Two rural organisations have teamed up to educate children how to act safely and responsibly in the countryside with the launch of a new resource pack.
The teaching materials are aimed at teachers and youth group leaders to communicate crucial messages to Key Stage 2 pupils about the Countryside Code.
The code’s messages of respect, protecting the environment and enjoying the outdoors are highlighted through a list of activities including a soil investigator’s exercise, sky lantern role play activity and waymarker memory game.
Designed by the Country Land & Business Association (CLA) and LEAF Education, they say the packs will help young people understand that safe and responsible behaviour in the countryside is fundamental to enjoyment of it.
The Countryside Code, which was first introduced in 1951, was recently refreshed following a rise in the number of visitors to the countryside during the pandemic.
Victoria Vyvyan, vice president of CLA said: "The countryside is a working environment, where farmers and land managers work tirelessly to produce world-class food with high environmental and animal welfare standards.
"And it’s important young people, in particular, learn to enjoy their time in rural areas safely and responsibly," she added.
“These resource packs offer will enable teachers and group leaders to put fun and engaging lessons plans together on the Countryside Code so children can put what they learn into practice.”
Carl Edwards, Director of Leaf Education, said it was important that young people learned from an early age about the important messages in the Countryside Code.
"The earlier young people experience the joy of the countryside, the greater their chance of developing a life-long enjoyment and respect of the environment around them," he said.
“Supporting teachers through these curriculum linked resources will not only help them in delivering an understanding of how the countryside works, but also help their pupils translate the importance of how to respect, protect and enjoy first their local environment and then the wider countryside.”
The CLA says it continues to to lobby the Education Secretary Gavin Williamson to include the code as part of the school curriculum.
