TheMushroom Festival
TheMushroomFestival
The Mushroom Festival is an activity centered around mushrooms, offering a journey from the earth to the plate. It’s a highlight of the autumn season, as these woodland treasures are so iconic of this time of year! They represent the heart of autumn and evoke magic and enchantment. This activity is comprehensive: mushroom foraging, a campfire, and cooking.
Necessary materials
For Foraging:
Small baskets
An identification guide or a knowledgeable person For the Fire:
Stones for the fire pit
Dry wood (collected that day or in advance, depending on conditions)
Matches
A bucket of water
For Cooking:
Water and a basin to clean the mushrooms
Cutting boards, mixing bowl, pan, spatula, plates, and forks
Knives (children can use a rounded-tip knife one at a time, with proper supervision—see the "Knife Use" guide)
Ingredients: high-quality eggs from free-range hens, oil, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Step1:Mushroomforaging
To ensure a successful activity, it’s best to be familiar with the area and explore it a few days in advance or go with someone who knows the best spots. It would be disappointing to return empty-handed and miss out on the cooking step! The world of mushrooms is vast, with many species that often look alike, some edible and others toxic. Caution is key when foraging!
How to Begin? Here are some ideas:
Read a story about mushrooms and then ask children questions to connect the story to real-life nature
Hide a mushroom in your hand or a box (a freshly picked mushroom, a figurine, or even an image) and have children guess what it is, with riddles like:
“I have a stem but cannot walk. I wear a hat even though I live in the shade.”
“What season is it right now? This is when I love to sprout from the ground and live in the woods.”
“I grow in the forest and am like an iceberg: a small part visible to the eye and a large hidden part (this represents mushrooms, where the visible part is actually for reproduction).”
Show a few mushroom images.
Learningfocus
Young children benefit from discovering mushrooms through their senses. Focus on shapes, colors, environments, and even the insects or nibble marks on the mushrooms rather than scientific names. Use simple terms like “stem,” “cap,” or “mycelium” to add a bit of vocabulary.
For young children, keep the introduction short, hands-on, and simple Or start directly by giving them baskets and a few necessary instructions
Important Reminder: Before foraging, remind children never to eat anything without first getting adult permission. To keep things safe and enjoyable, focus only on collecting known edible mushrooms and leave unfamiliar, inedible, or toxic ones in their natural habitat.
Children love mushroom picking and will be enthusiastic with every find. A walk of 1–2 hours will allow for a nice forest immersion and likely the discovery of several different species. Give each child a small basket or bag and let them explore! Describe the colors and shapes of the mushrooms you encounter, and naturally name the edible ones you collect
Safetyfirst
Tipsfromnature
The perfect time to find mushrooms is right after it rains about two days later! Just make sure it's not too cold outside.
Collect only known edible mushrooms
Have the number of the nearest poison control center on hand
Step2:Campfire
Set up a secure area: a circle of stones far from tree branches, furniture, or any installations. Gather wood with the children if the weather permits it’s a fun and educational part of the process. Start the fire using small twigs or kindling, explaining techniques like using birch bark or dry ferns. In wet conditions, use dry materials above ground, such as dry broom or dead branches from trees.
Tips for Lighting a Fire:
Safetyfirst
Avoid lighting fires in strong winds or during extreme heat or drought
Keep a bucket of water and burnsoothing cream nearby
Teach children to stay calm and avoid playing with fire or poking sticks into it. If needed, create a secondary circle around the fire pit to keep children at a safe distance, based on group size and supervision levels.
Step3:CookingMushroomOmelets
This is a simple, delicious recipe perfect for young children: Clean the mushrooms: use minimal water to preserve flavor.
Cut them into small pieces and sauté them in olive oil.
In the meantime, whisk eggs with garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Pour the mixture over the mushrooms. It’s ready in just a few minutes—enjoy!
This activity, from mushroom foraging to cooking, offers a wealth of experiences and learning opportunities for young children. You can easily dedicate a full day or at least a half day to it. Take your time and have fun!