Our week in the forest...
Temperatures are still low but our children’s spirits are as high as ever!
With the fog thick, frost glistening and parakeets chirping, it’s no wonder our intrepid explorers can’t wait to race into the forest to get their hands dirty. The transformative power of nature means that our forest clearing has had tougher grounds and darker nooks. This has influenced the play in the forest this week, sometimes by posing a new challenge, and at other times by simply bringing a change of scenery. With frost affecting the ground, our children have had to use their own initiative to overcome the challenge of digging through the solid ground. While some children used water to soften the mud, others used their resilience to experiment with different digging strategies, such as knocking the spades into the ground with a small log.
We paid a visit to our garden plot to see how the weather had affected the plants growing there. Though there wasn’t much to see above ground, we turned up the topsoil to allow some water to soak into our plot. This was also a great way to get to grips with how roots grow, as well as bumping into a few wiggly worms along the way! Before we left the garden we had enough time to take a closer look at the beehive that plays host to some of our flying friends. Hopefully as the sun starts to shine more frequently, we can track the progress of their honey production.
Tools have proved to be incredibly popular again this week. Children of all ages have been rolling up their sleeves to engineer their own toys and take control of their learning. Hot off the production line this week we’ve seen a host of cars differing in shape and size. We’ve also been making medals with our forest champs, as well as thinking about what we would like to have a crack at making next. We’ve been counting our saw strokes, measuring the time taken to complete tasks and writing letters on our medals. Who would have thought that a little DIY could bring about such an abundance of learning?!
Another big hit this week has been our fire pit. We’re quickly becoming acquainted with safe practises when building and maintaining a fire. We didn’t just spend our time around the fire pit talking about safety however. How could we possibly build a fire without toasting a few marshmallows? Our children seem to be captivated when it comes to building a fire and heating their own snacks, and they do so with an air of maturity and responsibility.
Swede, parsnip, honey, butter bean soup- jam packed with veggies!
Team update:
We are delighted to welcome Charlie into the team this week...
Charlie is a qualified Primary school teacher and his personal interests include playing guitar, gardening and surfing!
ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND!
LITTLE FOREST FOLK
Chiswick
