Muddy Faces catalogue

At Muddy Faces, we’re passionate about children’s health, wellbeing, and the power of the outdoors. Our catalogue features thousands of products alongside free resources, expert advice, and inspiring activities. Every year we share ideas to help practitioners enrich outdoor experiences for children and families.

Above and beyond

Anyone who knows Muddy Faces knows how passionate we are about children’s health and wellbeing - and how much the outdoors supports this.

We’re well-known for going above and beyond in supporting outdoor practitioners, through our Mud Campaign, Making a Mud Kitchen and Valuing the Outdoors booklets, our huge free Outdoor Hub, and our highly-rated customer service.

Practitioners love receiving our catalogues each January – they’re packed with inspiring outdoor kit and ideas.

But did you know that every year we give away space in our catalogue to signpost and support other organisations with a shared ethos?

The Muddy Faces catalogue – more than just things to buy

Each year we fill our catalogue not only with 1000s of quality products, but also with free information, inspiration, and activities for the outdoor community.

We share content from our free Outdoor Hub, including advice on choosing waterproofs, clay, shelters, and more – alongside expert insights into key outdoor learning approaches.

Every edition focuses on a different theme that enriches outdoor environments and supports children’s physical and cognitive development, with contributions from leading practitioners.

Catalogue highlights by year

2025 – Woodwork in the Early Years

Expert Insight: EY woodwork specialist Pete Moorhouse
Feature: National Education Nature Park programme (Learning through Landscapes, Natural History Museum, RHS & partners)
Practice in Action: Active Boundaries in Early Years projects
Spotlight: Just Grow Forest School – tree-free shelters

2024 – Active Boundaries: Over, Under, Through

Developed with EY specialist Jan White
Focus: Forest School, with signposts to the Forest School Association & National Forest
Campaigns: Making a Mud Kitchen & Outdoors Thinking booklets

2023 – Risky Play

Feature: Outdoor Practitioner magazine article by international expert Niki Buchan
Spotlight: Outdoor Play & Learning Wales & OWL Outdoor Play & Learning Scotland
Activities: Campfire cooking

2022 – Nature Connection or Nature Contact

Article: from the Outdoor Practitioner magazine, by Louise Ambrose
Activities: sun printing ideas
Focus: reducing our environmental impact

2020 – Campaign to Bring Back Nature Tables

Spotlights: Community Playthings, Early Childhood Outdoors, LtL
Feature: Messy Maths by Juliet Robertson
New Ideas: mark making at the Message Centre; BIOplastic sustainable products

2019 – Opening Up the Outdoors

Activities: traditional peg loom weaving
Spotlights: ECO, John Muir Award, Field Studies Council, 8 Shields, CLOtC
Introducing: Forest School Day

2018 – Outdoor Hub launch

Introducing: the Dragons Sneeze – a new name for our fire steel & striker - chosen by you!
New Resource: our free Outdoor Hub goes live
Activities: campfire bread on a stick
Focus: wellbeing benefits of time outdoors
Spotlights: Forest School Association, OWL Scotland, Forest School Wales

2017 – 10 Years of Muddy Faces!

Founder Focus: Liz Edwards and her Forest School connection
Spotlights: Little Forest Folk, Wheatfen Forest School, Wyre Forest School

Reducing our environmental impact

Since 2020, our catalogues have been printed on PEFC-certified paper
There was no catalogue in 2021 due to the COVID-19 crisis
In 2022 we reduced page numbers and streamlined our mailing list to minimise waste
We introduced our unsubscribe & read online options for want to read the catalogue but don't want to receive a paper copy
Catalogues are sent in non-plastic packaging
We champion UK-grown wood products that support local woodlands, craftspeople, and traditional woodland industries, and offer many alternatives to plastic