Our Week in the Forest...
Snow, snow glorious snow! On Friday morning, we arrived at Kew to find patches of snow still covering the gardens. The children were ecstatic as they played in the snow, forming snowballs, trying to make a snowman and drawing pictures in the snow. It feels like we have waited a long time for the snow! We also took a trip to the Princess of Wales conservatory and observed the workers putting up the displays for the Orchid Festival. We found a sloth and a jaguar made from wire and covered with growing plants like moss.
On Monday, the snow was all gone, but instead we had two visitors all the way from China. We took many adventure walks around the gardens to show off all our favourite places. We stopped at the beehive and climbed up to the top level to look down below and listened to our voices echo back to us as we stood in the middle.
On Tuesday Victoria, our newest staff member joined us in the forest. The children have made her feel incredibly welcome, encouraging her to join in their play and showing her all their favourite spots around the forest and ensuring that she gets nice and muddy!
The children have been really aware of their environment recently, showing a real interest in the details of the plants and animals they have observed, from noticing and counting four tiny slugs on a log to comparing the pinecones they have found around the forest. We have learnt about a variety of plants, such as the cacao tree where chocolate comes from and how in the past chocolate was very bitter and could only be afforded by the very wealthy, to the much sweeter and cheaper chocolate we have available today. The children have listened with real interest and devoured the information we have presented them.
Our physical skills have been challenged this week as we have climbed trees, balanced along fallen tree trunks and taken on a new rope challenge in the forest involving balancing across wobbly logs, often jumping the gaps with confidence. It has been great to see the children constantly moving to keep warm on these cold winter days.
We are sad to be saying goodbye to Amie who leaves us next Tuesday as she moves back to Wales. The children have spent a lot of time enjoying her company this week. We will miss her lots but wish her all the best!
We hope you all have a wonderful weekend and will see you next week!
Little Forest Folk
Chiswick