Our Week in the Forest...
We have had another gorgeous week in the forest! Cold crisps days blending into long dark windy nights. Making the most of the daylight we have continued to explore the wider forest around us looking at the different textures of the ground as the weather changes and admiring the variety and magic of the mushrooms in the forest.
The adventure walks have once again been truly magical this week. Giving the children the freedom to explore and find new items of interest away from base camp is essential for widening their breadth of learning and inquisitiveness. This week the children located over 10 different types of mushrooms and the reaction and understanding of these vital parts of nature was great to see. From the basics of respecting the fungi and knowing the potential dangers of certain types, to the realisation that mushrooms actually eat dead trees and wood and help to clear new space for more plants to grow. This sent some of the children on a hunt to find new growth, and magically one little person was able to find a baby plant's head poking out of the ground nearby to mushroom covered logs.
Furthermore we found two more muddy hill sites for the children this week. For all involved there is nothing quite as fulfilling as being so tangibly connected to the earth and ground around us. Sliding down from top to bottom before starting again, again, again and again. Please be ready to hose your children down at the end of the day!
Rain, rain, don’t go away please come again another day, is a variation of the old classic rhyme that we should introduce to the forest and boy have we enjoyed the rain. To see 20 children running through the windy, torrential weather screaming “This is the best rainy day ever” at the top of their lungs, is probably one of the most gratifying things to hear as an outdoor educator – pure, unbridled joy to be outside. And I think in part that comes down to the fantastic team here at Wandsworth who relish all types of weather and make it so fun and engaging for all ages in any weather.
Parents evening was once again a massive success this year. It was fantastic to be able to spend the time discussing the brilliance of your children, answer any questions and to spend more time getting to know one another.
Have a lovely weekend and we will see you next week!
Little Forest Folk
Wandsworth