Spring is on its way!
There is always something new and exciting happening at Wimbledon, and this week was no different!
From nettle tea to bug hotels, our children have been exploring all the amazing things that the forest has to offer. We have been having lots of chats about spring and what it will bring for us, as well as looking at the way that the forest is changing. It has been a very busy and exciting week!
As the days get longer and signs of spring starts to show we have spent lots of time looking out for anything that may tell us that spring is on its way. The daffodils are in full bloom along with snowdrops and blossom on the trees. We have also seen some baby bunnies hopping about on our meadow and bumblebees flying around the forest. These have all been welcome signs that a new season is coming, and our little explorers have been so interested in everything they see.
We have also noticed some nettles beginning to grow and this prompted one of our amazing educators to make nettle tea. The children went out looking for nettles and, with the help of an adult, they picked the ones they thought were best. They then spoke about how the tea is made and what they think it would taste like before actually getting to making it. It is so wonderful that our children have the chance to make things like this and experience everything that the forest can offer.
As well as nettle tea we also celebrated pancake day in the forest. The children were so happy to find out we would be cooking on the fire as it is always one of their favourite activities, and when we told them we were making pancakes it was even better! We all sat around as the mixture cooked away on the roaring fire before everyone got a chance to eat one. Because we make food on the fire so often the children can name every ingredient that goes into the mixtures. It is such a good way of expanding their cooking knowledge and understanding of food so early, and it means they know exactly what is in their food.
As well as lots of yummy treats this week, we also took some time to think of the bugs and insects around the forest. We decided to make a bug hotel unlike any bug hotel we have create before. We started with a wooden pallet and placed it where we thought all the bugs would go. Then the children set about trying to find the best sticks, stones, and moss to use as bedding and materials for the hotel. We used old plant pots to put some of the sticks and moss in which would be a different space for the insects to go into. We also found some bark from the trees around us, and this was used as shelter, along with lots of dead leaves and mud. This was a time when the children all worked together to create something amazing that will not only last a long time but will also help the many creatures that share our forest with us.
Yet again we have been overrun with wonderful and exciting week where our children have learnt some amazing new skills. We are so lucky to have incredible educators who are constantly coming up with new ideas and using the forest around us as the base for our activities. It is also great that the children have so much say in what they want to do and where they would like their activities to go. Just another reason to love being in the forest!
Little Forest Folk
Wimbledon