Over on Green Team this week the children have enjoyed making various models and dioramas using the plentiful parts festooned upon us from the forest canopy. Using selected sticks, several airplanes have been created with support from educators to lash wings and engines using string. Here, observational details are developed, as children grow to understand the suitability of parts for chosen projects, and whilst the earliest imaginations can turn any two bound sticks into a plane, it’s also great to see more defined personal choices in how these constructions look. With the drier weather, educators have also been able to satisfy the wishes of the children who often ask to decorate their air bound creations, and so details of numbers and “controls” have been added with Sharpies to great effect. In this way, children are able to extend play on their own terms with their wonderfully unique creations.
Green Team children have also enjoyed using their planes around an awesome creation of an entire aircraft carrier, made using several large logs with specific sections. It’s in these moments, with support from Educators that know their key-children so well, that we see such great personal interests nurtured to help areas of development flourish.
Similarly, on Red Team this week, educators have had lots of requests to turn artwork into paper planes. Here, children have enjoyed seeing how a variety of triangles are important, with educators able to emphasise how there are simple shapes everywhere that help us in our daily lives. Great listening and understanding is in abundance here, as children love to get involved in perfecting their own folding and crease techniques. Educators have helped guide children by marking an “X” where finger and thumb should ideally go, and plenty of throwing practice has been super fun!
This week, both teams have now also been introduced to a new “Ecobrick” activity that helps to save the planet and all the creatures in the immediacy of our forest site. Firstly, we enabled a discussion with all involved about what we do with rubbish at home or when we are out and we talked about why we think rubbish might be bad when it’s on the floor. Everyone has shown good understanding around these issues, and have found a particular connection with the idea that rubbish is not nice for our animal friends, especially if they accidentally eat some. Next, we have used an empty Robinsons cordial bottle and using digital scales have helped children to understand that they are light and “squishy” when empty.
We then used a selection of found plastic like pallet-wrap, and plastic waste from our daily routines such as that around the bread rolls and then modelled cutting these safely into smaller pieces. These bits are then poked into the bottle with a “pokey stick” which can be weighed intermittently to help celebrate success with ever increasing numbers. Once we have tightly filled several bottles we will be able to use them in various sturdy constructions as the children see fit. Many of the children have loved the process of it all which firstly helps with some great fine motor skills, but also creates great moments of sharing and conversation around this new activity. By measuring and record keeping we can also demonstrate how we are actioning the lowering our carbon footprint!
Thursday was “World Book Day’ and we’ve loved seeing a wonderful variety of characters and creatures parade around the forest. Educators, dressed as a Seagull, Hypno-Girl, a cat, and the Big Bad Wolf have had plentiful fun acting out their parts in play with a roarsome lion, Pearl the Flying Doctor, two toothsome tigers, a super shark, Super Girl, the Gruffalo, Fireman Sam, Paddington Bear and even some Pirates. Educators have also been making capes from rolls of fabric so everybody had a chance to find their own super powers. Naturally, lots of books were read throughout the day, enabling all sorts of lovely conversations with the children who are always so keen to share their knowledge, ideas, and all the fab goings-on in their own lives at home and beyond.
We hope the weekend is as fun as the week has been here and we look forward to hearing all about it soon.
Little Forest Folk
Wandsworth