The temperature this week had us take advantage of being able to adventure walk all around the gardens in search of shade! Our mornings were spent mostly at camp taking part in fun activities and then as the temperature arose we went hunting for sprinklers!
Claudia showed the children how to create giant bubbles with two sticks and string. They took turns to swish it through the air and be amazed at the enormous bubbles they produced! Some of our new Summer Campers set up an ice cream shop and used giant leaves scavenged from the site as display plates to serve up their wares. They wrote a sign, and created a price list before opening up to all their friends to gobble up the delicious flavours.
The children have used card, tape and pens to craft little figures and animals to play with and they took them home at the end of the day. It was lovely to see their pride in what they created and many role play games incorporated the dogs, bats and policemen they had made.
Katie taught some of us highland dancing and we even attempted the sword dance to entertain the kids while they ate dinner. Afterwards, Katie showed how to dance some of the steps with one boy in particular showing great interest. Continuing the musical theme, we had one camper telling us how excited he was to be learning to play the cello when he turns 5. A mini stage was created, with a sign for his concert and he acted out playing his instrument while we listened to beautiful cello music through our speaker. This led to conversations between the other children about instruments they knew and would like to play as well.
As a focus activity to keep everyone nice and cool, the children made natural paints out of teabags, fruit teas, crushed berries and flowers and, of course, mud! They collected different colours and worked together to mash the ingredients with water before painting their dyes onto a hanging sheet. Some made careful printing and gentle brush strokes while others stood back to flick and splash paint to make dramatic splatters!
Later in the afternoons, it was so fantastic to watch the pure fun the children experienced charging through the lovely cold sprinklers. They squealed at the cold drops and tried to catch the water in their hats before splatting them back on their heads with a big splash!
Though the week has been tricky with these soaring temperatures, it just makes us appreciate working outside all the more and the flexibility to keep all our little ones happy and having a great time no matter what!
Little Forest Folk
Fulham