It’s been a hot and sunny week in the forest and this has given us the opportunity to enjoy water and sensory play!
One sunny morning this week, the adventurers took turns to enjoy a sensory activity at the front of the forest. The sensory walk included stepping through different mediums, including bread, stones, flour, balls and even raisins! Afterwards, when sat at the circle for snack, we talked about texture, likes and dislikes, “I didn’t like the rocks.” “My favourite was the flour!” “No, my favourite was the rocks, they were warm.” It was interesting for the children to see who enjoyed certain feelings and to discover that everyone has different likes and dislikes!
The learners have been practising their independence aswell this week. We have been using our fine motor skills and grip to use cutting tools to chop our own snack! Using shape cutters we have been practising how to hold utensils in preparation for chopping which allows our adventurers to practise skills at their own pace without risk of hurting themselves, and therefore gives them a greater sense of independence and appreciation of the steps from kitchen to mouth! This has encouraged talk of healthy eating and which foods fit into the healthy eating category, “Apples are good, they grow on trees.” We also talked about the difference between “whole foods,” and “processed foods.”
Water play has been a big feature within the forest too! Settled in the shade, allowing some imaginative play creating animal worlds, we used nets to develop hand eye coordination and focus whilst attempting to catch ducks and pipettes and measuring cylinders to pour and squeeze! Practising pouring is a brilliant activity to help develop a sense of “less” and “more.” All of these activities have also been a brilliant addition to the days to ensure that there are times to cool down!
We have created shaded areas that have been used to encourage mindfulness. The areas have been covered with tarpaulin, matts and pillows to create a calm and comfortable space. Vicky has led some yoga whilst others have practised breathing and listening to their surroundings to cool down and find some emotional regulation techniques.
We look forward to next week and new adventures! Have a nice weekend and enjoy the sun!
Little Forest Folk
Morden