The Nature Nurture ‘Circle of Connection’ Tool

The Circle of Connection

Supporting children who have experienced relational trauma can be one of the most rewarding, yet challenging, aspects of Nature Nurture practice. Relationships are often at the heart of both the difficulties children face and the healing that helps them move forward. The Circle of Connection Tool has been designed to support meaningful conversations that help children recognise the people in their lives who offer safety, care, encouragement and support. 

This visual mapping tool helps make relationships tangible. It enables children, young people and the adults around them to identify who they can turn to, who has their back during difficult times, and where there may be opportunities to strengthen existing relationships or build new connections where gaps exist in their circle of support. 

The Circle of Connection is a collaborative and child-centred resource that can be used throughout a Nature Nurture programme or other relational intervention. Revisiting the tool over time allows children and practitioners to notice what has changed, celebrate growing connections, and identify areas where further support may be needed. 

Importantly, the child remains at the centre of the process. They choose who is included in their Circle of Connection, who takes part in the conversations, and who they wish to share their completed map with. In doing so, the tool helps foster agency, belonging, self-awareness and resilience, while building a stronger network of trusted relationships around the child. 

Suitable for use by teachers, support staff, Nature Nurture Practitioners, Forest School leaders, counsellors, youth workers and families. 

This tool:

• Supports trauma-informed and attachment-aware practice
• Encourages meaningful conversations about relationships and belonging
• Helps identify strengths and gaps in a child’s support network
• Tracks changes in relationships over time
• Empowers children to recognise and strengthen trusted connections
• Suitable for individual, family and school-based interventions