are broken down into seasonal activities although some of these same activities aren't necessarily seasonal such as collecting seashells or feeding the birds. These sections are introduced by a two-page spread that has a simple monochromatic illustration and a poem introducing the topic of the section.

The rest of these sections is dedicated to recipes, activities and games for the reader. These are provided in easy-to-read paragraphs that provide the read with clear instructions while also added tips that may help to improve the experience of those wanting to try these events. And freely interspersed are pages dedicated to giving readers some basic information about the wildlife and flora of North America.

All in all it is a rather basic book of activities that is first of all meant to hone the interest of modern readers into relearning valuable skills that involve the natural world around us and to second of all return modern readers into falling back into nature for recreation. Instead of reaching these goals I more or less found the book a great nostalgic guide that reminded me of my own pursuits in nature when I was younger thus almost a reversed bucket list if you would. In the end I would hope that there are some out there who may find this book a good introduction to share some of their childhood with their own children thus allowing some of these activities not to pass into obliviousness such as bobbing for apples.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Positively reviewed. (www.denverlibrary.org)

This nature guide is appealing in format and organization. It provides quick-reference guides to a variety of natural elements, and creative outdoor activities to fill each season. Moss includes both urban and natural settings in what he discusses, providing ways to interact with nature in both.

A great recommendation for kids who love the outdoors, perfect for families planning camping trips, and also useful for programmers of outdoor activities for kids.

[Siskiyou-Suzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do like this; I definitely think nature-based activities are wonderful. It's geared toward children despite not being in the children's section of my library. I wish I could find something like this geared toward the Pacific Northwest as books like this are so often geared toward the eastern United States (and why?! Our nature is wonderful!!!). There's a lot of interesting ideas and information in here alongside commonly known facts, but it all looks very nice and is all very nicely done. A good resource.

[Anna Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This family friendly book is full of facts and activities to help you enjoy nature. It overviews everything from identifying basic trees and plants to understanding bird calls. The information was sometimes repetitive, and the topics were sometimes all over the place, but overall it was a cute book and would be a great project for a family with small children.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

They should have put this on the kids' shelf at my local library, but I'm glad I found it so I could flog it to my kids. In the vein of the "Dangerous Book of (whatever) for (Boys/Girls)" and chock full of neat ideas and good nature info.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore this. If only there were all the time in the world to explore the outdoors...sigh

[Jonathan M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, not by style.

[Elizabeth Lund · Rating 3 out of 5]

The audience (child or adult, US or British?) was somewhat unclear. But I enjoyed it enough to read it the whole way through.

[Graham Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many amazing simple suggestions and ideas for everyone! A great way to live life.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

love the artwork

[Sheri Hathaway · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book to be read by adults with children in mind or read to children, or by children. The illustrations are very appealing. A great resource to get your kids outside and having fun while learning about nature. It's a big book, organized by the season. Lots of these activities I did as a kid so it was fun to reminisce while reading. Also, pages of illustrations give a great resource to identify birds and animals for the beginner naturalist.

[Vhicy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for children and some adults (those who are still interested enough to see); lovely drawings.