This week in the forest, Dan created a 3-meter-long tunnel using one of our tarps. At a height of 1 meter and a width of 50cm, it was the absolute perfect size for children to enjoy. We know that everyone is always having fun here in the forest, but this tunnel has truly filled the forest with the most colossal smiles, the giggliest of laughs, and continuous bursts of delighted chatter. Some imagined they were cars “BRUM BRUM-ing” and “BEEP BEEP-ing” along the roads, others were on trains “CHOO CHOO-ing” all the way to grandparents’ houses, whilst others simply enjoyed the super new sensation of the rustling, swishing sides in the long-darkened space.
We loved to see how the children chose one side to turn out, and kept on that loop, understanding the need to keep things going and clear for everyone to enjoy. On another day this tunnel was held sealed up by the children at both ends, as they joked for educators to keep out, who responded by turning into BIG BAD WOLVES that huffed and puffed, but certainly weren’t quite strong enough to blow down Dan’s awesome tarp construction. This design is certainly something we are looking to construct at the bowling field too as it has been a huge happy success.
Big bad Wolves may have been used to teach children various life lessons several ages ago, but here we love supporting children to value all creatures equally! A new favourite book here is called “The Last Wolf” and is as wonderful as several other books by author and illustrator, Mini Grey. With the rich, characterful illustration, witty humour, and an enthralling plot we can sensitively support ideas around the issues wildlife face when humans move into their habitat. Another great charity book find has been “The disgusting sandwich” which follows the adventure of a hungry badger whose sandwich sadly becomes rather inedible by the last page, but this does attract several slugs, which as we discovered last week, is one of the badgers’ favourite things to eat all night long alongside worms!
Towards the end of the week, the wonderful images from several of our favourite books, were used by Jemima to inspire and ignite imaginations of children to recreate images in their own style using pens and embellished by natural finds from the forest. Here we saw some really rather squiggly sea anemones inspired by a character from “Sharing a Shell” and some pretty dazzling parrots like those in “Night Monkey, Day Monkey”, both books by the legendary Julia Donaldson who we love here!
This weekend we hope you can find time to relax and enjoy moments for inspiring stories that help to nurture the lovely joy for reading we see here.
Little Forest Folk
Wandsworth