Puschel & Flauschi’s Forest Discoveries

4–6 minForest factsRead together

Woodland facts for children – nature stories to discover

Short woodland stories for children aged about 6 to 10 combine Puschel and Flauschi’s adventures with easy facts about plants, animals, fungi and the sounds of the forest.

The green explorer’s magnifying glass with a leaf-shaped handle

Here you follow woodland adventures with Puschel and Flauschi. To learn about real trees, plants, fungi and animals, visit Wusel Knowledge for identifying features, pictures and little questions.

Our discoveries

4–6 minForest factsRead together

Look, marvel, understand

27
Puschel and Flauschi listen on a wide path in the frosty woods, keeping their distance from trees.

Discovery 27

Why Do the Woods Crack in the Frost?

A sudden crack makes Puschel listen. The two discover how cold can affect wood—and why not every sound has a certain explanation.

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Puschel and Flauschi observe an already visible little opening at the edge of untouched snow from the cleared path.

Discovery 26

The Woods under the White Blanket

Puschel wonders what happens beneath the snow. The two discover a hidden world without uncovering it.

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Puschel and Flauschi stand on dry ground beside a small puddle with a thin ice layer.

Discovery 25

The Puddle with the Glass Lid

A shallow puddle looks different in the morning. Puschel suspects a lid—until Flauschi notices the ice.

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Puschel and Flauschi listen to a great tit on a distant branch in the autumn woods.

Discovery 24

The Missing Bird Concert

The autumn woods sound different. Puschel searches for the big concert—and discovers that quieter does not mean empty.

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Puschel and Flauschi study a low green fir branch, with bare broadleaf trees behind them.

Discovery 23

Why Does the Fir Stay Green?

Most trees have lost their leaves. Puschel thinks the fir must have forgotten autumn.

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Flauschi on the left holds the green magnifying glass over an acorn with a small round hole; Puschel on the right looks closely.

Discovery 22

The Acorn with the Tiny Hole

Puschel finds an acorn with a curious opening. Is it a front door—or a clue left by a little beetle?

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Flauschi on the left shapes a round snow ear while Puschel on the right gently packs the curved snow tail. A little Snow Wusel made of three snowballs stands between them. The green magnifying glass with a leaf-shaped handle lies in the foreground snow.

Discovery 21

Puschel and Flauschi Build a Snow Wusel

Three snowballs, two round ears and one wonderfully wiggly tail: Puschel and Flauschi discover how snow can become a little winter friend.

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Puschel and Flauschi look at a brown leaf beside an older leaf with visible veins and little holes. A woodlouse walks over it. Flauschi holds the green magnifying glass without moving the leaves.

Discovery 20

The Autumn Leaf’s Second Journey

A fresher leaf lies beside an old leaf skeleton. Puschel discovers that a leaf’s journey is far from over when it reaches the ground.

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Puschel and Flauschi study a green moss cushion on a stone. Flauschi holds the green magnifying glass above it. The moss stays untouched.

Discovery 19

Why Does Moss Grow Here?

One stone wears a green cushion while another is almost bare. Puschel discovers a tiny forest of plants and asks why it grows here.

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Puschel studies small bird tracks in the snow through the green magnifying glass. Flauschi stands thoughtfully beside him. Both leave the tracks clear and chase no animal.

Discovery 18

The Mystery of the Footprints

Small marks in the snow tell Puschel and Flauschi about a quiet visitor. What clues can tracks give when the animal has already gone?

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Puschel and Flauschi stand beside a twig with closed brown buds. Flauschi studies a bud through the green magnifying glass from a little distance without opening it.

Discovery 17

The Bud in Its Winter Coat

On a bare twig, Puschel finds tiny brown packages. Are they sleeping bags? Flauschi shows him how a tree prepares for another spring.

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Puschel and Flauschi stand on the damp woodland path with their noses raised into the air. Flauschi keeps the green magnifying glass lowered. Neither touches soil or plants.

Discovery 16

Why Do the Woods Smell after Rain?

After a shower, Puschel discovers something without the magnifying glass: the woods smell different. Flauschi helps him explore the scent of rain.

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Puschel and Flauschi look at an empty brown hazelnut shell with an opening on the woodland path. Flauschi holds the green magnifying glass. No animal is shown as its owner.

Discovery 15

Who Has Been Nibbling Here?

An empty nutshell becomes a little mystery. Puschel and Flauschi look for clues and learn that a guess is not yet an answer.

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Puschel studies the branching lines of a fallen leaf through the green magnifying glass. Flauschi points towards a line without touching the leaf.

Discovery 14

The Leaf with Little Roads

On a fallen leaf, Puschel finds a branching road map. Flauschi explains what travels along those fine lines.

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Puschel and Flauschi watch a dandelion seed head and a few white parachutes carried by the wind at a green woodland edge. Their green magnifying glass stays lowered.

Discovery 13

The Dandelion Takes Flight

At a bright woodland edge, a white parachute drifts past. Puschel looks for its pilot and discovers a tiny seed on a journey.

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Puschel sits curiously on the left and Flauschi kneels on the right; both observe a small Roman snail with a brown spiral shell and a silvery trail on a leaf without touching it.

Discovery 12

The Silvery Snail Trail

A shining line crosses a leaf. Puschel searches for its tiny builder and discovers a snail with a very special foot.

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Puschel reaches in wonder towards a spinning maple fruit while Flauschi points at it in the autumn forest, holding the green leaf-handled explorer’s magnifying glass. Two fruits still joined together lie on the ground.

Discovery 11

The Little Maple Propeller

A wing spins past Puschel’s nose: how does the wind carry maple seeds to new places?

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Puschel and Flauschi stand quietly beside a covered leaf pile dusted with snow. Puschel holds a paw to his mouth and Flauschi holds the green leaf-handled magnifying glass. No animal is visible, and the inside of the nest cannot be seen.

Discovery 10

4–6 minForest factsRead together

Where Do Animals Sleep in Winter?

Under leaves, inside hollows and well hidden: Puschel and Flauschi discover the different ways animals make it through winter.

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Puschel and Flauschi use their green leaf-handled magnifying glass to study a golden leaf floating on a clear woodland pond while a small stone rests underwater

Discovery 9

4–6 minForest factsRead together

Why Do Leaves Float on Water?

A leaf stays on top while a stone sinks. Puschel and Flauschi discover how shape, air and the water’s surface help decide what happens.

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Puschel cups both paws around his ears while Flauschi points to a great spotted woodpecker on a tree; a wood mouse is visible in the leaves and the green explorer’s magnifying glass rests on a stump.

Discovery 8

4–6 minForest factsRead together

Why Does the Forest Rustle?

Leaves whisper, a wood mouse scurries and a woodpecker drums. Puschel and Flauschi solve a sound mystery by becoming completely quiet for a moment.

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Puschel examines the bark of an oak with deep grooves with the green leaf-handled magnifying glass while Flauschi points towards the smooth beech and pale birch nearby

Discovery 7

4–6 minForest factsRead together

The Map on the Tree Bark

Smooth beech, pale birch and oak with deep grooves: Puschel searches for treasure and instead discovers the different coats worn by trees.

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Puschel and Flauschi use the green leaf-handled magnifying glass to observe beetles, woodlice, moss and a fungus on an old fallen log

Discovery 6

4–6 minForest factsRead together

The Hotel in the Old Log

Puschel thinks a fallen log is empty. Beetle tunnels, woodlice, moss and fungi reveal that deadwood is a busy woodland hotel.

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Puschel examines a half-buried acorn and a little young oak with the green leaf-handled magnifying glass while Flauschi points to a jay carrying an acorn

Discovery 5

4–6 minForest factsRead together

Who Hid the Acorn?

A half-buried acorn, a tiny oak shoot and a jay with a full beak lead Puschel and Flauschi to a clever winter store.

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Puschel uses the green leaf-handled magnifying glass to study pale fungal threads among tree roots while Flauschi points to the hidden network in the woodland soil

Discovery 4

4–6 minForest factsRead together

The Secret Fungal Network

At an edge of woodland soil, Puschel discovers fine pale threads. Flauschi shows him how fungi and tree roots help each other.

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Puschel studies a yellow autumn leaf with the green leaf-handled magnifying glass while Flauschi compares a green and a red leaf beneath a tree with colourful leaves

Discovery 3

4–6 minForest factsRead together

The Colour Secret of Autumn Leaves

Green, yellow, orange and red leaves hang on the same tree. Puschel suspects a secret forest painter—until the explorer’s magnifying glass reveals a real autumn secret.

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Puschel examines an open dry cone with the green leaf-handled magnifying glass while Flauschi points to a closed damp cone

Discovery 2

4–6 minForest factsRead together

The Secret of the Cone Scales

Two cones rest on a tree stump: one is wide open and the other tightly closed. Puschel and Flauschi discover what rain and dry air have to do with it.

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Puschel studies a dew-covered spider web through a green magnifying glass while Flauschi excitedly points to the sparkling droplets

Discovery 1

4–6 minForest factsRead together

The Pearls in the Spider Web

In the morning light, a mysterious string of pearls sparkles between two ferns. With their explorer’s magnifying glass, Puschel and Flauschi discover who it belongs to.

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Wusel Knowledge

Puschel holds a lobed oak leaf while Flauschi uses the green explorer magnifier to inspect acorns on a twig beside the deeply furrowed bark of an old oak

Discover trees, plants, fungi and woodland animals

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