The children have embraced the arts as they practiced mindfulness techniques, yoga, dance and music expressing themselves in different ways.
We have been creating a mandala every morning with the children to gather around. For an increasing period, each day the children were able to practice mindfulness. They held hands in a circle and closed their eyes whilst allowing the sounds around them to be fully absorbed. They then discussed what they could see, hear and feel, and they took some time to reflect on the world around them. They then threw an item into the middle of the mandala before going to have their snack and start to play!
The guitars and ukuleles have been out in full force this week and the children have put in lots of requests. We have been making up our own nursery rhymes and singing along together. There have also been lots of moments where the children have been dancing to the music. It always amazes us how fluid the children’s movements have become as they move in time to the music extending right through to their fingertips! At times we have also been just sitting and listening to some relaxing music whilst eating lunch or snack and having quiet conversations together.
he dancing often started with games like sleeping bunnies or musical statues, and quickly morphed into expressive dance and then yoga style moves. When this happened, we focussed on our breathing and gently stretched our bodies into different positions and forms. Animal poses were our favourites! After dancing some of the children used the pots, pans and metal bowls as instruments hitting them with sticks and tapping out beats, others used the guitar and ukulele to strum along together forming a forest band!
We also had some wilder and more flamboyant expressions as the children explored their own stories and role-plays! We have had superhero games that involved making magic potions, building superhero dens and charging around the camp saving the day. We also had wonderful games involving vehicles! A train that was built with long logs complete with train tracks drawn into the leaves and tickets for all the passengers. There were also cars that needed fixing that turned into aeroplanes for the children to then jump out of with parachutes!
This week we were also lucky enough to have CLoWn LaLLy come to visit us in the forest! At first the children looked bemused as a toilet tent inched its way forward between the camps. Then she came flying out of the tent with bubbles pouring out of her camera that was strapped around her neck! The children found her very funny indeed and loved it as she tripped and stumbled around making animal balloons and telling funny stories!
We hope you have a wonderful weekend!!
Little Forest Folk
Putney Heath