Our Week in the Forest...
We have had the most beautiful weather this week in the forest and so have been enjoying ourselves on the open meadow each day. The meadow offers such diversity to the children – dirt patches, grass areas, shady nooks and blackberry bushes. Spreading out amongst the meadow has allowed the children the freedom to choose where they wish to explore and this has led for a very calm and engaged approach to play.
This week the children have practiced their sawing skills and this is a first for many of our new Little Forest Folk-ers. When sawing, we practice our boundary rules, ensuring the children keep at a safe distance as they observe. When it was their turn at sawing, they excitedly chose how long they wanted their piece of wood to be before beginning. Some of them wanted it to be really thin to be like a cookie, others wanted more length so they could then draw on it. They thoroughly enjoyed the process and left them feeling autonomous and rather grown up using full size tools. They carried around their carvings with such pride!
I’m sure you have noticed the children coming home rather dusty at the moment. Without rain, our mud pits have become dirt pits and offer the children a different way of engaging with the earth. The children have loved the texture of the warm dirt in their hands and making all sorts of potions with it.
Mark making has been another popular experience this week. The children have been using a long roll of paper and experimenting with different mediums. We have seen some beautiful drawings, abstract or real, and they have all enjoyed creating a story with their art, often narrating their pictures to both educators and peers.
It looks like it will be a very wet one next week so don’t forget those waterproofs and spare clothes. We’ll be enjoying the change in the weather and making the most of the mud, puddles and other wonders the rain has to offer. See you next week!
“It is not what you do for your children but what you have taught them to do for themselves that will make them successful human beings.” Ann Landers
Little Forest Folk
Wimbledon