Walking into our forest site you think that is enough of a spectacle of what nature has to offer but venture further into the forest and you will be greeted with an abundance of amazing sights, sounds and smells from the great outdoors!
This week our forest folkers have been able to return to going on their much-loved adventure walks. We have returned to areas that we haven’t been able to visit since before the winter and seen how they’ve grown through the spring. The new plants that have taken over, the branches that have fallen in the wind now make for excellent climbing space, and the inquisitive eyes of children greet the creatures that have been left to explore the quiet surroundings. During our walks this week we found frogs and toads that had been exploring further than usual themselves. The children took it upon themselves during their adventure walks to gently get the creatures back to the ponds that they live in. This opened up a lot of questions; why do frogs live in water? What do they eat? Why do they hop? These are the questions we all want to know, but only children have the confidence to ask.
Climbing and balancing has really been a big focus with our children this week. They have all been testing their climbing skills and seeing how far they can push themselves to reach new heights. Trees have always been the place the children love to climb and finding new areas with new trees has added to the excitement. Working out if the tree is strong enough, finding the best way to move along the branches and where is the highest point we can reach have all been the questions that have been worked on whilst trying to climb. The children have learnt how to tell if a part of the tree is safe to climb and are keen to share their knowledge with their friends, making sure they are all safe together.
Practicing balancing has also been a big part of the week, especially when using slack lines and ropes within our forest. The choice of where to put the ropes is made by both the adults and the children as this gives them an idea of the distance of the ropes and strength of trees needed to hold them up. When it came to balancing, everyone took their turn to walk along what had been created and test themselves. It was great to see the children pushing themselves and having to confidence to do so, but also to see them helping each other and encouraging their friends.
Along with the excitement from the adventure walks, tree climbing and rope balancing, the children also took the time to sit down and show their creative sides. We have had a mixture of mark making this week with children drawing around their hands and cutting them out, then comparing them to their friends. We have made the Stick Man and chosen how to draw his facial expressions and then showing his movements while we read the story in small groups. Alongside reading stories we have also been making our own. The children have been enjoying writing helicopter stories where their exact words are written down and then performed within the group. There have been stories about dinosaurs, superhero’s and bears in the forest.
This week has shown everyone that there is nothing we cannot do in the forest. So many activities, so many adventures and so many things to explore!
“We must teach our children to smell the earth, to taste the rain, to touch the wind, to see things grow, to hear the sun rise and night fall – to care.” ~ John Cleal
Little Forest Folk
Wimbledon