FOREST SCHOOL TODAY:
RECEPTION
We had a great session with Reception this morning. To start, we all had fun playing the game Squirrels. The children are getting quicker at being able to find a partner when the ‘fox’ comes. Then, Emma told a story called ‘The Nut Thief’. The main character is a squirrel who becomes upset when he believes another squirrel is stealing his nuts, only to discover that the ‘thief’ was actually acting out of kindness – teaching a lesson about gratitude, sharing, and not jumping to conclusions. For the rest of the session, one invitation was to create an autumn tree scene using fallen leaves. Children were able to use their cutting skills to cut the leaves and sprinkle and glue them onto a piece of card. A lot of the class chose the option of making conker soap. Conkers contain high levels of saponins (natural compounds with detergent-like properties) and, therefore, they make a fantastic eco-friendly homemade soap. The children had to crush the conkers with the use of a mallet or log. This required a lot of strength and perseverance! Then they added the pieces to water and mixed them together by shaking a little pot. Emma helped them to strain the pieces of conker out of the liquid mixture using cloth. They were excited to be taking a little bottle of conker soap home! Children in the woods enjoyed playing a game of Hide and Seek with Carrie. During our Closing Circle time, the children learnt a new song called ‘Timothy the Squirrel’.
YEAR 5
Year 5 asked to play different running games this term and one they had requested was Secret Stone. We started with this today and they were very focused on coming up with a variety of tactics in their teams teams. There were some interesting and different ideas suggested. For some children, not being the one chosen to keep the secret stone hidden for their team was disappointing, providing a valuable opportunity to develop resilience, understand that we cannot always be the one selected, and recognise the importance of embracing the collective spirit of the team. Next, Emma told a folktale called ‘Why the Woodpecker is Still Tapping’. It is a quirky tale about a man who upsets Mother Nature and she turns him into a bird to find all the insects he made her lose. For the rest of the session, the majority of the class were interested in making woodpecker drums. They used the bow saw with Emma to make a wooden disc and then were able to complete the rest of the project using a hand drill and knotting skills. Lots of children were helping each other along the way which was lovely to observe. Some children were asking for support and there was always someone from the class willing to show them the next step. A few children completed their felting bowl project and they were very pleased with the final outcome. This project took a lot of concentration and dedication. It gave the children time for a peaceful activity and opportunities to chat with their peers along the way. In the woods, children learnt how to get a tarp high up in the trees and experimented with different den designs.To conclude the session, the children had a discussion about what they want Forest School to look like next term.
YEAR 1 & 2
When the group arrived, Emma encouraged them to look around at the changes in the trees and to take some deep, mindful breaths. After this, we took the children into the woods to take part in an activity called Find My Tree. We began by discussing our senses and how we use them to explore the world around us. Working in pairs, one child was blindfolded while their partner carefully guided them to a tree, developing communication skills, trust and an awareness of potential risks along the way. Using their other senses, the children explored their chosen tree by feeling its texture, smelling the bark and noticing its unique features. They were then led away from the tree and, once their blindfolds were removed, challenged to see if they could identify and find their original tree using their memory and observations. Most children were able to recognise their trees and they were so pleased with this! After this, Emma read a story called ‘Betsy Buglove and the Lucky Ladybirds’. The children enjoyed listening to the story which included a focus on what ladybirds and other creatures need for their habitats, particularly when they are starting to hibernate for the winter. For the rest of the session, most children were keen to make their own mini-bug habitats like the children in the story had made. They used plastic bottles they had brought in from home for this task. Once the bottles had been cut in half, the children collected sticks, leaves, grass and pine cones to pack their homes full for bugs. Other children were busy creating with clay, spending a long time manipulating the material and adding more to their designs to achieve their desired effects. Some children enjoyed time on the hammocks with their friends. To finish, the children shared ideas about what they would like to do next term at Forest School and one child shared a poem they had written with the group.
Best wishes,
Carrie and Emma
