Our Week in the Forest...
Hello families!
This will be the last newsletter for 2019! How time flies when you’re having fun in the forest. We’ve had a muddy last week of the year, I’m sure your washing machines have been getting a good work out this week!
This week we have moved on from muddy base camp and set ourselves up on the meadow for the latter part of the week. The children have loved exploring the ‘imagination tree’, this being the first time for some of the newer children. The tree offers lots of climbing opportunities and spaces to engage in dramatic play.
On Monday this week we had a fire and toasted some bread rolls for the children to eat with their soup lunch. Yum! On Wednesday we did some sawing together, so we had small enough logs to fit in our burner. The dome has been keeping toasty warm on the extra cold days and the children love to use the space for some respite.
The children have been collaborating beautifully this week, as their friendships strengthen and they become more confident in their setting. True friendships have now been cemented and the children are part of a gorgeous, wholesome community. Together they have been climbing trees, captaining ships, doing running races, playing games that they orchestrate themselves and supporting each other on the swing.
After lots of rain this week, the puddles have become quite deep. We have been using new, big buckets this week in our play and the children have loved moving the water around and emptying out the puddles! Scooping up the water and carrying the water filled buckets around the forest provides proprioceptive input to the muscles and joints of the body. This sensory input can be very calming and regulating for children, decreasing any anxieties and increasing focus and attention. Amazing!
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you all for a wonderful 2019. It has been an absolute honour being part of your children’s learning journeys and watching them grow, collaborate, play and laugh over the year. We wish you all a beautiful Christmas and New Year with your families. Here’s to 2020 being amazing!
To conclude, I would like to share with you a joke that a Little Forest Folk-er told me this week:
Why wasn’t the Christmas tree very good at sewing?
Because he was always dropping his needles.
Little Forest Folk
Wimbledon