There isn’t a time in the forest when our children aren’t finding something to climb, or a log to lift and explore what’s underneath, or mark making with their friends. Our explorers are constantly finding something new to learn about or a new skill to be taught, and there are no limits to what the forest has to offer them.
When we walk into our forest in the morning our children are always so excited by what they see. It could be something new that has appeared overnight such as new mole hills or some new caterpillars hanging from the oak trees, or it could be something that has been there before but never stops being of high entertainment, like our ice cream shop tree. The forest is full of so many possibilities for everyone to find something to involve themselves in, whether it be an activity that our fantastic educators set up or using their wonderful imaginations to create their own play. There is no end to the possibilities of play in the forest!
This week we have been loving using large pipes to make a water system. The children have worked closely with the educators to work out the best way to fix these pipes together to create a system where water can flow from one end to the other. There were discussions about how tall it needed to be, so the children had to measure different sticks against each other to find the right length. Then the children had to use thin rope to tie the sticks together, and this meant discussing with their peers the best place to tie the rope. Then finally it was finding the water to pour down the pipes to see if the system went to plan. It was so fun to watch as the water went down each pipe and seeing the different ways in which the children connected the pipes to each other to make the water move faster. Watching our children discuss between themselves how to make the system work and thinking of different solutions for how they could make the water flow quicker down the pipes, was such a great moment. They showed real problem-solving skills, as well as communication skills. This is one of the great things that our children learn through their independent play, and it is a skill that will lead them well through life.
As our children get older, they have been showing a real fascination with letters. One of our activities this week included using letter cookies and laying them out for the children to recognise. We use these letter cookies throughout the day in different ways and using them more often has helped our children to become more familiar with them. When we have them out, we use them to spell out words, or with eye spy games, or sometimes just for the children to copy writing down. Having them out for the children to freely use, and for whatever purpose they choose, helps them to enjoy learning letters more as they have the freedom to do it when they want to without any pressures.
Not a day goes past where our children aren’t learning something new and exciting. It’s amazing to watch them engage in activities and their surroundings, constantly learning new skills and information.
The forest is always fun and exciting, and full of adventure!
We hope you all have wonderful weekends!
Little Forest Folk
Wimbledon