Our Week in the Forest...
Our lovely new Little Forest Folk-ers have truly now experienced the average London weather with the glorious downpours of rain we have had this week! On Tuesday we all woke up to what felt like a monsoon as the rain came crashing down from the skies, flooding the roads and bringing traffic to a standstill for many of our parents driving in to drop off! But this did not stop us getting outdoors, instead the children were so excited as they knew that in our forest there would have to be HUGE PUDDLES waiting to be splashed and sploshed in! So we had a quick snack indoors and then whipped on our waterproofs ready to discover all the exciting pond-sized puddles at Chiswick House! It was great fun seeing the children so excited as they ran through the puddles, jumping around and pretending that their feet had disappeared. All the children were very brave considering this was the first very wet weather we had this term. There were also a few rumbles of thunder in the sky but the lightening held off which meant it was still safe for us to play and have fun in the rain!
As well as big puddles this week, the children have also been admiring big lily pads at Kew Gardens. On our adventure walk at Kew we made it to the Princess of Wales conservatory and enjoyed looking at the variety of animals and flora on display! The children were amazed at the gigantic catfish swimming under the big lily pads and got quite the fright as they swam close to the edge where we stood watching. We had lots of fun and it is great that Kew gives us such a variety of experiences and adventures each time we go!
On a final note, whilst driving home after work one day this week, I was listening to a song by a folk band named Stornoway and their song 'We Are the Battery Human'. The lyrics resonated with me as they talk about the human generation being technology and social media focused when we were born to be free minded and outdoors. It reminded me of Little Forest Folk's focus to set our children free, encouraging active and forward thinking minds. The lyrics that were most resonant can be seen below but it is a great privilege getting these children outdoors and letting them have a natural childhood that we feel they need and deserve.
"Where are we going this fine morning?
What are we doing this fine day?
We're doing the same as every morning
We're staying inside on this fine morning
Staying inside on this fine day
We'll stare at a screen like every morning
And outside the window spring is here
We're going to hibernate all year
Under a pile of A4 snowflakes
...
We are the new generation
We are the battery human
But we were born to be free range"
Our Little Forest Folk-ers are certainly getting the most out of the outdoor environment which they love so much and they are such resilient little learners.
We hope you all have had a lovely week too and we cannot wait to see what next week brings!
Little Forest Folk
Chiswick