This week began with even more children meeting our new Tiger worm friends wriggling around in their home. Children have been naturally curious and fascinated in how the different parts of the three-tier system work together. There was a unanimous enthusiasm for a new activity involving using serrated plastic knives to cut fruit peel and vegetable scraps from morning snack to feed the worms. Here, a captive audience have watched educators role modelling good grip and handling to control the tool effectively and children of all ages have enjoyed practicing and mastering this new challenge. Next comes more enjoyment in the pleasure of throwing in their successfully sliced portions to their hungry pets. These worms create a liquid “worm tea” which is rich in nutrients, perfect for feeding plants in the raised beds we plan to create with the children.
Everyone is really keen to get this project going and we anticipate that as many children as possible will soon have a chance to use an assortment of tools to connect the wooden parts that will contain the soil. Some children have already begun acting out their planting plans and educators have seen children plant sticks into the ground in rows and even creatively driving larger branch parts into the ground using block parts like hammers. This great creative planning will be a real asset in designing the container structure and planting layout.
Further afield our adventure walks have really taken off and the children have relished making their own new discoveries around every leafy corner. Some children have kindly been lifting and moving brambles aside with their special “bramble lifters” so that their friends can pass safely. This is just one example of the many wonderful ways our “Be Kind and Gentle” Forest School rule can be seen throughout our days here and it’s good to know the children are thinking of others.
These walks always present new physical challenges; be that the distance or the terrain, but the children need little encouragement to keep on going and the smiling faces prove how personally rewarding these new achievements are. A new spot over a river might be the highest point to jump from yet and after a few helping hand moments, for children to test their abilities and find their own way to manage the height, it soon became second nature for most.
These walks are as challenging as they are playful and this week imaginations have been running as wild as the children! We can see that moments from our story telling here and at home lay great foundations for the base of an idea, but that soon evolves into role play and descriptive story telling that takes many magical twists and turns.
From one story early this week in the forest site children began playing “potion mixing” in their wok shaped cauldron, which then moved onto finding “where the witch lives” on the walk the next day, which progressed to riding “broomsticks” around the forest site the day after. It’s in these magical moments we can see a perfect example of children extending their own play ideas and creating the world they wish to play in.
We cannot wait to see what next week brings and we wish you all a wonderful weekend!
Little Forest Folk
Wandsworth