Our Week in the Forest...
Wandsworth - Pet Minibeasts and Baby Dinosaurs
It has been another glorious week over at our Wandsworth Little Forest Folk. The Sun has shone and the rain has rained and the children have played and played and played. Here are a few snippets of some of the things we have been getting up to…
The creative spirit over at Paradise dazzled us this week. The children have had a blast learning how to manipulate clay to create their very own pet minibeasts, using one of their favourite minibeast poetry books for inspiration (the most loved poem being the one about the earwig with 'Pinchers on its bum', of course). Cries of ‘Roll it, roll it, roll it!’ could be heard as the Little Forest Folk rolled the clay between their hands to create caterpillars, to which they added various features of eyes, legs and patterns, using the different media available. They were brilliant at offering one another pipe cleaners to help their friends achieve their insect goals. Some even had a go at using the scissors to snip into the clay to make new textures. We loved seeing the determination and patience the children had in learning these new skills and the great pride they took in their finished pieces.
As the Paradise bean plants have now been dug up it has left us with an enormous bed of soil, which was instantly declared to be ‘A CASTLE!!' The children had to problem solve ways in which to clamber up and reach the tools within the great fort before they could commence a serious excavation, working as a team to dig and fill all of the pots. Over in the other flower beds, the plants are soaring above our heads- perfect for a spot of hide and seek. The children took great delight in playing this as one big group and we had a cracking time together. Once the children had gotten the hang of hunting for the adults they were eager to have a go at becoming 'the hunted'. Their hiding techniques were second to none and it’s quite possible that some had attended survival courses led by the likes of Ray Mears and Bear Grylls. After hours of hunting the children were eventually discovered stood upright, with their backs to us, facing the plants. They had also covered their eyes so that that way they knew they definitely couldn’t be spotted. Genius!
It hasn’t all been fun and games in the forest, oh dearie me, no. There have been some terrifying, waterproof wearing dinosaurs roaming the woodland, with ferocious roars that apparently do not tire. These dinosaurs had a tremendous thirst for adventure and set off exploring the neighbouring pathways, gobbling anything in their way. After all the stomping, roaring and roaming the dinosaurs happened upon the lagoon, where they enjoyed taking a break to spy on potential new prey. Little dinosaur eggs were discovered which hatched before our very eyes. Much cuter than the fossils and sketches you will find at the British Museum, and looking a lot like little Forest folk children!
The children have been very busy constructing houses for the dinosaurs, forest penguins and our forest rabbit. The forest rabbit, in particular, will be writing a very interesting Trip Advisor review, considering that at first it received top notch luxury treatment with 1000 leaf count bedding and a fire in its room.
We can’t believe it’s the weekend again! Time flies when you’re covered in mud and have spent your week playing hide and seek and riding on broomsticks. Hope you all have a super duper weekend, and we can’t wait to see you to start the adventuring again next week!
Have a lovely weekend!
Little Forest Folk
Wandsworth