What a glorious week we have had in the forest. We have of course missed our sessional friends, the parakeets, who are all on holiday, but we have had great fun with the holiday campers, both old and new, who have joined us.
We started the week searching for thick stalked brambles, we were able to cut some long lengths with our loppers and then one educator showed us how to remove the sharp thorns from the stalk using a peeler. Once our bramble stalk was clear of thorns, we cut the stalk into 2cm lengths. We observed that the centre of the bramble stalk is soft and pithy, so armed with a thin tent peg we were able to carefully push the centres out of each small section of bramble stalk creating a natural bead. With all the children working hard at creating beads we soon had a box full. Now we were ready to string our choice of beads onto a length of string or wool. Some children made 1 bead pendants; others made 3-6 bead necklaces. Necklaces were most popular, but some made bracelets, everyone was soon bedecked in beautiful jewellery provided by the forest.
We have been investigating liquids this week too, measuring and pouring, mixing colours, filling larger and smaller vessels and being amazed that the same amount of water looks like more in a tall thin container and looks like less in a short wide container. What magic trick is this, that when it is poured back into the original container it is the same amount in each?! One day we had a bubble tea shop in the mud kitchen as the children blew through straws into the cups of slightly paint-y water, creating wonderfully colourful bubbles. The bubble tea in turn ignited a desire to create larger bubbles and so the bubble wands came out as our little explorers took turns carefully blowing bubbles, while others delighted in chasing after the ethereal, iridescent, floating globes.
Little Forest Folk
Twickenham