Our Week in the Forest...
This week in Barnes started with a fascinating discovery! After we moved one of the logs, the children noticed an enormous number of wiggly worms, in all shapes and sizes! Friends quickly gathered around to have a closer look and tried hard to count them all. Some of the children decided to put the wiggly worms somewhere cosier and safer and they looked for a new house for them. Another group decided the worms should be closer to the playground, so they can play with their friends. They all reminded each other to be very gentle with wiggly worms and not to squash them! The Little Forest Folk-ers observed the worms for a while and compared their length very naturally using the mathematical language, talking about which one is shortest and longest. They talked about families, deciding which one is mummy, daddy, child or grandpa with lots of wrinkles! So much learning from such small creatures!
We also had a very important rescue mission going on in the forest this week. The children found a tennis ball on the field but unfortunately, they quickly lost it when by accident they threw it over a brick wall. That did not stop the play but made it even better! Friends worked together and came up with a plan, which obviously was; we have to rescue the golden ball! Together they found various solutions, like building a ladder and climbing the wall, which seemed to be very tricky. Then they tried to throw the rope over the wall to reach the ball but as it was missing a “scooping part”, they attached a pan to the end of the rope! Some of them decided to build a step so they could be higher and spot the ball through their binoculars. It was wonderful to observe their collaboration and exchange of ideas. Even the children who only observed the mission from a distance went to help their friends with new ideas, such as; “maybe Spider-man can help us!?”
Thanks to a wonderful rainstorm on Monday we had some perfect muddy puddles this week. During our adventure walk one of the Little Forest Folk-ers, slipped straight into a puddle with a big splash. It made the group very excited and they came up with an idea for a competition: who can walk through the slippery mud without falling into it! They all took turns, cheering each other regardless of the result and they were having a great time getting really muddy!
We continued following the children’s interest in mark making and writing this week. Our reception children enjoyed practising writing letters and it is wonderful to see their younger friends joining in and trying to copy. We had some fun activities, making prints, when children had to decide which colour to choose to match their card. They enjoyed talking about their favourite shapes and patterns on the print stamps. Another group of children used paint and water to create their magic potions. They were fascinated about the way the colours mixed together and transformed, and they used their own experience to name the colours.
What a fantastic and inspiring week in the forest!
Little Forest Folk
Barnes