Our Week in the Forest...
Digging in the forest is something that the moles of Wimbledon love, but their beautifully churned piles of mud are also the ideal digging terrain for the Little Forest Folk. We have seen a huge increase in digging and digging related play this week as the children have sought the soil: some have relished moving it from one mound to another to make as big a pile as possible; some dug through the soft soil to see what they might find deeper under the ground (magical stones mostly!); and others won’t touch the stuff until it’s loaded into a wheelbarrow, in which case it’s rolled around the forest simply for the joy of transporting!
The other abundant resource of the forest is the wood that exists as sticks, branches, pallets and planks. Combining these elements makes some beautiful set pieces for the children’s imaginative play – and the builders are the Little Forest Folk themselves. We had lots of obstacle courses set up both on the meadow and in the imagination tree, where the children combined their movements with balancing, hopping, swinging, running and jumping! We can’t wait to see what else the children (and who else) will combine in the future as their skills and abilities grow and improve.
As it’s the time of the year where we are getting lots of new Little Forest Folk in the forest, new friendships are forming between all of the children. Some of the younger ones are now playing the responsible role in supporting those who are just beginning in the forest. Others who were friends with children who have gone on to reception are forming new playmates with others they may not have played with before and the activities and play between all of the children is inspiring. Whether it’s being eagles and chickens, making mud balls or simply finding someone to have a chat with, forest friendships are blossoming everywhere.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Little Forest Folk
Wimbledon