Our Week in the Forest...
At the start of this week, the clouds covered the sun and enveloped the forest in humid air. Naturally, our Little Forest Folk-ers gravitated towards the cool mud on the meadow. The mud was clay-like and was perfect for sculpting, first into large balls before flattening them. “Mine is a pancake!” said one child and this idea ignited the group “let’s make a pancake shop!” They made a counter with two logs and a plank of wood laid on top and used this to present their pancakes to their customers.
Midweek, Xiao was telling a group of children a story “...and that is when the Prince chopped down the forest that had grown all around Sleeping Beauty’s tower” when the children suddenly interrupted “but if he chopped down the trees they wouldn’t have any fresh oxygen and they would have all died”
“Yes” said another child “I breath in and out and the tree breathes in and out and the tree takes the bad air and gives clean air” ... “But where do trees breathe?” queried a puzzled looking third child. Then began a lot of discussion about how trees take in and release all these gasses. Some thought that it must come out the tree’s roots, some suggested the bark and a lot where adamant that it came in and out through the leaves! It was fascinating to see the children so knowledgeable about the role trees play in our eco-system along with the way they were using language to build upon and expand others thinking. It was eventually agreed upon that the prince could cut enough trees to make a straight path directly to the tower and no more!
The sun eventually made a break through towards the end of the week but children’s muddy fun continued with a pop up GP clinic making lots of lovely green medication for babies. Along with a sick hedgehog rescue centre being used to treat and rehabilitate a large family of local hedgehogs who had all come down with high temperatures. The children always enjoy role-playing and it's a great way of learning from their peers!
We hope you have a beautiful sunny weekend and we look forward to more adventures next week!
Little Forest Folk
Wimbledon