This week we saw our Little Forest Folk-ers walking around with big open eyes, taking in all the things changing around us. The children often stopped what they were doing to observe how the wind made the leaves dance down from the trees and on our rainy day the children loved collecting the drops coming down from the tarps to make delicious things in the mud kitchen or simply to wash the mud from their hands to then go and play and get muddy again. We have really enjoyed seeing how the children have now started to embrace the glorious mud.
The children also loved observing the changes that are happening in our surroundings on our way in and out of the forest. We saw that the pub got it’s finishing touches and is now full of life when we walk back to the cricket club and the road we cross everyday got resurfaced and therefore was traffic free, which gave us the opportunity to walk a different route to the forest. The children also got to observe from a safe distance how the rangers were doing some tree maintenance with a cherry picker and a chipper.
This week as part of our Black History Month learning we learned about the life of some inspiring black women and the children took inspiration from their lives in their role play. With songs of Aretha Franklin the children decided they were builders and stated that they liked the music as they were builders and builders really like music, something that our full day children got to experience on their way in and out of the forest while the pub was under refurbishment!
Another day in their role play the children got onboard pirate ships inspired by the live of Seaman William Brown, a woman who had secretly disguised herself as a man in order to serve the British Royal Navy. Some pirates found a treasure map and with good team-work and excellent orientation skills they found the hidden treasure!
Later in the week the children got inspired by the life of Zora Neale Hurston to come up with their own stories to write in our special story book. The stories ranged from friendly animals, mythical creatures and bicycles. The young storytellers were really interested in illustrating their own stories next to the text written by an educator. In the mean-time other children carefully learned how to whittle a stick which they then turned into leaf kebabs to collect all the beautiful leaves found on their way into the forest.
We look forward to having another week full of wonder next week and wish you all a lovely weekend and half-term!
Little Forest Folk
Putney Heath