Fires, building and hanging mobiles - the forest offers so much!
The rain and grey clouds will never dampen a day at Little Forest Folk! Our children are incredible at making the best of the situation around them and finding things to do from the smallest idea.
This week everyone has shown a real interest in forest school activities and have really wanted to get a chance to make fires or be at the fire with the rest of their group. There have been some lovely times this week when the children have been able to take part in a group fire. Our Little Forest Folk-ers have listened well to the fire rules that are set in place, taking on board the need for safety at the fire. Then, when everyone has listened to the forest fire rules, they have had the chance to go over and toast their own snack! We have been able to have marshmallows as a treat and these are a good thing for the children to start off with to learn about how the fire works. They watch as the sugar in the marshmallow turns a delicious golden colour and then it’s time to reward their hard work with the treat!
Not only have they sat and watched as the educators led the fire activity, but some of our children have also been able to make a small fire of their own. We have been using the flint and steel to create sparks and set fire to small pieces of cotton wool. The children watched as the educators showed them what to do to strike the steel and make the spark, and then had their own chance to take part. The determination of each child to want to make the spark and not give up until they had set fire to the cotton wool was incredible to see, and it really shows how the activities and surroundings of the forest can help children the develop these skills.
Our children’s creative sides have been out this week too, this time making hanging mobiles. They worked hard to find sticks that would work to hold the mobile in place and be strong enough to hold items that would swing. There were leaves tied on and smaller twigs, which all looked great hanging from the trees in the mud kitchen. Each child had the chance to choose exactly what they wanted to put on their mobile and they seemed to enjoy having the different options around them.
With the weather being as wet and chilly as it has been this week, we always want to find ways to keep the children moving. One of the children’s favourite ways to stay moving is by building, and this didn’t stop this week. We found ways to build and at the same time help the muddy areas in the forest, one of these was to build a path. We let the children lead this activity and choose exactly where they wanted it to go, and what materials they wanted to use for it. Working together they found the best sticks to lay down and took it in turns to put one after the other, and also worked together to move the larger sticks. It was amazing to the children take control of the activity and make their own decisions with each other’s help.
“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much."
We hope you all have wonderful weekends!
Little Forest Folk
Wimbledon