The Forest School initiative gives our children a wonderful opportunity to explore the local area, learn about the environment and develop key learning attributes in an informal environment.

Qualified Forest School instructors from Forever Green Forest School deliver engaging sessions during which the children complete a range of tasks that could include; scavenger hunts, working with tools, making dens, solving problems.

Benefits of Forest School:

• Development of Learning Attributes - opportunities to build resilience, perseverance, collaboration, creativity;
• Personal, Social and Emotional development - work as teams, independently and in small groups, improving communication skills;
• Environmental education - learn about the environment and how to take care of it;
• Physical Development - opportunities to develop fine and gross motor skills.

2023/2024

28.3.2024

Due to the forecasted high winds today, the children demonstrated their flexibility of mind and enjoyed an inside version of Forest School.

21.3.2024

It was officially the first day of spring yesterday known as Spring Equinox, where we have an equal amount of day and night. Finally the days will be getting longer and hopefully warmer and this was very much our focus for today.

The Year 2 children started their session with a check in of our feelings and energy levels. The warm sunshine made lots of us feel grateful and relaxed, or energetic and playful. Our first group activity was a game of Giants, Wizards and Elves. This involves quick thinking as the children need to work out if their character needs to chase the other team or run away to not get caught. The children enjoyed acting out their characters and chasing each other. Next, we gathered back at the tarp to hear Emma tell the story of Ostara and the Hare. We found out that Ostara is the Celtic festival celebrated on Spring Equinox. In the story we find out the reason behind the hare or rabbit being associated with colourful eggs at this time of year. The hare is confused when he lays a colourful egg and asks Ostara, the spring goddess why this has happened. The hare finds out that he was once a rainbow coloured bird, Ostara was worried that its feathers would freeze in the lingering Winter weather and so changed the feathers to fur. For the rest of the session, the children followed their own interests and met their own needs. Last week, many were interested in using the willow branches to make Spring crowns. This week they took this skill a bit further and made hare headdresses to act out the story of Ostara and the Hare. They enjoyed hopping around with them on their heads. We also had an opportunity for whittling practice today. The children used peelers to whittle pieces of willow, which they then decorated using wool, material and pipe cleaners to make Ostara the spring goddess. These creations then became part of their imaginative play and focus of their games. There was also a sense of teamwork and community in the woods where many children worked together to build a den using a tarp, rope and a long stick. This has not been much of an interest before and was wonderful to see the children working together to create something amazing. To conclude our session, we lit our candle for our Spring Equinox and shared a moment of gratitude for something we love about spring.

The Year 6 children were excited to arrive at Forest School. Today we asked the children to think about their needs that they wanted to meet during their session. They shared this along with their name. Contributions included a need for freedom and fun and play. Next, we introduced a new game called Fly Robin Fly. This was a great game to play at Forest School as we could use all of the space on the field and we all had a great run as the Spring Sprites chased the Red Robins. The Spring Sprites were tasked with hiding the spring essence  (green cloths) while the Robin's job was to find the spring essence and bring it back without getting stopped by the Spring Sprites. Some of the children  thought about how to play the game to make it fun for everyone and thought about some way to adapt the rules to make this happen. It is always a balance between making the game achievable, challenging and therefore fun. The children successfully adapted the game to make it more fun and achievable. Next, we gathered together to hear the story of Spring Equinox. The children spotted some similarities between this and other cultural and religious festivals. For the rest of the session, many children chose to use the bendy willow branches to weave and tie hearts, which they decorated with raffia and string. Another opportunity was to make seed paper, by creating paper pulp, mixing in wildflower seeds and then pressing it out into a flat sheet of paper. Finally, a popular choice was a self directed game, where the children created tribes and sought to capture one another. They were encouraged to think about the risks as they played to ensure that the game could be fun without anybody getting hurt accidently. It is important for children to get the opportunities for risky play as this is where they can learn how to manage their own risks, with the support from adults where needed. To conclude our session, we lit a candle and shared moments of gratitude for spring and the gifts it brings.

The Reception children arrived on site and began their session with our song, count and name game. It was wonderful to look up into the branches of the willow tree and see the changes it has gone through each week. The children spotted that the leaves have become longer and the catkins are much softer and fluffier this week.

After a recap of our rules, we played a game of Squirrels. The children have not played this for a little while and were noticeably much more confident following the squirrel actions and finding partners to escape from the fox. Next, we gathered at the tarp to listen to the story of Ostara and the Hare. This is a story from the Celtic tradition, telling the tale of the Spring Equinox, where Hare lays a colourful egg and is confused why this has happened. Some children took inspiration from the story and used their willow weaving skills again this week to make Hare headdresses. They manipulated the willow to make it curve, before measuring it to the size of their head and weaving it in and out to form a hoop. They then used their twisting skills to create ears using pipe cleaners which they attached to the willow. Over recent weeks, the children's confidence in their own abilities has really increased. They have become much more independent and are happy to explore and try things out. An opportunity to explore with natural paintbrushes and paint was also given. Lots of the children explored mixing colours together to create brown to paint the trunks of the trees and then different patterns were created for the leaves using catkins as a painting tool. There was also exploration using the binoculars and magnifiers and an interest in making mini dens for the Forest Friends. We concluded our session with our Spring Equinox ceremony. We lit a candle and shared a moment of gratitude for the things that we love about spring.

Have a great week.

14.03.2024

It was a day of all weathers today, which certainly reflected our focus on the changing seasons.

The Year 2 children enjoyed exploring the ever expanding puddles on the way to Forest School today and arrived excited to see that it was still muddy. As part of our welcome routine today, we recapped the animal feeling cards and expanded on them, inviting the children to describe how they were feeling using some of the associated feeling words, which they were able to do. Next, we played a quick focussing game of Head Honcho. The children really enjoyed taking a turn to be the detective, carefully watching their peers to guess who was the Head Honcho changing the actions. It also really encourages concentration and observation skills. We gathered back at the tarp to hear Emma tell the story of Saving Spring. At the moment the weather seems to be changing between winter and spring and back again. Stories about this time of year often tell a tale of a battle between Winter and Spring and that is certainly what it feels like at the moment. Saving Spring is an old Scandinavian folk tale where Old Man Winter captures and traps spring and she needs to be rescued by a little boy called Oscar. This story inspired lots of play and creativity. Some children used willow branches to weave spring crowns. They had to manipulate and bend the willow, which took strength and resilience as it is not easy to do. Others used pipe cleaners, wool and a fork to make dandelion flowers. The mud was very popular as always and whilst exploring the woods, many children found interest in fungi and colour hunts. There was also a group of nature protectors who took care of the toy birds, building them a sanctuary and preparing for spring. To conclude our session, we gathered back together to share a song: I am awake! We also had time for a reflection of moments of pride and learning.

When the Year 6 children arrived at Forest School they saw a selection of personal qualities laid out. We can imagine that we have a treasure chest inside us with all our special qualities that make us who we are. These were laid out and we took time to consider what character traits we feel we have. It was really great to hear the children could think of a positive quality they have and felt confident to share it with the group. Our Year 6 group then moved on to a focus on teamwork. We recapped the teamwork skills we shared last week and split the class into two teams for the Lily Pad Challenge. Each team was given 5 coloured mats to use as lily pads to get from one side of the 'river' to the other. The children got into a huddle to discuss their ideas and then set off. Some teams had the initial ideas to throw the lily pads far apart from each other and jump from pad to pad across the river. They became aware that this was not working since not all people could jump as far as others and so needed to adapt their original plan. They worked out that they needed to put the lily pads closer together to allow everyone to get across. It seemed slower, but meant that nobody fell off and had to start again, so ultimately it was quicker. Recognising when we have made mistakes and need to think again is an important skill and they used this today. Emma shared the story of Saving Spring with the children and this inspired some of their craft. Many were keen to use pipe cleaners, a fork and yellow wool to create dandelions. They enjoyed making them so much that they continued to make whole bunches, which they tied with ribbons. Others enjoyed climbing trees and exploring in the mud. We gathered back together at the end of the session to reflect on the qualities we spotted in one another during the session. It was joyful to hear the children sharing positive things about each other. 

The Reception children were excited to see the mud and puddles again. We shared our welcome routine and introduced a new game.  We asked the children to think about their breath. The children took a breath through their nose and then a long breath out through their mouth. We changed our breath out into a hum, then an ahhhhh and practiced stopping when we ran out of breath. Once we got the hang of this we had a go at running for as long as we could whilst screaming and stopped when we ran out of breath. We went back to the start and tried to run further and beat our previous attempt, which many of the children did. Having had a good run, we gathered back at the tarp to listen to the story What Small Rabbit Heard, which tells of a rabbit who did not want to go outside to play because it was too cold, he was too busy and too tired. We recognised times when some of us have felt this way too. We all laughed as Small Rabbit misheard the instructions of Big Rabbit and ended up getting up to lots of fun outdoor adventures on a very windy day. For the rest of the session, the children followed their own interests. Lots of children were thinking about the wind today and having a go at making a weather vane. For this they had to use their cutting skills to cut a leaf into an arrow shape, and insert it on either end of a straw. The trickiest part was using our strength to push a pin through the straw and into a stick. The best bit was watching it spin as the wind blew. We also had some children who put their knot skills to work tying ribbons on to sticks to also show which way the wind was blowing. Finally the mud provided lots of opportunity for exploration and for those children who were fascinated by the feel of it squishing under their boots. We also had some children who enjoyed exploring and spotting the different colours that spring is starting to bring. To finish our session, we gathered back at the log circle and sung 'I am Awake! '

Have a great week.

7.3.2024

We were able to get our tarp base camp back out on the grass to enjoy the field area of Forest School today after a little while of sheltering in the woods. It was also great to see some new signs of spring with the hawthorn trees in full leaf now and a few leaves making an appearance on the Willow trees. 

The Y2 children started their session with our welcome routine before recapping the animal feeling cards that we introduced last week. They were able to remember the different animals that represented the different energy levels and pleasantness. There were quite a few 'hedgehogs' today and lots of children reported feeling tired, with low energy. We shared that they might have a need for rest and relaxation in the hammocks or to do something mindful. Next, we introduced the game Jelly Fish Tag. They enjoyed running around chasing one another, stinging each other and putting on 'hand' plasters. We paused for a moment after to check in with our body sensations, noticing our hearts pumping and our breathing getting quicker. A few children commented that they had started to feel more energised like a 'squirrel'. We gathered back on the tarp to hear Emma tell the story Every Breath A Smile. This thinks about how we breathe and how it can calm our bodies down and then help us to notice and feel grateful for the wonderful things around us. For the rest of the session, the children explored and met their needs in their chosen way. Lots had a need for rest and so some children spent time swinging in the hammocks. Others enjoyed being creative on the tarp. Some decorated pots and planted sunflower seeds in them. Others used heart hole punches to cut heart shapes out of leaves which they put in tiny pots to create pots of love. Other children had a go at using willow to make willow hearts. It took a lot of patience to bend the willow without snapping it and secure it together to make a heart shape. The sticky mud also provided a great opportunity to spot footprints of visiting animals. Bird prints and some smaller mammal prints were discovered which was really exciting. To finish our session, we gathered back together to share something that we noticed today and a song of Bele Mama.

Year 6 started with our welcome routine and a game of Wolf and Deer that we introduced in the previous week. It was lots of fun this week as the children got the idea of working together to hunt down the children who were deer. They were great at developing strategies and their game play. For the rest of the session, we set the children a teamwork challenge. We recapped the skills and steps that should be used when working in a team and then set the groups off with the challenge to be able to keep a stick upright without having any of it embedded into the ground. Some groups recognised that they could use ropes and other sticks to create guy rope structures and keep the stick standing. Some children were able to delegate and ensure that everyone in the group had a role, meaning that they worked through the challenge quickly. Others found it challenging to focus on the group's shared need of achieving the task and focussed on their need for fun and play. We all have needs, but it helps to recognize that sometimes it is not possible to meet those needs when the group needs are the focus. A shared motivation to achieve is also helpful. We will continue to work on these skills, balancing our needs and the group's needs in the coming weeks.

Reception children started with their welcome routine and calling to the different trees. This half term, we will be focussing on our body sensations and our feelings. We thought about how we might be feeling if our bodies are all tight and scrunchy. The children recognised that this was an uncomfortable feeling like anger, worry or sadness. We also thought about the more comfortable feelings like calm, relaxed and happy and how our bodies feel loose, warm and open when we feel like this. We shared a technique that the children can use if their body feels uncomfortable called Flower Breathing. We all imagined holding a dandelion clock and slowly breathing in and out, imagining blowing the seeds off. The children recognised that as they breathed out their shoulders dropped and relaxed. After this, we played a quick game of Eagle Eyes. The children enjoyed hiding and creeping closer to the tarp when Emma had her eyes closed. We gathered back on the tarp to hear Emma tell the story Every Breath A Smile. This thinks about how we breathe and how it can calm our bodies down and then help us to notice and feel grateful for the wonderful things around us. For the rest of the session, the children followed their own interests and met their own needs. Some children decided to get creative and make gifts for their mums and loved ones. Some decorated pots and planted sunflower seeds in them. Others used different hole punches to cut shapes out of leaves which they put in tiny pots to create pots of love. We also had some children who bent pieces of willow and put their knot skills to work securing the pieces together to make willow hearts. There was also some mud exploration, returning to their puddles. To conclude our session, we gathered back together to share something we were proud of that we did today. Lots of children were proud that they were able to make something for their families.

Have a great week.

29.02.2024

8.2.2024

The puddles were deep and the mud was squishy! But what fun we had on the last day of forest school for this half term! 

Y1 gathered under our tarp for our welcome song and a reflection on our energy levels with our animal feeling cards. There was a good mixture of energy today with some excited squirrels and some tired hedgehogs. We introduced a new chant called ,”I am awake!” which involved us tapping our bodies to a rhythm. This movement helps to regulate our nervous systems and bring us into the present moment. Next, we paired up to play 1,2,3. This activity focuses on concentration and really works your brain as you take turns to count alternate numbers, then even more concentration is required as we add in sounds and movements. Lots of children challenged themselves to go faster making it even more tricky but fun. After this, we huddled together to hear the story of The Great Race. This tells the tale of the Chinese Zodiac and how the years within the lunar calendar got their animal names. This year is the year of the dragon. Lunar New Year is celebrated by many people in many different countries across Asia including the Philippines, Singapore, North and South Korea. For the rest of the session, the children followed their interests and needs. Those that had a need for shelter and creativity enjoyed using charcoal and watercolour paint to draw Chinese characters. Others had a go at making dragon's by threading leaves onto a string and tying them to sticks, finally adding a clay head and some natural decorations. We also had those that enjoyed 'The Puddle Project'. This involved lots of children working together gathering buckets of leaves to make a dam to stop the water from getting into the woods. They also had a go at making channels to divert the water away. We finished by reflecting on how well the children have done this half term with developing their confidence and resilience in some challenging weather conditions.

Year 4 were incredibly excited by the huge puddles that had formed everywhere and were keen to get going today. We shared our new song, 'I Am Awake,' and tapped our bodies to get them ready for the session and tuned into how we were feeling. Many of the children shared that they felt like a 'frustrated deer' today because the rain meant they could not do the things they wanted to do at forest school. It was strange to find that they felt this way as the weather doesn't have to stop them and actually they can have lots of fun doing what they enjoy, which is usually digging in the mud! However this belief does come from a belief in society that we need to stay in on rainy days. It is great that these children are having the opportunity to learn that they don't have to. Next, the children got in pairs to play our brain energising game of 1,2,3. We challenged them to see how fast they could go with their partner and there were lots of giggles when it went wrong. After this, we shared the story It Fell From The Sky. This story told of small invertebrates finding a 'Wonder' and displaying it in the art gallery called WonderVille. We discussed that it was funny that the creatures saw our man made objects as beautiful, but the things that filled WonderVille were litter. Nature and the creatures are the real 'Wonders'. For the rest of the session, lots of children were drawn to the big puddles and worked together to make a bridge using logs across the water. It was wonderful to see their teamwork and playfulness as they sang and pulled logs into place. They were excited for the group to see their creation and enjoyed taking a photo together with it. Others used paint and charcoal to draw Chinese characters. Others helped collect sticks and place them in a spiral around a tree and as ladders between branches in the tree to create our own 'Wonderville'. Once again it was great to see children partake in this group art project, helping build something together. We finished the session reflecting on the class's achievements this half term. They have noticeably got better at working together, communicating their needs and ideas better and finding the fun, rather than looking outwardly to compete against others.

Reception were also very excited, jumping in the puddles as soon as they arrived. It was wonderful to see their joy and carefree playfulness. Today we focussed on Lunar New Year which will be celebrated by many different people on the 10th February. We gathered together for our song, counting and name game before our first activity, which was a hunt for 12 small animals of the Chinese Zodiac. They ran around looking high and low. Once they were all found, we gathered back together to hear the story: The Great Race. This is a story about how the Chinese Zodiac came to be. This year it is the year of the dragon. As the story was told, the children used the toy animals to join in. For the rest of the session, some children made dragon puppets. First this involved threading leaves onto a string for the body. They then used their knot skills to tie each side of the body to sticks: one for the front and one for the back. They squashed clay on to the front stick and shaped it to create a head, adding natural materials for eyes, ears, a mouth and fire. Some took their dragons for a fly around the forest. Other children enjoyed the mud, climbing on the 'boat' and singing Row, Row, Row Your Boat' together. They enjoyed exploring and testing the depth of the different puddles with their wellies. To conclude our session we gathered back together and sang our song Boom Chicka Boom, encouraging the children to find their voice. 

Have a great week.

1.2.2024

We were in the woods again, enjoying the sun as it shone over the trees to warm us up.

Year 1 started with our welcome routine and another check in with our animal feeling cards. The children have really got to grips with the differing energy levels that the animals represent and today used some other feeling words in connection to the animals to share how they were coming to the session. We started with a new game called Fly Robin Fly. This was a great game to play at Forest School as we could use all of the space on the field and in the woods and we all had a great run as the Frost Sprites chased the Red Robins. The Frost Sprites were tasked with hiding the fire  (red cloths) while the Robin's job was to find the fire and bring it back to the fireplace without getting frozen by the Frost Sprites. Some of the children  thought about how to play the game to make it fun for everyone and thought about some way to adapt the rules to make this happen when we play next time. After this, we gathered back at the tarp to share the story of Imbolc, which falls on the 1st February. This is the point in the year where we are exactly halfway between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. For the rest of the session, some children used our Spring Spotter cards to go and look for signs of spring. They noticed that the buds on the trees are starting to get a bit bigger. The hammocks were very popular as well as digging. We also had some children using their knot skills to make people out of wheat. This took great concentration and patience to secure the wheat together at different points and follow the instructions. They then used lavender to decorate them and make them smell nice. It was wonderful to see how their confidence in their abilities to do things for themselves is growing week on week. We finished back together with a song called Spring is Coming. Singing is a great way to bring the community together and it was lovely to share this with the children.

Year 4 also shared our feelings with the others in the group at the start of our session. They are being more authentic with their responses and showing more empathy with each other as they listen and make each other feel heard. This again is improving week on week. They too played the new game Fly Robin Fly. The Year 4 children were able to apply more tactics to their game by hiding the red fire in clever places that meant that it was very hard to get back to the fireplace without being frozen. They worked as teams, sharing their tactics and supporting one another. Next, we gathered back together to share the story of Imbolc. The children were able to make connections between Imbolc and other festivals as we read the story. When it came to free choice, the children are still fascinated by digging in the mud for discoveries. They enjoy getting really muddy and the strength they feel in their bodies as they dig. A few children had a need for creativity and challenge. They had a go at making a Brigid's Cross out of rushes. This was incredibly tricky as it involves holding the rushes at right angles as you fold and add another each time. The children stuck with it and were rewarded for their hard work with some beautiful craft that they felt proud of. Again we gathered together for our Spring Is Coming song, but also had time to hear from the children what their favourite thing about spring is?  They enjoyed being able to play outside more with their friends, wearing less clothes and swimming in the pool.

Our Reception children were met at the gate to the park to spot some signs of spring. We were excited to see that the daffodils are starting to grow, and some of the hawthorn buds have burst open to reveal their new leaves. Once we were ready to get going, we invited the children to have a go at passing our jingle bell around the circle without making a noise. Once we were used to this, we extended the challenge by inviting someone in to play the wolf. They put on a blindfold and listened out for the sounds of the bell, pointing in its direction if it was heard. They moved the bell with lots of care to prevent it from masking a sound. We played a quick game of Eagle Eyes to give the children some movement before we invited the children to learn a new knot: the first part of the reef knot. The children used our ropes with coloured ends to help them and all were really successful. For the rest of the session, many children put this skill to work. They made snowdrop folk by whittling a willow stick, drawing on a face and then tying on green fabric, using their knot skills, for leaves and securing white felt petals on the head using a pipe cleaner. Each week, as they attempt challenging activities like this for themselves, seeing they can do it with some guidance, they are building their belief in their own abilities and self esteem. We are continuing to work on their belief in themselves in the next few weeks. Today, it was wonderful to see some children show an interest in the mud. They were encouraged to dig for treasure, but once they began finding things, they were very keen to keep going. Messy play is such an important part of a child's development, with opportunities to meet their sensory needs and providing loads of opportunities to investigate cause and effect. They had a great time.

We finished back together sharing our Spring Is Coming song. The children joined in with the words and actions.

26.01.2024

It was great to have some warmer weather today for exploring at Forest School and wearing a few less layers meant that we could move about a bit more freely.

Year 1 started today's session with our chant, counting and body check in. Last week, we introduced our animal feelings cards and so we had a quick recap of the different animals thinking about the energy levels and how pleasant our bodies felt. Lots of children were a bit tired and curled up like the hedgehog today, we also had some relaxed foxes. We will continue to focus on the sensations inside our bodies and how they give clues to our emotions over the next few weeks. It was lovely to see the children dressed up to celebrate Tu Bishvat today and so we had a focus on trees. We started with a partner game called Tree Hugger. The children got into pairs and one put on a blindfold. Their partner then guided them safely to a tree, making sure to think about looking after their partner, avoiding obstacles. Once they got to their tree, they took time to feel it, describing the texture, smell, size and any other distinguishing features. They were then guided back away from their tree where they removed their mask and were tasked with identifying their mystery tree. They were great at taking care of their partners and some children even chose to continue this game in their choice time later in the session. After this, we gathered together on the tarp to listen to Emma tell the story What Do You See When You Look At A Tree. This story gets us to think about the importance of trees in our lives and of the lives of the people before us. The children then shared some of the trees that they are fond of or are special to them at Forest School. It always gives us a warm feeling to know that the children are so connected to this place. For the rest of the session, the children explored in their own way to meet their own needs. Lots of children enjoyed using the watercolours to paint pictures of trees. Others practiced their knot tying skills, tying coloured ribbon to willow sticks and cutting them into tree shapes, they then added an eyelet screw and a cord to make a tree necklace. Digging and debris den building was also a popular activity. Finally we invited the children to write a pledge or a statement of gratitude on a piece of material and add it to our pledge tree. We finished the session gathered back together at the tarp to share our gratitude and pledges. Some of these included: for giving us fruit, paper and oxygen, for letting us go in the hammocks, because I like climbing and  for giving animals homes.

The Year 4 children also started with our body check in, relating their energy levels and feelings to the four animals. There was a big mixture of energy levels in the class today. As with the Year 1, we invited the children to get into partners and play Tree Hugger. They were so great at guiding their blindfolded partners through the woods and enjoyed challenging each other. Again, we shared the book What Do You See When You Look At A Tree. The children listened attentively and were keen to share the trees that they felt connected to at Forest School. For the rest of the session, the diggers had fun in the mud, spreading it on their faces and hands to camouflage themselves as they played. We reflected that mud contains special chemicals that are absorbed by our bodies and actually improve our wellbeing. No wonder it feels so good! Others got creative with the watercolour paints, sitting together in different places in the woods to paint pictures of the trees. We also had a few that used willow, flexing it to make a hoop, which they then added wool to, to make a woven tree. Our stone collectors and debris den builders continued on their exploration and structures and all were invited to add their pledge to the pledge tree. At the end of the session, we invited the children to share their pledges and gratitude for the trees. These included: for giving us oxygen, giving us shelter and support, they take car of us and feel like real people, for the wood my bed is built out of and that without them we wouldn't even be here.

Reception children started in the field with our welcome song, calling to the trees and our name game. After recapping the rules we invited the children to go on a bud hunt. We talked about what buds were and acted out being a bud on a tree, getting bigger and bigger and bigger until it opened up to show the new leaves that are hiding inside. The children were then given a bud stick from a mystery tree. We looked at the buds and described their colour, shape and size before going on a hunt to find the mystery tree they came from. We identified the Willow buds, the hornbeam buds and the oak tree buds. We had a closer look at some willow buds and enjoyed feeling the soft furry catkins before sharing The Tale of the Pussy Willow. A story which tells of how the pussy willow and weeping willow got their names. Storytelling is a lovely way to introduce the children to nature and the environment while helping to build their vocabulary and developing concentration skills. All the children listened well and joined in with some actions and sound effects. For the rest of the session, some children enjoyed relaxing in the hammocks. With spring just around the corner, some of our activities involved looking at buds closely. The children had the opportunity to identify more of the tree's buds using our bud ID poster and then used them to get crafty. Some children rolled out clay tiles and used the buds to imprint patterns into the clay. Others had a go at using them with clay to make Spring Kittens like in the story. They also had the opportunity to use the charcoal that they enjoyed last week and the Lime tree was appreciated as they used one of the branches to make a swing. We finished back at the log circle together and everyone shared the name of their favourite bud.

Have a great week.

18.1.2024

It was another beautiful, crisp winter's day and so we set up basecamp in the woods with a windbreak to create a bit of a sun trap as the sun rose through the trees as the day went on.

Year 1 children started with the welcome chant and our name game, before getting busy, moving our bodies with the game Nest Robbers. The children found a partner and chose where to build their nest on the site. When Emma said, "Go!" they had to run to the bird feeder and collect a piece of food and bring it back to their nest without getting caught by the Red Kites. Once all the bird food was gone, we noticed that children who had built their nests in the same area as the majority of others got caught more, whilst those that built their nest in a different place, on their own, were not as targeted by the Red Kites. The children then got the chance to move their nest to a different location for round 2. This involved a new group of birds who stole from unguarded nests, Lots of the children were very careful not to lose any bits of food this way and made sure that their nest was guarded at all times. It was much harder for the Red Kites to catch birds this time as they were more spread out. After our bodies were warmed up, we made sure our coats were zipped up and our hats, gloves and scarves were on to trap the warmth we created. We snuggled together to hear Emma tell the story The Winter Sleep, which was a story about hibernation. We found out that lots of different animals hibernate including invertebrates and mammals and reflected that winter is a time where we also slow down. For the rest of the session, the children explored in their own ways. We invited them to go for a hunt for hibernating homes as explained in the book, which some chose to do, spotting nests in the trees. Others enjoyed swinging themselves in the hammocks, meeting their need for movement and rest. We also had some meeting their need for creativity by making their own Forest School sketch books by attaching a cardboard cover around some special cartridge paper and using some charcoal to sketch. We also had some keen diggers. We ended the session gathered back at the tarp and used our shaky eggs to sing our Hibernation song.

Year 4 children started with their welcome routine and then a hunt in teams. We gave each team a selection of close up pictures of different parts of the woods and asked them to work out what they were. The teams worked really well together, giving each other encouragement and support when they identified the different mystery objects in the pictures. With teamwork being the focus, we gave the groups a second challenge called Penguins on an Iceberg. Each team had to stand on a tarp and for each new round, they had to fold it in half making it get increasingly smaller.  Every team had such a shared motivation to achieve and it was wonderful to watch. They also were all able to look into their team and feel proud, rather than looking out and comparing themselves to other teams. This is something we have been working on and it was great to see them achieve this today. We reflected on how this felt in our body and agreed it made us have a warm feeling in our heart. We shared the story The Winter Sleep, hearing about the different animals that hibernate, before setting off on our own adventures. Digging for rocks is still a great interest in the group. They are really enjoying washing them to discover their different colours and patterns and using this to identify them. Others enjoyed making Forest School sketch books by fixing a cardboard cover around some cartridge paper and using charcoal to sketch. We also explored making an elder pot necklace by hollowing out the elder and creating a lid that could fit inside. It was fun experimenting and problem solving each step. To finish our session, we gathered back together and shared a moment of gratitude. Again the children really impressed us with their authentic, thoughtful responses, some including that they were grateful for the seasons, for having time with their friends, for their warm clothes and for the sunshine.

Reception children began their session with the welcome routine followed by a game where they had to find the different coloured woolly worms around the site. Even though we had put out the same number of each type of worm, the children found more bright blue worms than any other colour and the fewest worms were brown. The children identified that the brown ones were the most camouflaged in woods against the tree trunks, whereas the blue ones stood out. Next, we listened to Emma tell the story of Pine and the Winter Sparrow. We told the story as we flew around the site, meeting the different trees as the Sparrow visited them. This story introduces the fact that Evergreen trees like the Pine keep their leaves throughout the winter, whilst deciduous trees shed their leaves. For the rest of the session, the children enjoyed using the charcoal to draw some of the birds that live in the woods. They also worked together to drag logs through the woods and use them to build a giant nest. They played with the soft toy birds and enjoyed finding out their species by matching them to our giant bird poster. At the end of the session, we all climbed in the giant nest and shared the name of our favourite bird. Lots of children chose the robin, which we then sang a song about. It was lovely singing all together.

Have a great week.

11.1.2024

4.1.2024

It was great to be back at Kerem today and see the changes that have happened over our holiday break. There was lots of puddles and mud to explore and we all made the most of it.

After our welcome routine and introducing ourselves with a focus on our feelings, Year 1 children started their session with a new game called Jelly Fish Tag, which got our bodies warmed up and ready for the rest of our session. The children enjoyed running around, chasing each other and tagging with their tentacles. Next, we gathered together to listen to Emma tell the story of The Water Goddess. This story told the Cambodian myth of Moni and Ream who competed against each other to gather the most dew from the morning grass to show their teacher, Lok Ta, who was the most  worthy. In the story we find out why there is thunder, lightning and rain (which we have seen a lot of in the last few days!) For the rest of their time at Forest School, the children were invited to explore the water puddles on the site. Some took up the challenge of collecting as much water as they could using buckets and trowels. We saw that it was very dirty and muddy and so we thought of ways we could filter it. Some children worked together to collect natural materials such as moss, pine cones and dried grass and used these to fill a plastic bottle to create a filtering system. We tried pouring the water through the filter to make it cleaner. There was a lot of problem solving involved as we rearranged the items in the bottle and tried different things to get the water cleaner each time. Other children were excited to be back in the woods and made the most of their time playing games with each other in the woods, digging for clay and using the ropes to make swings. We finished our session back at the tarp with a song to bring our community together.

It was Year 4s first Forest School of this year and was lovely to welcome them back. They have grown so much! We started today with our welcome routine and a hunt called Dotty Spotting. The children ran around the site looking for letters on coloured dots, which they then unscrambled to make two words in teams. They worked quickly together and found that the letters made the words, 'New Beginnings.' At the start of the year, people often think about what they want to get better at or things that they want to shed, which gave us a focus for our session. Last time the children were with us, we learnt how to do square lashing. As with all tricky things, we need to keep practicing them to feel more confident and so today we had another go. It was wonderful to see the children's patience, resilience and persistence as they worked to get the hang of this lashing. Some of the children who mastered this technique were great at supporting others who were finding it more challenging. Those that wanted to, used their square lashed sticks to create New Year mobiles, writing affirmations and intentions for the year on wooden leaves, which they attached to their frame. They focused on their knot skills and had great discussions as they worked together. Others were keen to get back into the woods to develop their den building, with some using ropes and tarps and some, who wanted a more permanent structure opting to continue developing a debris den, which they hope to add to as the half term progresses. We finished the session, with a quick reflection.

Reception children were dressed and ready to enjoy the mud and puddles in the afternoon. To start our session we introduced the children to a new game called Giants, Wizards and Elves. This game involved group decision making and concentration, as the children had to work out if they needed to chase the other team or run away from them. They really enjoyed acting as the different characters. Next, we gathered together to hear Emma tell the story of Facing the Giant. This story tells of a lady who faces the giant even though she hears terrible things about him and he is much bigger than her. As she gets closer to him, he gets smaller and smaller until he eventually disappears. The children listened to this story so well and some children were able to think of challenges they faced and fears they overcame. For the rest of the session, some children enjoyed creating their own mobiles of intentions. They used a willow frame and decorated it with pipe cleaners and tied on a wooden leaf that they decorated. Some children were also brave enough to try some Silver Birch Twig tea. They used the secateurs to cut branches into small pieces. They then poured on hot water and left it to steep before adding a small drop of honey. We watched as the water changed colour and the honey dissolved and then enjoyed the warming, cleansing drink. There was also a lot of exploratory play in the puddles and mud. To finish our session, we gathered together to reflect on the challenges and fears that we faced today.

Have a great week.

7.12.2023

This term seems to have flown by and I can't believe we have reached the last session of 2023.

Year 2 and Year 3 started their session with our welcome routine with Year 2 sharing their name with an action to warm our bodies up and Year 3 who shared a 'glimmer' that they noticed: something that they saw and made them feel good or connected with them. It was wonderful to hear some of the 'glimmers' being things in their natural environment including bird song, watching a bird fly low, frost on the trees and having a hot chocolate after playing football. Noticing little 'glimmers' everyday can really boost our mental health and wellbeing, making us feel more positive. Next, we played a few games of Eagle Eyes. It is a lot harder to hide in the winter when there are few leaves on the trees, but the children were very stealthy at moving through the trees and bushes and enjoyed playing and running as fast as they could back to the safety of the tarp without getting caught. After this, we gathered on the tarp to hear the story The Oak Tree by Julia Donaldson. This book took the children over a period of 1000 years, through different historical periods as they saw the oak tree grow from a tiny acorn into a giant oak tree, which eventually was uprooted by a gale. We saw how many different plants, animals and humans used the tree over the years. It got us thinking about the trees in the Forest School site and the many things they must have seen over the years. For the rest of the session, the children explored and met their different needs. Those who had a need for creativity, strength and purpose had the opportunity to use the bow saw and hand drills today to cut wood cookies. Many children chose to turn these into snowmen, linking the wood cookies together and decorating them. Others used their knot skills, tying pieces of blue and white fabric onto a string and attaching a wooden disc at the bottom, which they decorated with a chanukiah, to create a Chanukah decoration. The children also love exploring in the woods. Today we found a variety of different fungi including Witches Butter, Trumpet Fungus and Silverleaf Fungus, which they enjoyed identifying. Year 3 children used the ropes to make swings, dens and zip lines through the trees, using the pulleys to lift and lower the Forest Friends. To conclude our session, we gathered back together to share some reflections of the half terms achievements.

Reception children had a bit of a rainy session, but they put up their hoods and had great fun enjoying the muddy puddles. We started our session with our name game and welcome routine before playing a game of Squirrels that was introduced last week to warm up our bodies. Next, we asked the children to find something in Forest School that they could make a sound with to create a woodland band. Some children chose sticks to hit together or drum with, others found leaves to swoosh together and we found bumpy things that could be scratched to make a sound. We gathered back together and Carrie taught us a song about the chanukiah, which we sang together. This inspired us to make some musical instruments using small bells. The children used pipe cleaners to thread the bells on and wrapped these around some willow sticks. They then learnt how to tie strips of blue and white material onto their sticks. It took a lot of concentration, fine motor skills and patience to manipulate the pipe cleaners and material. It felt frustrating when it fell off, but we learnt how to make the pipe cleaner more secure by twisting it, which tightened it around the stick. We now have a new phrase: I can do difficult things! Other children used peelers to whittle elder sticks to create elder candles, which they added a small yellow leaf to, to make it look like a flame. There was also fun in the hammocks and fungus hunting in the woods. The children were very excited to find a Trumpet fungus that was as big as their hand. To finish our session, we gathered back together to sing our chanukiah song again accompanied by our jingly chanukah sticks.

Happy Chanukah and see you next year.

30.11.2023

It was one of the coldest days we have experienced so far this year. The children did so well keeping their bodies warm and were very excited to be back in the woods.

Due to the cold weather we changed our plans for our sessions today with all focussing on moving activities and activities to get our bodies working with a story linked to the exceptionally cold weather.

After our welcome circle, we played a fast paced running game the groups enjoy called Squirrels.

Once the warmth had built up in our bodies, we gathered together to hear Emma tell an old folktale about the Winter solstice called Deer Mother. This story tells of the courageous Deer Mother travelling to Southern lands to bring back the Sun to break the endless Winter. 

After our story, Year 2 and 3 got up and running again with a game of Ostrich Tag before we set the children off for their own exploration.

Children in all groups were so excited to be back in the woods, they grabbed ropes, mallets, tarps and trowels and headed under the trees. Swings, dens and digging amongst the leaves and spotting fungus were popular activities. The children were also enjoying the movement and containment of being in the hammocks again. Reception children also thoroughly enjoyed going on a worm hunt with Carrie and climbing the trees, identifying together if they were safe or not, by looking for buds on the branches. They were particularly excited when they found some eggs and found out that they were snail eggs.

Today, we had our bow saw out to saw logs, which were then drilled with our hand drills to make Reindeer like the one in the story. They decorated them with a face using pens and cut and inserted branches of silver birch or alder as antlers. This week is also National Tree Week. Another activity that some children explored was using cow parsley and the hapazone technique to print on material to create a tree print, which they also enjoyed decorating with pens to bring the woodland scene to life. Finally, the children helped look after the birds. At this time of year it is much harder for them to find food and so the children threaded cheese and apple on to wire and hung it on the trees for them.

To conclude our sessions today we sang 40 Years on an Iceberg together. This is a fun movement song that felt particularly relevant today.

Have a great week.

23.11.2023

We were able to enjoy being outside today, enjoying the fresh air and the beautiful blue sky, which brought a lot of joy.

Year 2 started today with our welcome routine and a game to get our bodies moving. Our game today was Nest Robbers, which the children had played in the woods before. They partnered up and found a place to build a nest before taking on the task of retrieving as many pieces of food as they could from the birdfeeder before it ran out. They also had the added challenge of having to evade the adults who took on the role of Red Kites and were able to stop them bringing the food back to their nest. We played the game a few times and each time thought about what impact their chosen nest site had on their ability to get food. It definitely met the need for movement for many. Next, we gathered back together to listen to the story The Dawn Chorus. This book told the story of a Nightingale who couldn't figure out why he could sing really well when he practiced in the evening, but could not seem to sing in the morning with the other birds for the dawn chorus. It teaches us that we are all unique and our differences are to be celebrated. For the rest of the session, the children chose from a selection of activities that were brought. Lots of children were interested in making clay birds. They took great care in looking at the identification guides and chose particular birds to create. They looked carefully at the shapes of the beaks, tails and wings to make their individual models. Others used watercolours to paint pictures of their favourite birds, once again taking great care to observe the details of the particular bird they were painting. We also had some children who created games with their friends using the eggs and bird toys and those that used the willow to try to make a football by weaving the pieces in between each other.  It is so great to see children thinking of something that they want to do and solving problems to create using the resources that they have. To conclude our session, we gathered back together and shared the name of our favourite bird. Lots of children shared that they liked the nightingale from the story.

Year 3 began their session with our opening circle and a game to move our bodies. This week we played Giants, Wizards and Elves. This game focussed on making a group decision, using the skills of making a group huddle, including everyone and listening to one voice. The children showed great improvement in their ability to do this and focussed on the fun of the game, rather than getting upset when winning or losing. Next, we gathered together to listen to Emma tell the story of Pine and the Winter Sparrow. This is an old folk tale that teaches us why the deciduous trees lose their leaves in the Winter and the Pine tree hangs on to its needles. This story also helps us think about being kind, especially when we have a lot: a theme that the children were able to identify. For the rest of the session, the children chose from a range of experiences. A popular choice was using faux leather to create tinder pouches. This task took a lot of concentration as it involved using fraction knowledge to mark out the holes to be cut, cutting the material itself, and then weaving cord through the holes to make the drawstring. It was wonderful to see how supportive the children were with each other, taking it in turns to hold the material while their partner cut. They were really proud of their finished pouches. Others had requested the ropes and pulleys be brought. They were very creative with them, making zip lines for themselves and to transport buckets. Once again, it was wonderful to see them working out how to take turns and play together. To conclude our session, we gathered back together and shared our song Earth, Stone, Feather and Bone, a lovely calming song.

Reception children gathered at our tarp to share our welcome routine with counting and our copying name game. Today was all about dragons and so we started with a dragon egg game. Emma (who was blindfolded) was a mother dragon looking after her eggs. The children took it in turns to creep up to steal one of her eggs. They had to move really quietly to avoid being heard by Emma as if they were heard they had to return to their seat empty handed. Next, we shared the story: The Trouble with Dragons, which told of a group of dragons that used all of the Earth's resources and were left on their own. It taught us about how to be kind and look after our planet. For the rest of the session, the children explored in their own ways. Some children continued playing with the dragon eggs and soft toy dragons. Others enjoyed creating ride along dragons. This involved lots of problem solving. They stuffed a sock with newspaper and had to think of a way to attach it to a stick using pipe cleaners. They then decorated them with pens and pieces of material for the fire and tail. This was not an easy task, but the children persevered and were proud of their creations. Another crafty activity that many children enjoyed was using wool tops to wet felt and create dragon's eggs. This is a very mindful activity that took a lot of time and patience, but once again brought a great sense of pride. Others used the hazel sticks to build dragon dens, balancing the sticks one on top of the other over a frame. This again was a great problem solving activity as they had to think about using the right length sticks to make it stay up and not collapse. To conclude our session, we gathered back at the log circle. We asked the children to think about, if they had a dragon, what kind of dragon would it be. It was wonderful to hear them use their imaginations and tell us about their magical dragons.

Have a great week.

16.11.2023

The drizzle meant that we were inside today, but the children inspired us with their adaptability once again.

We were keen to give the Year 2 and Year 3 children a good amount of time to explore today, so after a quick welcome circle and a chance to check in with our bodies, we played a game of Look Down, Look Up. This game builds on the skill of being able to look someone directly in the eyes with confidence and hold their gaze. It also brings an occasional giggle when the children find themselves out by looking at another person that is looking at them. We discussed with the groups the need to be honest with themselves in this game, as only you can decide if you are out or not. Many children were able to demonstrate this important skill and quality and it was lots of fun. Year 3's also had the opportunity to hear Emma tell the story of How the Stars Came to Be. The children really enjoyed listening to the story which told of a special fish that if caught was able to feed a family forever. The fish got so big that the fisherman threw it back overboard, leaving behind its eye, which also continued to swell. The villagers threw the eye up into the sky, where it froze and got broken into bits by the villagers, forming the stars. For the rest of the session, the children chose to follow their own interests from a selection of different opportunities. Some used hole punches and coloured autumn leaves to create pictures and patterns. Others used the hazel sticks and ropes to work collaboratively to make dens. This is something they are really enjoying and are getting much faster at working out different ways to achieve this. Year 2 particularly enjoyed using pieces of willow to build square based pyramid structures, which they decorated with material and pipe cleaners to make mini tipis. This task took so much perseverance, but the children were incredibly supportive of one another taking it in turns to hold the pieces of willow while their partner secured them. They showed great kindness to one another and produced creations they were immensely proud of. Some of the Year 3 children also requested to make fungi pendants again this week, which involved focussed whittling and drilling. To conclude our session, we gathered together again, checked in with our sensations and shared some songs. 

Reception children started with their welcome routine and another game of Forest Fire. They really enjoy chasing each other and being chased. Next, we gathered together to listen to Emma tell the story of How the Stars Came to Be. The children enjoyed joining in with actions and sound effects as Emma told the story. For the rest of the session, the children chose to follow their own interests to meet their own needs. Some children chose to make a den with Carrie using ropes, tarps, mallets and pegs. They worked together to tie a ridge line  which they hung a tarp over and then tied out together. This involved lots of teamwork and communication. Their hard work was rewarded when it was finished as they enjoyed going inside and using finger torches to play. Finally, they used clay to make candle holders or diva lights. They pinched and shaped the clay, then decorated them with coloured leaves and patterns, finishing it with a tea light candle inside. There was also lots of fun to be had using the hazel sticks and ropes again, building mini dens for the Forest Friends. At the end of the session, we gathered together at the log circle to share some of the things that we learned and enjoyed.

Have a great week.

9.11.2023

It was great to be outside today and enjoy the fresh air with the children.

Year 2and 3 were excited to be back at Forest School today and started their session with our welcome circle, before playing our first game Secret Stone. This game allowed the children to run and move their bodies, whilst working on the skills of gathering in a circle, making a collective decision and recognising that we all can have an important role in a team. Winning is very important for some of the children in the groups and can cause upset when this is not achieved or there is a perceived injustice. This gave us an opportunity to talk about choosing to enjoy and have fun in a game, rather than choosing to react in a frustrated manner as this does not make our bodies feel nice. We can recognise others achievements without it having an impact on our own success. Next, we gathered back together to listen to Emma tell the story of The Silver Acorn. This story helps explain the seasons and why they change as well as thinking about sharing with others. The children listened attentively and could predict parts of the story as it was told. For the rest of the session, the children were given the opportunity to follow their own interests from a selection of activities that were on offer. Some children enjoyed working together to construct tripod dens using the hazel sticks, which they lashed together. Others found calm and relaxation in using the watercolours to paint pictures of trees and natural scenery, some which were used to decorate around the stick tipis. Weaving was another popular choice, with children using black and red wool to weave poppies on lolly stick frames. This is a tricky activity, but they persevered. Finally, both groups had a go at tool work. Year 2 used the palm drills to drill conkers and acorns, which they threaded onto cord to make necklaces. Year 3 children used the peelers to whittle some hazel and a palm drill to drill an acorn cap. They then secured these together with an eyelet screw to create a fungus pendant. Lots more children have asked for the opportunity to do this again next week. It is really great that the children have the opportunity to guide their own learning and they are coming with lots of ideas. To conclude our sessions, we gathered back together and reflected on the sensations we had in our body during the session. Recognising and being aware of the different sensations inside our body can really help us to understand our emotions and learn to self regulate.

After our usual opening circle, the Reception children gathered together to play Forest Fire. The children had to think of animals that lived in the British woodland and when their animal was called, they ran past the 'fire' and tried to reach the safety of the other side without getting caught. If they got caught they became the fire and helped catch. They really enjoyed this running and chasing game and thought about the sensations in their bodies after all the running around. After this, we listened to Emma tell the story of Fox and Fire. This story teaches us about the wonderful benefits of fire such as warmth, light and cooked food, while also reminding us to be respectful in order to avoid getting burnt. For the rest of the session, the children followed their own interests and met their own needs. Lots of children had their first experience of whittling. They used peelers to remove the bark from pieces of Elder and then palm drills to hollow out the ends. They then decorated their rocket by pushing material strips in the end to make the tail. It was fun seeing the children enjoying flying their rockets through the air. Others used sticks and rope to build tripod dens for the Forest Friends. They tied the sticks together and then started balancing sticks on this to make it warm and dry for the Forest Friends. We finished the session back together with a song: We are the Wild Ones. Some children enjoyed joining in with the rhythm by clapping and patting their knees.

Have a great week,

Emma and Lenka.

19.10.2023

13.10.2023

5.10.2023

Today was all about seeds with the groups, giving us some wonderful autumn fun.

Year 1 started their session with our welcome chant, calling our number to the trees and sharing our names with creative moves. After a quick recap on the rules of Forest School, we got going with our first activity. The children needed to work in small groups to sort a pot of mixed seeds and natural materials into separate piles. After this, we had a brief discussion about how to work well in a team by being aware if another team member is sharing ideas, and making sure they have the space to be heard, without talking at the same time. This is a really hard skill that we develop as we get older and so giving children a time to focus on developing these skills and reflecting on them is important. The children had the task of working in small teams to use their sorted natural objects to create a pattern. They enjoyed thinking of ideas about how to do this and got busy quickly. We reflected on our teamwork skills and noted that it works well when we use kind voices and the teams that worked well were great at ensuring that everyone in their group had a role or a job to do. We can support those who are unsure by giving them a role or we can ask our team mates for a job if we are unsure of how to help. For the rest of the session, children followed their own interests. Following on from our seed sorting, lots of children made conker soap, using their mallets to break open horse chestnuts, crumbling up the white flesh into pots, before adding water and shaking to release and activate the saponins. They then filtered the mixture using cheesecloth to leave a soapy liquid. It was not easy to smash the hard conker shells, but even though it was challenging, the children persevered and were really proud of their efforts. Some children enjoyed the motion they experienced in the hammocks, whilst others got busy making debris dens with logs and rope. Another popular activity was using clay. The children really enjoy the sensory aspect of clay as well as giving them a chance to express their creativity. We finished our session back at the tarp, taking time to 'settle our glitter' and tune into how our bodies were feeling. We then shared this with the group taking a turn when we held Chester the Horse Chestnut.

Year 5 started their session with our welcome routine and this week's carefully selected question: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? It was lovely to hear everyone's dream destinations, often including seeing or spending time with family. This can be a very emotive topic, where we want to share our thoughts about places with each other, but everyone was very respectful and listened with kindness once again today, giving space for their peers to be heard, without feeling the need to share their anecdote. Our focus activity today involved tuning into our senses in an activity we call Prickly or Tickly? The children all had an explore around the site to find a natural item that was both prickly and tickly. They then asked their partner to put their hands behind their back and proceeded to use their natural item to touch their partner's palm, top of hand and wrist with either the 'prickly' or 'tickly' item. The person who was receiving the experience then had to share if it was prickly or tickly and guess the item. Taking away our sight in this game really helps to heighten our sense of touch, giving our bodies a different experience. We also reflected that we really needed to trust that our partner would not scare or hurt us, building on our sense of community. For the rest of the session, some children used the palm drills to drill into seeds and conkers to make seed people. Again this took a huge amount of patience, focus and strength to drill and connect the seeds to make the creations. It was lovely to see the pride when they finished and their conker people were brought to life. Some children also learnt how to make cordage from reed mace leaves. This is a calm and grounding activity, again requiring care and patience as the fibres are twisted together. Finally we had some keen whittlers who enjoyed shaping their wood into throwing spears.To conclude our session we gathered together to reflect on our bodily sensations. We took time to connect with our bodies and think about the sensations we experienced. This is quite hard to identify, but can be a really useful skill in understanding our emotions and help us regulate them.

Reception children arrived with a flourish of song today, showing their excitement. We began with our welcome routine, counting and sharing our names with an action. After a recap of the rules and a quick game of 1,2, 3 Where Are You, we got ourselves into small teams to sort a selection of seeds including conkers, acorns and acorn caps. The children had to observe them carefully and work out a place to put each object with their team, the start of team working skills. Next, we gathered on the grass to hear Emma tell the story of The Nut Thief: A story about a young squirrel who mistakenly believed another squirrel was helping themselves to her precious pine nuts and started to think bad thoughts about her. It turned out it was actually she who had been taking the nuts. We talked about how she felt when she thought her nuts were being taken and how she felt when she realised her mistake. Storytelling supports the development of language and emotional literacy while promoting brain development and imagination. Our free choice exploration included using spikey teasels and clay to make squirrels, with the tails made from teasels. They had to hold them carefully to ensure they didn't spike their fingers. Squashing and squeezing the clay into shape helps to strengthen children's hand and finger muscles needed for writing, while manipulating the teasel into place encourages the children to manage their own risk and safety. Other children enjoyed rolling painted seeds around in a tray to create beautiful pictures. Digging, playing in the mud kitchen and relaxing in the hammocks was also a popular choice. For our reflection at the end of the session we sang some songs with the group including Grey Squirrel, which the children are getting really confident at now, and we introduced Inside I'm Wild! 

Have a great week.

28.9.2023

We were blessed with a beautiful day today for exploring at Forest School. 

Year 1 started their session with our welcome routine before moving on to a challenge: to create a leaf slide. Every child was given a black card frame and then had to find a beautiful leaf to put inside. It needed to be held up to the light to activate the light. It was lovely to hear the children's excited comments to each other as they did this, spotting new patterns, colours and shapes that they had not seen before. We gathered back together to share some of the leaf slides with the group. Next, we shared the story of Conker the Chameleon which is all about a chameleon who is sad because he can't change colour and feels different. As chameleons change colour to show how they’re feeling, he’s worried the others won’t be able to see how he feels. During the story he discovers using words is a more effective way of sharing our feelings and by the end of the story, while he still can't change colour, he has changed his mindset and feels happy about who he is. The children shared their thoughts about the story and different emotions and it also provided opportunity to discuss the benefits of talking about our feelings to others and rather than displaying them through our behaviour ie. Shouting, being unkind, rude, hurting others etc. For the rest of the session, the children followed their interests. Lots of the Year 3s were keen to try out wet felting acorns. This is a long process which involves separating wool fibres, before rolling them in soapy hands until the fibres knitted together and form a small, hard piece of acorn shaped felt. They then glued these into acorn cups to make beautiful, colourful acorns. It was a long but satisfying process taking lots of patience and perseverance. Other children used the different coloured leaves to cut out and create collage style pictures. We also had our usual keen diggers and those that enjoyed some movement and relaxation in the hammocks. To conclude our session, we gathered back together to think about what colour emotion we felt during the session. Some children shared that they experienced more than one emotion and we reflected that our emotions change all the time. The best thing to do is to talk about them.

Year 5 started their session with another question today: What do you use every day that you do not need? This was a great question that provoked lots of thought about things that bring us joy, make life easier or things we hold on to, but we can do without. Everyone listened with kindness and no judgement and we thought about gratitude for the things that we shared. After this, we shared an activity called Webbing. Emma asked a series of questions about the trees and animals in the environment, recognising that trees need light, water, and in turn other creatures need the plants, others decompose the plant matter. As each child gave an answer, they held onto the piece of rope, passing the rest on to the next person who answered until we had a web of rope. To see how the things in the environment are linked one person tugged on the rope. Those who felt the effects of the tug, then also tugged on the rope and again until we were all feeling a tug. We reflected that we are all connected and the actions of one creature can have an effect on everything else in the environment. Next, we asked the children to find a beautiful leaf to create a leaf slide show. The children were quite amazed that when they held their leaf up to the light, its veins, colours and patterns were revealed and became clear. There was a real sense of awe and wonder as we lay on our backs with our leaf slides and passed them round for each other to see. It was really joyful to hear their comments and the excitement when their original leaf was returned to them. For the rest of the session, they followed their own interests and needs. Some children returned to the peg loom to complete their weaving started last week. Others investigated conkers and found out that they can be used to make soap. They enjoyed smashing the conkers into pieces using the mallets, mixing them with water and then filtering the solution with cheese cloth, creating a natural soapy solution. We also had some children returning to their own ideas drilling conkers and whittling willow. Finally there was lots of fun to be had in the hammocks and play swings. We finished our session with some instruments and a song of Earth, Stone, Feather and Bone.

Reception children were excited to arrive at Forest School. We sang our welcome song, counted and called our number to the different trees. The children are becoming familiar with the Silver Birch and Willow trees and remembering where they are located on the site. Next, we shared our names with an action. Some of the children were feeling a bit shy to join in today, but we hope with the regular routine they will develop more confidence and creativity as they share each week. Next, we played 1,2,3 Where Are You? The children are getting more adventurous each week and exploring further, which is great to see. They were really good at listening to where Emma was hidden and running to her voice as she shouted, "1,2,3 Come back to me!"

Today we focussed on the autumn leaves and the trees in our Forest School. Chester, our cuddly conker, showed the children some different leaves from the site. They thought of describing words for the leaves: long, thin, wavy, bumpy, and then went on a hunt for the trees that they came from. The children were able to identify and find the Willow tree and the Oak tree. We gathered back at the tarp to listen to the story What Do You See When You Look at a Tree. This story shares the differences between the trees and gets us to think about what the trees might have seen, heard and felt in the long time they have been standing there.

For the rest of the session, they followed their own interests and met their own needs. Some children enjoyed returning to the mud kitchen, pouring and mixing potions to meet their sensory needs. Others got creative, threading a variety of leaves onto wool to make leaf bracelets. Other children used the different coloured leaves to cut out and create collage style pictures. We also had our toy birds out, which the children made nests for using sticks and leaves. Finally some children had a first go at whittling Willow using peelers. This took lots of concentration and focus and the children who had a go enjoyed the satisfaction gained from removing all of the bark. We finished our session with a song of The Trees in the Woods, thinking about what animals live in and use the trees.

Have a great week.

21.09.2023

After all the rain we had over the last few days, it felt good to see the sun today and enjoy playing in the woods and field area of Forest School.

After our usual routine, the children in Year 1 felt the need for some movement and so we played Ostrich Tag. The children enjoyed running around chasing each other and we were quite out of breath when we sat down together again to learn to tie a reef knot. The children worked really hard to develop their knot skills, becoming more confident. Next, we listened to the story of The Glass Cupboard: a tale about a kingdom that lives in peace due to their magic glass cupboard. Anything you need, you may ask from the magic glass cupboard and in return you place something back in that you no longer need. When the glass cupboard is stolen and broken, the Queen collects the pieces and makes it into a glass globe. The glass globe reminds us that the earth is a fragile place and we need to give back whenever we take something from it. The children enjoyed sharing ideas of things that they would ask the cupboard for and what they thought they could learn from the story. For the rest of the session, lots of children chose to continue working on their knot skills to make journey sticks. They found a stick that they connected with and used wool, ribbon, feathers and elder beads to decorate their sticks. They showed great perseverance and became increasingly more confident with their knots as the session went on. Other children took the tarps, mallets and ropes into the woods to create dens. They also enjoyed exploring the paint, using the rollers to cover leaves and print. To finish their session, we gathered together and shared our peaceful song We are the Wild Ones.

Year 5 began their session with another lucky dip question: What makes you feel angry? How do you know? Where do you feel it in your body? There were a range of answers including, when I'm blamed for something I didn't do, when I get things wrong and when people make fun of me. We thought about how this manifests in our bodies in clenched muscles and 'busy' heads where we are unable to think straight. Our bodies have a flight or fight response in these situations where cortisol and adrenaline are produced. Our bodies then need to discharge and release this through movement, or breathing. Understanding why our bodies feel the way they do when we are experiencing different emotions and recognising what we need to do to help regulate our bodies is so important in managing the different challenges we face each day. After this, we felt a need to move our bodies, so had a quick game of Ostrich Tag, before sitting down to play 'This is not a stick, it's a...' This was lots of fun as we listened to each other's ideas as the stick was passed around and became a telephone, a banana, a launcher to name but a few. This game encourages creativity, quick thinking and listening skills amongst many others and made us laugh. Next, we gathered together to hear the story of The Glass Cupboard: a tale about a kingdom that lives in peace due to their magic glass cupboard. Anything you need, you may ask from the magic glass cupboard and in return you place something back in that you no longer need. When the glass cupboard is stolen and broken the Queen collects the pieces and makes it into a glass globe. The glass globe reminds us that the earth is a fragile place and we need to give back whenever we take something from it.  For the rest of the session, the children followed their interests. Last week some had shown an interest in weaving, so this week Emma brought her peg loom. Some children worked together making a start at creating some woven wool. This takes lots of patience to create something big enough and they hope to carry it on next week. Others embraced the conkers that are beginning to fall. Some used the drills to make necklaces with them, whilst others made conker games which they played together, inventing rules and scoring systems. Once again, bringing out their creativity. We had the hammocks for rest and relaxation, the play hammock for movement and the Willow workshop was open again, with some children choosing to whittle. We finished the session with a song request, developing from last week, where we sang We Are the Wild Ones as a round.

Reception children were excited to be back and were dressed for the weather in their waterproofs. They are becoming really familiar with the welcome routine now and confidently shared their names with an action. This part of our session helps the children be creative as well as developing skills like rhythm through the call and response nature of the game. We had a quick game of 1,2,3 Where are You? This has become a bit of a favourite part of the session and it is nice to see the children becoming more confident at moving in the area, exploring further and connecting with their favourite hiding places. Next, after a song of 'Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes', we worked in two groups. Each group drew around one of their members on a piece of paper on the floor. We then thought about how we could work together to add features such as eyes, a nose and a mouth, hair, shoes and trousers. The children enjoyed running around, collecting grass, leaves and sticks and putting them on the person shapes to bring them to life. Moving over uneven ground is a great way to build core strength and stability, which in turn supports the children in school. For the rest of the session, they followed their own interests. Many children returned to our mud kitchen area today, enjoying pouring and mixing potions together. Others explored the clay, adding balls to sticks and then adding features to make clay people. We also had paint and rollers out, which the children used to paint and print leaves onto a large roll of paper. There was also lots of fun to be had in the woods as well making swings and sitting in the hammocks with the Forest friends. The children were great at putting away the resources at the end of the session and we gathered together to sing Boom, Chicka Boom, again developing our call and response skills.

Have a great week.

14.09.2023

The Sun was out today and so we were able to offer both the woodland and long grass field area for our Forest School today, providing lots of variety for adventures and exploration.

Year 1 arrived on site ready for fun and after our usual routine, we played a game of Eagle Eyes. This is one of the children's favourite games and involves keeping their bodies hidden until Emma had her eyes closed and they could sneak a bit closer to the tarp. Lots of children were great at being stealthy and managed to return to the tarp without being seen. After this we gathered together to hear Emma tell the story 'The Dirty Earth', a story of a foolish King who wanted to clean the earth so that he didn't get dirty feet. We thought about how we don't mind getting dirty at Forest School, how we feel connected to the earth and feel good when we are outside sharing it with the other things that live there. The children then got to follow their own interests. The hammocks and play swing were busy being used by the children to calm and regulate their sensory system, developing their sense of proprioception. Other children enjoyed digging, working together and using logs to move and sweep the leaf litter into great piles. We also had some creative individuals who used the palm drills to drill acorns and acrn cups to thread onto cord and make necklaces. We concluded the session back on the tarp where the children lay down on their backs and took part in a meditation called Autumn Imaginary Journey. They really enjoyed this and many did not want to get up!

Year 5 children started their session with a mystery question that was selected from a set of question cards to use as our introduction. The question was: If you had to keep only one thing from your home, what would it be and why? It was lovely to hear that many children wanted a family photo because their family is so important to them. This group has become very good at using knots, so today we introduced another useful one: the Marlin Spike. This knot is great for using to make swings and rope ladders. Once again, they were very supportive to their peers, sharing their knowledge when they became confident at tying the knot and recognised others needed support. The children had requested that they have some more team challenges, so today we set them the challenge of making the longest line, with the only rules being you can use anything from the environment, your body and anything on your body. They had four minutes to do this and worked together to gather long logs which they held between them and had the extra challenge of being as long as they could within this time. For the rest of the session, the children followed their own interests. Some children got creative using harvested lavender to make lavender wands by tying ribbon to a bunch of stems and weaving it in and out to encase the flower head. This took great concentration, patience and resilience as it was not easy, but they were very proud of the result. Others used clay, extending their interest in ots from last week and this week using maple leaves to make leaf trinket bowls. There were also some busy exploring the play hammock and our resting hammocks, enjoying developing their sense of proprioception, movement and friendship as they swung each other. Finally there were a few children that used their newly learnt Marlin Spike knot to make swings in the trees. We concluded the session with a song of We Are the Wild Ones.

Reception arrived in the afternoon, ready for some fun. They remembered so much of the routine of Forest School from their time with us in Nursery and were keen to get going. We sang our welcome song, counted and shared our names with an action before practicing our 1,2,3 Where Are You call and response. The children enjoyed hiding in the long grass, under the Willow trees and running quickly back to the tarp when Emma called 1,2,3 Come back to me! Next, we took a wander through the woods and gathered some leaves, sticks and berries, which we brought back to the tarp. We introduced the makaton sign, 'happy' to the children and thought about how to use the items gathered from the woods to make a happy face on the tarp. The children then had a turn at creating their own faces on the tarp by themselves or with a friend. For the rest of the session, the children followed their own interests. Lots of children enjoyed using the water and large paint brushes to paint the trees in the woods. Others got creative in the mud kitchen area, mixing up potions using natural items foraged from the woods. We had some keen explorers who enjoyed moving through the small spaces created by the branches of the willow tree. As they explored they noticed different creatures, catching some in the sweep nets and making lots of observations through their binoculars. Finally others worked together to collect sticks and balance them together to make a small den for our Forest friend soft toys. This involved balancing skills and stick sorting to construct a free standing den. We finished back together at the tarp and shared something that made us feel happy today at Forest School. It was lovely to hear that all the children had fun meeting their individual needs.

Have a great week.

7.9.2023

And so another year begins and what a beautiful day to be back exploring at Forest School! The summer is still hanging on, even though there is lots of leaf litter on the floor and the site is full of Autumn blackberry and elderberry scents.

The Year 1 children had a much longer walk than they were used to last year, coming from the main school building across the park, but settled back into the swing of things under the shelter of the lime tree. We had our familiar welcome routine and shared some stories of friends that we had made on our Summer adventures. The children looked a bit puzzled when Emma said that she had lots of friends in the woods and even more so when they heard that these were the leaves, the stones and the sticks. They were then tasked with going for a wander to listen out and see if they could spot a woodland friend calling out to them. This was a bit confusing, but once the children got going they were soon meeting lots of new woodland friends, finding out about them and introducing them to each other. We often do activities like this as they aim to build on the children's nature connection and love of their world. After this, we gathered back together to hear the story of Mama Africa, which tells of a time when there were no animals and the land was quiet. Mama Africa uses clay from the land to create different creatures that walked, flew and swam on our Earth. This story reminds us that we are all connected and are all made from the earth and things that grow or live on the earth. The children were then free to follow their own interests. Some chose to take inspiration from the story of Mama Africa and use clay to make Blobsters. They thought about the different features of their Blobsters, adding natural materials including leaves and sticks. Some chose to tell stories about how they moved and what they liked to do. With the abundance of blackberries and elderberries this year, it was a great opportunity to explore creating our own paints with these. We found out that by adding acids and alkaline solutions to the berry paint, we could create even more colours for our paintings. We also had some children keen to look after the forest friends, building them shelters and resting in the hammocks. To conclude our session, we gathered back together to share our experiences and sang Earth, Stone, Feather and Bone together. We even managed to sing it in a round, which gave us a happy tingly feeling. 

It was lovely to have the new Year 5 back again today after seeing them last in the Summer. They have lots of ideas and are looking forward to trying some new challenges in the next few weeks. We started today with a nature connection activity. The children were asked to find a stick, about the length of their arm, and get to know it. Where did it come from? What has it seen in the woods? How old is it? They then introduced their stick to a friend, before trying out a partner challenge. With their partner they put the two sticks between them, touching the ends of the sticks with their fingers and not holding on. They then had to try to move slowly with their partner without letting the sticks drop. This took lots of concentration and also invited the children to challenge themselves to move in different ways and encouraged slow, mindful movements. Next, we sat back on the tarp and invited the children to think of different sensations that our body experiences when we have different feelings. They then each put a blindfold on and were given an object in their hand. We invited the children to think about whether they knew what it was, whether they liked it or not, how they knew if they liked it or not and what sensations their body had as they held it. It is really hard to really switch off our quick thinking brains and tune into our bodies, however this can be a really helpful skill to develop. Some children recognised that their muscles in their hands tensed when they felt unsure and when they knew not to be scared, their muscles relaxed. When it was time to follow their own interests, many children chose to experiment with creating different pigments with the base of elderberries and blackberries and then adding acid and alkalis. They were amazed by the different colours they could create. A couple of children got a chance to extend their whittling skills today by learning the push cut technique, which they used to make hazel flowers. It was very tricky and took a lot of strength and persistence. They also wanted to use clay to make pots, which they decorated with the berries. They hope to paint them next week. To finish, we gathered back together and shared some of our ideas of what we would like to learn more about this year.

Have a good week.

2022/2023

6.7.2023

And so we have come to our last Forest School of the year at Kerem! It has been another wonderful year where the children have built on their personal skills and their connection with the natural world. We are so proud of all they have achieved this year.

Year 4 started off at the tarp with our usual routine and an opportunity to share how we were feeling and a need that we had today. The children have got really in tune with this over the last few weeks. After this, we returned to a game they enjoyed called Look Up, Look Down. This game always brings a nice calm to the group and the occasional giggle when the children find themselves out by looking at another person that is looking at them. For the rest of the session, some children chose to make pendants out of hazel branches. They all used a sheath knife to whittle and shape the wood and then used a pyrography tool to burn a design into the wood. Both of these activities require concentration, care and patience which the children demonstrated really well. Their hard work paid off and they felt really proud of their creations. Other children enjoyed using wool and willow branches to make their own creations. There was a lot of wildlife today and those that explored with the sweep nets were rewarded with finding some large crickets in the long grass. We also had some children enjoying the calm rocking motion of the hammocks in the shade. To conclude our session, we reflected on the skills or knowledge we have gained this half term at Forest School. Reflections included building on their nature connection, learning and feeling more confident with knots and building on their friendships and relationships.

Nursery were excited to be out in the grass area today for their session. They have really settled into the rules and routines well over the last few weeks and their confidence in the environment is clear. After our welcome routine today, we swam over to Emma's pirate ship, climbed on board and played a game where the children had to listen to Captain Emma's instructions and follow them. The children climbed the rigging, scrubbed the deck and ran from sharks to name a few. They really enjoyed being in Pirate mode. For the rest of the session, some children made eye patches using card and elastic. They learnt how to thread and tie an overhand knot to secure their elastic, working on their fine motor skills. THese were then decorated with a range of natural materials. Another option which many children enjoyed was making a pirate flag. The children decorated the flags and then worked out how to use pipe cleaners to secure the material to the stick, twisting the pipe cleaner. Another popular choice was to climb aboard our pirate ship made of logs and improve it. They brought in ropes and enjoyed tying them. To conclude our session, we gathered back together and sang Princes Pat together. They enjoyed joining in with the actions.

Reception started their session with our usual routine followed by a game of Eagle Eyes in the woods. This game involves developing our spatial awareness, where the children need to hide and slowly make their way back to the Eagle's nest. They really liked finding different places to hide and were excited when they got back without being caught. The rest of the session was a bit of a celebration. We thought about the different seasons we have experienced together over the year. They have learnt how to look after their bodies in the different weathers and we decided all together that we deserved a medal. The children used the bow saw to cut wood cookies, which were then drilled, decorated and threaded. Again they were very proud of their achievements. Others enjoyed making hapa zone bandanas and getting some camo face paint on. We finished by sharing some of our best moments of the year and a song We Are The Wild Ones. 

Have a great week.

Emma

30.6.2023

Happy International Mud Day! We had a great day celebrating in the wonders of mud, made a little bit easier by the rain this morning!

Year 4 started their session under the tarp with our welcome routine followed by an introduction to our needs cards. For the last two weeks we have focussed on feelings, so this week we moved on to focusing on our needs. We discussed the needs we have to survive, which the children were able to identify quickly and then thought of the needs we have to thrive. The children looked at a number of needs cards and tuned into their current need, which they shared with the group. It was interesting and informative to hear what they felt their need was, some including fun and play, creativity, community, rest and freedom. After this, we set a group challenge called Tap Stick. We all stood in a circle holding on to a stick. One person led the group to lift their stick and tap it on the ground at the same time. Once we got into a rhythm , we tried tapping our stick down, letting go of it, moving round the circle and catching the next stick. Everyone was very focussed and there was a real sense of a shared motivation to achieve. Next, we took it in turns to point our sticks into the middle of the circle, placing one on top of the other until they were all connected. We then raised them up and placed the ends we were holding on the ground to form a cone. It stayed upright for a very short time before falling into a pile and creating a game of pickup sticks. This simple game drew the children's focus in as they watched carefully to see if any of the sticks moved as one stick was taken out at a time. They were very supportive, sharing what stick should be taken out next and providing encouragement for their peers. We reflected on how calming, but exciting this game was. For the rest of the session, some children chose to embrace International Mud Day and create Bogolan paintings on pieces of cloth. They used different shapes and symbols to represent themselves, which they painted on using mud and a stick. Others chose a creative, calming activity, learning how to use knots to make cobra bracelets and keyrings. They worked really hard using concentration and patience. We also had some children that met their need for fun and play working together to create a zip line between the trees and taking turns to play on it. To conclude our session, we gathered back together to reflect on our original need and whether we managed to meet it or not. We thought about how we feel when our needs are met: content, proud and chill.

Nursery children have noticeably grown in confidence over the last few weeks and today they happily ventured into the woods and gathered at our tarp to share our welcome routine. They are getting more creative with the way they share their name in our name game and are great at observing and copying each other. Today we focussed on birds. The children started with working with a partner to make a nest on the ground using sticks and leaves. Once their nest was made they were given the task to fly to a bird feeder and collect one piece of food at a time to feed their baby chicks. They really enjoyed running back and forth collecting the food. This activity helps to build their confidence at negotiating uneven ground and being observant of the obstacles around them. For the rest of the session, some chose to use mud to paint pieces of cloth, making different shapes and patterns with their muddy sticks. Others looked after the toy birds, building them nests in the trees and on the ground. We also had some children who enjoyed learning how to use string, knots, a pine cone, some vegetable fat and bird seed to make bird feeders. They tied string around their pine cones and then used lolly sticks to spread the fat over the cone, finally dipping it in the bird seed until it was completely covered. I know they will make some birds very happy. To finish our session, we gathered together and sang Two Little Dickie Birds. They really enjoyed the rhythm and action part of this rhyme.

Reception children arrived at Forest School full of songs, which was lovely to hear. We started with our welcome song and routine before playing our first game: Pirate Ship. Carrie had used the logs to create a boat shape on the grass. We all climbed aboard  and then Emma gave calls and instructions that they need to follow to stay in the game. It took lots of quick thinking to choose the correct direction to run in. Next, we shared the story The Singing Mermaid. The children listened attentively and were great at making predictions about the feelings of the mermaid at different points in the story. For the rest of the session, lots of children had a go at making boats and testing to see if they floated. This involved them securing sticks together using pipe cleaners, adding in leaf sails and then testing and adapting them. Other children enjoyed returning to whittling, where they used peelers to whittle willow sticks. They then decorated their sticks with faces, wool hair and a leaf tail to make their own singing mermaids. They were really pleased when they were able to secure things by themselves. Some children also enjoyed exploring mud paint today. We finished the session back at the tarp with a song of I Walk Into the Forest as requested by one of the children.

Have a great week.

23.06.2023

We had another fun day in the shade of the beautiful woodlands and looking after our bodies in the heat.

Year 4 started their session under the shade of the Lime tree with our welcome routine. Today we focussed on our character traits or qualities that we have, which were introduced at the end of last session. This time we had time for the children to look in more detail at them and focus on one of their special traits, which they shared with their name. Next, we played a game on the tarp called Look Down, Look Up. This involved the children standing in a circle and when Emma called 'Look down," they all looked to the floor. When Emma said, "Look up," everyone looked at someone in the circle. If two people were looking directly at one another they were both out. This left one person by the end of the game. There was lots of giggling when the children got out by looking at each other and we enjoyed playing it several times. After this, we had a short recap on some of our useful knots and lashings: the clove hitch and square lashing. It is really wonderful to see year on year how the children's ability to do these knots and lashings has come on. Several are confident enough now to support those still finding it a bit tricky - everyone got there in the end today. We set the children a teamwork challenge today, which required them to use logs, rope and their knots and lashings to create a structure to transport one team member off the ground from a start to a finish line. They were quicker to choose their team this week and got to work planning and building their structures. While they worked we were able to observe how their communication has really improved. They are working hard to use language to encourage other team members to stop and listen to new ideas, they are being more open to trying something, even if it might not work and many are now recognising that they can adapt a plan to make it better, rather than give up or start from scratch. We also observed some really supportive children who could spot things that needed doing in their team and used their initiative to do them without being asked. When it came to the testing time, all teams managed to lift someone on their structure and carry them over the finishing line. They showed great positivity to one another's achievements. To conclude our session, we gathered back under the lime tree and reflected back on the character traits/qualities that we lived in our session today. The children really understood themselves and shared traits that we could see that they had lived too.

The Nursery children were very excited to be back at Forest School again today and have quickly settled into the rules and routines. We sang our welcome song, counted and shared our names, today with a choice of action. The children are trying some new actions out and are great at looking at what their friends are doing to be able to copy it back. We played 1,2,3, Where Are You? The children are very confident at exploring the woods now, finding lots of different hiding places whilst staying in the boundaries of Forest School. Carrie then shared a guess the minibeast book. The children knew their minibeasts and were able to use the clues to guess what minibeast Carrie had in her book. For the rest of the session, children followed their own interests. Today in addition to our hammocks, we also had our slack line out. The children were very brave climbing on and balancing along it using the hand hold rope. This equipment is great for building core strength and balance. Other children focused on our minibeast theme and got creative. Some children used the clay to create different minibeasts, adding sticks for legs. Others used the bow saw to cut wooden discs which they then decorated as ladybirds. We also had some children who were keen to hunt down minibeasts for themselves. We finished back under the shade of the tarp and sang the song The Ant, The Bug and The Bee. The children enjoyed joining in with the words and actions.

Reception children arrived singing and were very happy. We sat in the shade to share our welcome routine, before playing our Pirate Emma Says game. The children were taught all of the different commands and the actions they needed to do. The children had to listen really carefully to make sure they were only carrying out the action when Emma Says. After this, Carrie shared with the children that she had found a map at lunchtime and that she believed it to be a treasure map. We opened it up and there on the paper was X marks the spot. The children were very excited and so we decided to follow the map and find the treasure. The children were able to match the pictures on the map with locations around forest school and we found the treasure hiding near the fence under a X marks the spot. It was so exciting to see the treasure box filled with pine cones, hornbeam seeds and golden leaves. For the rest of the session, some children decided to make their own maps drawing out the site with pens onto paper then rolling it into a scroll. They learnt the overhand knot to tie their scrolls and stop them from unravelling. This knot was practiced again with those children who wanted to make a pirate doubloon. They used a bow saw to cut a wood slice, which they decorated and drilled to hang around their neck on a cord. We didn't have a plank to walk, but we did have a slackline, so the children tried to get across from one side to the other. It was very hard, but lots of children made good progress on it. The mud kitchen was again popular, with all sorts of concoctions going on. Finally, following the children's interest last week, we brought owl pellets to dissect. The children were fascinated as they worked together to find skulls and small bones. We concluded our session back at the tarp with a question: What is Your Special Treasure? It was great to hear all of the precious things children have that they consider to be a special treasure.

Have a great week.

15.6.2023

What a beautiful day we got to share with the groups today. It was a hot one, but the shade and breeze under the trees meant that it was one of the coolest places to be. Being out in all weathers means that we need to learn how to look after our bodies in the cold and the heat and so this was discussed with the groups today. We spent time in the shade, played less running games, encouraged the children to wear a hat and made sure we had our water bottles with us.

Y4 started with our welcome routine and invited the children to share their name along with a feeling they had identified from the Marc Brackett Permission to Feel cards. Today there was a lot of low energy and mostly pleasant feelings as we sat enjoying the shade. We recapped the skills and challenges we found last week in the Lily Pad challenge and asked the children to build on these with a new challenge we call Tarpaulin Flip. This week the children worked in small teams, beginning by standing on one side of a tarp. They then had to work together to flip over the tarp and stand on the other side without touching the ground. Most groups achieved this very quickly and took time to try out other ways of achieving the challenge. We brought the group back together once every group had achieved the task and agreed that teamwork was much better this week. Children were more open to trying different ways to solve the problem, they used kinder voices and they recognised their achievement rather than focusing on 'the win' and comparing themselves to other groups. There was also much more laughter. The children then got time to follow their own interests. Some children had expressed an interest in catapults last week, so this week they were provided with rubber bands, material and bungee elastic to create different individual sling shots. It took a lot of problem solving to work out how to attach the bungee section to the Y stick. It then took even more resilience to get the slingshots working effectively. Some children took their sling shot back to the mat to make adjustments to its design and construction to make it more accurate and easier to use. Other children had been very into Nordic Braiding in previous weeks, so this week we showed them another way to make cordage using card discs. Some children took this idea up, but others were keen to Nordic Braid again, meeting their need for friendship and a shared goal. Finally some children set their own creative task of using wool to wrap sticks in different patterns. This used their knot skills and creativity. To conclude our session, we gathered back together to introduce our character trait cards to the children. Carrie explained that we can imagine it is like having a treasure chest inside us with all our special qualities that make us who we are. These were laid out and we took time to consider what character traits we feel we have lived in today's session. It was really great to hear that the majority of children could think of a positive quality they have and feel confident to share it with the group. 

Nursery children were excited to be back at Forest School today, this time being located in the woodland area. We started with our song, counting and names and the children were keen to share our rules with us. To help the children familiarise themselves with the woodland area, we played 1,2,3 Where Are You? The children had to look up, down and all around as they moved through the woods, navigating the trees and bumpy earth. They did really well and had a great time finding different hiding places. After this, we recapped on safe tool use and the children set off to explore. Today we had elder beads available. The children used palm drills to hollow out the elder beads and then threaded them on to pipe cleaners. This activity takes a lot of finger strength and supports fine motor skill development as the children work to thread the bead on the pipe cleaner. Other children enjoyed exploring the paint making marks with different nature paint brushes. We also had bark rubbing and bubbles. Finally we had our hammocks up to enjoy in the sun. The children learnt how to get in and exit a hammock safely. What a great place to be on a hot day! To conclude our session, we sat back together and learnt the song Grey Squirrel. Carrie gave us lots of clues to guess what animal the song would be about and we enjoyed singing together.

After our welcome routine, Reception children had a go at the game Eagle Eyes. They have played this before, but playing in the woods makes this game so much fun as there are lots of great hiding places. Today we explored pirates with the children. We sat together to listen to Carrie tell the story How To Be A Pirate by Isaac Fitzgerald. In the story, CeCe is told by the boys that she can't be a pirate and so goes and asks her grandpa, who she suspects was a pirate, how to be one. We learnt about all the character traits you have to have to be a pirate including independent, fun and brave. For the rest of the session, the children had different things to choose from. Some chose to make pirate flags by drawing on some material and using pipe cleaners to attach it to a stick. They were very good at manipulating the pipe cleaners independently and were very proud of their achievements. Some children also enjoyed making eye patches by threading elastic through the holes on either side of the patch and then tying the ends with a knot.  They also decorated them with natural materials such as grass seeds and clover flowers. Others were fascinated in using the magnifiers to look for footprints. They found a few and had fun guessing who they belonged to. This led on to a discussion about the nibbled trees in our site and then a poo hunt to find out who had eaten the trees. The children enjoyed looking at the guides to identify different poos.  We also found a bee, who inspired a great discussion about skeletons and then to owl pellets! What great learning can come from a child led approach. We finished with a fun Pirate Song called Princess Pat, which the children enjoyed singing together and performing the actions.

Have a great week.

08.06.2023

It was great to welcome the children (and the sun!) at Forest School today. The site has grown lots since our last time here and the children enjoyed exploring and hiding in the long grass.

Year 4

This half term we are going to focus on feelings and being able to recognise and share these. Today we introduced the Permission to Feel cards by Marc Brackett to help the children tune into their energy levels and how pleasant a feeling they had. We discussed the importance of being able to recognise, understand and then express how we feel to others around us. As we shared our name, we also shared the feeling that we had selected from the card. Many of us had a low energy, pleasant feeling. Next, we focussed on teamwork. The children were split into two teams for the Lily Pad challenge. They had to work together to move their team from one side of the pond to the other, only stepping on the lily pads. They only had 4 lily pads per team, so they had to work out how to move them back and forth to get the whole team across. This challenge provided lots of discussion around getting stuck in an idea that is not working so well and having the awareness to stop and try something new. For the rest of the session, the children followed their own interests. The long grass provided lots of interest in the different types of grass flowers and in the great variety of wildlife that is now there. They used the sweep nets to catch grasshoppers and ladybirds and used our ID guides to identify them. Many children thought that the yellow ladybird that they found was poisonous, but we found out that this is a common myth. Yellow ladybirds are actually a different species of ladybird. We also had some children who enjoyed learning how to use the rope to lash together sticks to make a tripod. They then attached some bungee cord to make a giant slingshot. It was lots of fun exploring how to make the catapult fire further and higher. The hammocks were popular for meeting the children's need for rest and relaxation. We ended the session back at the tarp,  where Emma shared the story of The Cracked Pot. This story encourages us to not focus on our flaws, but instead find the beauty in others. We took a moment to think about our special qualities.

Nursery

It was great to welcome the Nursery children to the site for the first time today. They gathered on the tarp and we shared our welcome routine, which included our song, counting everyone and then sharing our name.

We then shared our rules with the children: No pick, no lick. Be careful how you carry a stick. While we are out in the large space of Forest School, the children have a boundary where they need to stay inside. To help them become familiar with this, we played our game: 1,2,3 Where Are You? This is a call and response game and involves the children hiding in the long grass and responding to my call with: 1,2, 3 Here I Am! They had great fun finding different hiding places before running back to gather together again. For the rest of the session, the children had many activities to choose from. Lots of children were interested in finding minibeasts using the sweep nets in the long grass. Others had a go at hapazone, a technique involving using a mallet to extract the pigment from leaves and flowers onto material. They learnt how to use the mallet with two hands and some went on to using it to tap sticks into the ground to make dens for our Forest Friends. We used bubble wands made from branches of the willow tree to blow large bubbles and finally there was lots of paint exploration, using sticks and flowers as paint brushes. We finished back at the tarp with a song about bees. The children did so well on their first visit and seemed to have lots of fun.

Reception

Reception children were excited to be back. Today we moved to a new sensory circuit including a game of 'Emma Says...' for our alerting phase, throwing and catching with our partner for our organising phase and army crawling through the long grass for our calming phase. The children crawled back to the tarp and were ready to begin with our welcome routine. Next, we used our superhero eyes to spot items that had been dropped and left in the woods. The children followed a rope trail through the woods and were tasked with spotting mislaid items. Three children managed to correctly spot that there were 8 items showing great observation skills. After this we sat on the tarp to listen to the story A Worm Called Wallace. We found out that worms are superheroes and without them, the plants and animals would not exist. For the rest of the session, the children followed their own interests. Some children used the pestle and mortars to grind up plant material and make paint to camouflage material. Others used the plant material and extracted the colour from it using a mallet and the hapazone technique. This encouraged children to name and collect a variety of plant material and test which worked the best. There were also children who used the palm drills to hollow out pieces of elder to make elder worms. This took lots of patience and strength to push out the pith. Lots of children also enjoyed finding shade in the woods on this hot day, swinging in the hammocks and making dens for the Forest Friends. We concluded the session back at the tarp and shared a song about a worm called Wiggly Woo.

Have a great week.

18.5.2023

11.05.2023

Year 1

We started today’s session with a sensory circuit again. Our first alerting part was log jumping which the children are increasingly focussed on and improving in their ability. The second organising phase involved sorting a box of ivy and hornbeam leaves into two piles and finally our calming phase involved a bit of yoga poses on the tarp. After this, we played a game of beetle tag to get everyone running about and laughing before sitting on the tarp to listen to a new story, Climb. This is a great story all about personal qualities and the differences between us, which was a focus for our session. For the self directed part of the session, some children chose to reflect on their own qualities. They hollowed out pieces of elder and wrote their own personal qualities on the beads, which they threaded onto a necklace or bracelet. Other children followed their interest in invertebrates and used the sweep nets and tree shake techniques to find a variety of creatures including ladybirds, spiders and caterpillars. Other children worked together to make homes for the forest friends in the woods and dug for gems. We finished the session with a question: What special quality or strength do you have? The children shared that they were good at finding gems, good at caring for the creatures, good at gymnastics and kind to everyone.

Year 3

Year 3 completed their sensory circuit to start their session today with three stages: log jumping, leaf sorting and pressing palms together with their partner. After this, we gathered at the tarp for our welcome routine and alliteration name game. It was lovely to see how creative the children are with their chosen adjectives now. Next, we set the children a teamwork challenge called Lily Pads to focus on teamwork and communication. They were split into two teams and given 6 coloured mats to use as lily pads to get from one side of the 'river' to the other. The children got into a huddle to discuss their ideas and then set off. They had to use flexibility as both teams had to adapt their method as their original ideas were not successful. It took a while for each group to be able to get to a point of working effectively together focussing on allowing each other to be heard, and focusing on the needs of the group, rather than our own personal needs. It is very challenging for some to move away from the idea of needing to 'win' and making comparisons and judgements of the other team. At the end of the task though, they were able to see that the moment they focussed on their own team and ignored the other team's progress they were much more successful. This challenge took a long time, but being able to work through difficulties and see something to the end is an important skill to learn, along with managing the emotions that go along with a tough challenge. The children used the time that was left to hollow elder to make beads for necklaces and bracelets. They also worked together to carry logs and build debris dens together. These structures are becoming more creative and sophisticated each week as they become more skilled at working together. To end our session, we gathered back at the tarp to reflect on our achievements.

Reception

Reception did ever so well today at coping with a disruption to their session due to thunder and lightning. We managed to fit in our sensory circuit with log jumping, leaf sorting and pressing our palms together against a friend before we had to relocate to the school. Back at school we heard the story Tadpole's Promise. This story tells of a caterpillar and a tadpole's friendship before they go through metamorphosis and no longer recognise each other. The children had great understanding of the different life cycles and were able to apply this to their story predictions. The storm passed and so we were able to return to forest school where the children were given the task of hunting for nine different pictures of the frog life cycle. Once they had found them all, the children worked together in small groups to put the pictures in the correct order of the life cycle. They had to look very closely to spot the small changes between the tadpole pictures. For the rest of the session, lots of children got creative and used watercolour paints to create pictures of the trees and rainbows at Forest School. They enjoyed experimenting with dipping their pictures in the puddles and watching the effects it had on their pictures. There were also keen minibeast hunters who explored the site using sweep nets and the tree shake technique. We were very excited to find a number of yellow ladybirds and two different types of caterpillars. At the end of our session, we gathered back at the log circle to sing The Little Green Frog.

Have a great week.

04.05.2023

Year 1 started their session with a sensory circuit again today, which was changed up a bit. We started with our log jumping, (vestibular & proprioceptive stimulation), turning over cones (motor challenge) and calming our bodies by pressing our hands against a partner's hands (relaxing our senses). After this, we gathered at the tarp to share our welcome routine and then our first challenge: Found Sound Round. They had the task of finding a natural object like a leaf or stick and thinking about what sound it made, using their mouth to make the sound. Once we all found an object and returned to the tarp we took it in turns to share our sound with the group. Emma started with the beat and we took it in turns to add our sound when Emma pointed at us. As each sound was added, it got louder and louder until we were all playing together. Then Emma pointed at each child in turn to stop their sound until it was quiet. It sounded great when we all made our sounds together. Following on from our musical theme, we demonstrated how we can use objects to create musical notation. Emma put a stick on the floor and we agreed what sound this would make. When Emma added a stick we had to do two of that sound. Emma then added in a leaf which represented a different sound and we had a go at following the objects to make a musical code which we performed together. The children were keen to have a go at making a musical code of their own and so they set off in partners and small groups to gather objects, which they laid on the ground as musical code and then practiced. It was great to see how well they communicated with each other and see their creativity in the sounds they made as they worked together. For the rest of the session, the children followed their own interests. Some children enjoyed making their own shakers. They had to locate objects to put inside their shaker and test the sound that it made before sealing it with a lid and decorating it. We also had the opportunity to use the sheath knife and mallet to cut wedges in sections of wood to make guiros. The children really enjoyed feeling strong and powerful as they used the mallet to hit down on the back of the knife to cut into the wood. This also is a great way to build strength and work on gross motor skills. We also had our keen diggers and creature explorers, who today found lots of worms and the first ladybirds of the year. To conclude our session, we gathered together to sing Music Man. We enjoyed thinking of the different instruments we had made and how these would be played.

Year 3 started their session with the sensory circuit as well. The children enjoyed completing the circuit but found some elements of it difficult to focus on. As this becomes more familiar and with practice, we hope they will be able to connect with their bodies a bit quicker and therefore find it easier. Once we felt calm we headed to the tarp for our welcome chant and count. We then tasked the children with the Found Sound Round. As with the Year 1's, the children found a natural object and thought of the sound it would make using their mouths. We put all the sounds together and the children really enjoyed having the freedom to be loud. Next we listened to Emma tell the story of The Little Songbird. This story tells of a bird that goes on a journey to find his song. We thought about the journeys that we go on to find our true selves. For the rest of the session, the children followed their own interests with many children enjoying using the sweep nets to explore the creatures in the long grass. There were also keen debris den builders. We focused on managing our own risks and carrying and moving the sticks safely. We also had some children following the musical focus using sheath knives to make guiros and tubes to make shakers. To conclude our session, we gathered back together to reflect on the discoveries that were made in the session.

Our Reception children completed the sensory circuit with great focus today before settling down on the tarp for the start of the session. Next, we played a favourite game: Hibernating Hedgehogs. The children snuffled about pretending to be hedgehogs. When Emma called, 'Hibernating Hedgehogs,' everyone curled up in a ball with their eyes closed and one child was hidden with a tarp. The others had to guess which hedgehog was hidden and still hibernating. They were great at noticing who was missing from the group and identifying the hibernating hedgehog. Next, we gathered on the tarp and listened to Emma tell the story of How the Hedgehog Got His Spikes and shared our ideas about what the message of the story was. The hedgehog in the story had to look inside and think about who he truly was to be able to get his spikey coat. For the rest of the session the children had fun returning to some of their favourite activities - one of which is digging and using the mallets. Some children looked up facts about hedgehogs while others made clay hedgehogs, using pine cones to make the spiky prickles. We also had the sweep nets and the ID guides out. The children loved exploring in the long grass and finding lots of different creatures. To finish the session, we gathered back around the tarp and sang a song about hedgehogs.

Have a great week.

27/04/2023

Despite the chill in the air in the early morning, the day was bathed in sunshine and just what we needed for the dandelions to open up for our exploration today.

Year 3 and Year 1

We started our sessions again today with our sensory circuits, focussing on improving our jumping, balance and coordination; preparing our bodies to be ready for the session. After our welcome song and numbers, we asked the children to share their favourite tree along with their name today. It was great to hear everyone's favourite trees from the site or a tree they have a special connection with in their outdoor spaces at home. Once again, building a connection with nature and being able to name it increases its importance. 

The children have been spotting all of the changes to Forest School over the last few weeks and so today we went on a colour hunt. Everyone took a little piece of sticky card around the site with them to collect as many different colours as they could.  We observed children sharing their interesting finds with their classmates and wondering about the beauty of the environment as they collected and explored. Next, we gathered back at the tarp to hear another tale of Conker the Chameleon who previously had learnt how to express his feelings by using his words. This time the story was called Conker and the Monkey Trap. The story told of many brave exploits of Conker and his friends and how he chose to be kind and help others he didn't know. The children enjoyed hearing another tale of this colourful character and identifying the lessons that he learnt. For the rest of the session, the children explored in their own ways. Many children enjoyed playing in the woods, swinging in the hammocks, making homes for the toy birds, finding clay and den building. Others enjoyed getting creative using watercolours to paint around leaves to create a beautiful effect. 

To conclude our session, we gathered back at the tarp and shared a moment where we had been brave like Conker. Some children reflected on a time in Forest School where they had to be brave trying something for the first time, facing a fear of climbing or holding a creature. Others shared moments outside of school where they had an injection or got lost. 

Reception

The children enjoyed completing the sensory circuit again today, focusing on improving their jumping and balancing before coming to the tarp to calm our bodies with some squeezing ourselves into a ball and rocking our bodies. After our song, counting sand name game, we returned to our game of Eagle Eyes. This game is lots of fun now the grass has started to get longer, the leaves have appeared on the trees and the cow parsley is taller. There are lots more hiding places and the children loved lying down in the long grass to hide. After this, we introduced the children to the dandelion, a flower lots of them recognised. We shared the story of Christopher Nibble by Charlotte Middleton about a clever guinea pig who resisted the urge to eat the very last dandelion and was able to reintroduce them to his community. We talked again about only picking plants that are in abundance to ensure some are left for the pollinating insects and to reseed. For the rest of the session, many children chose to plant some seeds. The children decorated their biodegradable pots and filled them with compost and some seeds. We look forward to hearing how tall they will grow. Some children continued on our theme of dandelions, using Willow to bend into crown shapes which they then decorated with pipe cleaners and dandelions. Other children had a go at using the dandelion flowers and leaves to paint pictures. They enjoyed exploring how the colours mixed to create new colours. The hammocks were also popular with many children enjoying the sensory stimulation from the enclosed feeling and the motion of the hammock as they swung. To conclude our session, we gathered back at the tarp and shared the name of our favourite flowers. It was lovely to hear that every child could name a flower and some had special connections to their outdoor spaces at home.

Have a great week.

20.04.2023

24.03.2023

We had all the weather today, but it didn't stop us from having lots of fun exploring the trees.

After our welcome chant and routine, Year 2 tried out our regulating technique: squeeze hug. This involved using our arms to give ourselves a very big hug. We also tried giving ourselves a more gentle hug and tapping different parts of our body. We are all different, with some of us liking a firmer touch/pressure than others and so we encouraged the children to think about how they felt. It is National Tree Week this week, so we focused on our knowledge of trees to start. To get the children moving and thinking, we played, "You're safe when you are touching a..." and Emma called the names of lots of different trees on the site. Lots of children knew where to go to find a Hornbeam tree, a Silver Birch tree, a Hawthorn tree and a Willow tree. As we found each tree, we looked at the bark and the buds and described them. We noticed that some trees like the Hornbeam have their catkins at the moment and some tiny leaves. After this, we gathered back at the log circle to listen to Emma tell the story The Tree People. This story tells of a time when there was only one type of tree and one tiny village of people and how there came to be a variety of trees. For the rest of the session, the children followed their interests. Some children used bendy willow branches to make a circle, then used wool to make a tree inside the circle. This took lots of patience, concentration and knot skills and they were really proud of their outcomes. We also had the clay out today which the children used to make faces on the trees, inspired by the story of the Tree People. Another option was using a variety of tools to paint trees on a long strip of paper. The children enjoyed adding different natural materials to the scene that they painted as well as the paint. We also had some keen creators in the woods who made a walking zip line for their friends to use, with someone taking the role of safety inspector and even the need for an oyster card reader to get on. To conclude our session, we gathered back together to share the name of our favourite tree with each other. It was lovely to hear the children's reasons and hear how connected they are becoming to the world around them. 

After our chant and welcome routine, we gave each Year 6 child a feelings card which showed a range of emotions ranging in low to high pleasantness and low to high energy. They had to tune into their bodies and share the feeling that they were experiencing with the group. It is good to share our feelings and understand others so that we can support one another. Next, we shared a regulating technique called progressive muscle relaxation. This involved the children focusing on a different part of their body, clenching and squeezing the muscles before relaxing them. This helps us to feel how to relax our muscles, so that when we are feeling tense or experiencing uncomfortable emotions, we can relax our bodies and calm ourselves. After this, we introduced the children to the game Giants, Wizards and Elves. This game focuses on the skills of including everyone in a group huddle to make a decision about what character their team should be and the skill of making decisions as a group. This can be extremely challenging when there are lots of people trying to work together, but they got the hang of it. It was very funny when several times both teams seemed to be psychically linked and chose the same character. For the rest of the session, some of the children were keen to return the mud and the pit they have been making for the last few weeks. They really enjoy playing together and using their imaginations. We also had some children who were keen to make swings and some that were keen to have a go at making a willow whistle. We selected the correct size willow branches and whittled a mouth part, before tapping the bark to loosen it and slide it off. Unfortunately, we were not successful with this and it was disappointing. It is hard trying to do a project when time is against us, but the children dealt with this well. I promised I would send a link to show how to make a whistle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTvdDCHDKT0

We finished by reflecting on our favourite memories of Forest School.

Reception started with our song, counting and name game before coming back to our peaceful place technique to calm our bodies. The children breathed in deeply through their nose and out through their mouth, imagining their peaceful place. It helped to calm our bodies. The Forest School site is starting to come to life with more and more growth each week and so this week we came back to our tree knowledge and played: You're Safe When... This involved the children running around to locate the different trees that Emma called out the names of.  The children gathered back at the tarp to listen to Emma tell the story of The Tree People, which tells the story of how the world went from having one type of tree, the Fir Tree, to a whole range of trees. For the rest of the session, the children followed their own interests, with many enjoying the swings, hammocks and mud. Lots of children also took inspiration from the story and used clay to make tree people, by adding faces to the trees on site. We also had children bending willow branches into crowns, which they enjoyed decorating with pipe cleaners, cherry blossom and hornbeam catkins. Other children enjoyed having a tug of war on the grass, working on their core strength and teamwork skills. At the end of the session, we gathered back together to share the name of our favourite tree and sing a song: Our Tree.

Have a great week.

16.03.2023

Today was all about teamwork, with many of the children developing these skills in challenges and their own play.

After our chant and counting, the Y2 children shared their names and their favourite smell. This is a time where we encourage the children to think about the way we listen and respond to others. We work in trying to develop a safe space where we can share who we are without feeling judgement from others. Today’s calming technique was called Tuning Into Nature. Some of the children are really developing the ability to switch off from their surroundings and have a mindful moment, focusing on their body. Today we focussed on our different senses, one by one. After this, we set the children the lily pad challenge. They were split into two teams and given 6 coloured mats to use as lily pads to get from one side of the 'river' to the other. The children got into a huddle to discuss their ideas and then set off. They showed great flexibility as both teams had to adapt their method as they went. We were able to have lots of discussions about winning. It is very difficult not to get caught up in thoughts of winning or losing, but these often lead to some children getting very frustrated or upset. During the last few weeks, we have been encouraging the children to think how their actions affect others around them and while celebrating successes is important, we don't want to make others feel bad. It also provided an opportunity to discuss how to focus on our team, rather than ourselves or the other team. The children were great at reflecting on their qualities that they brought to their team after the challenge was complete. For the rest of the session, the children followed their own interests. Some children enjoyed making pots of love hearts, using our heart hole punches to collect leaf hearts, which they put in small pots to give to someone. They also enjoyed returning to the mud in the woods, building swings and using the ropes. We finished our session reflecting on our achievements in our activities.

Year 6 started their session today focusing again on the character traits. We spent time looking at the different traits and considering which ones connect with who we are. We recapped the skills needed for teamwork and introduced today's challenge. Each team was given a sponge with four strings attached, one to each corner. The children in the groups had to hold the strings and were not allowed to touch the sponge. They then had to work together to dip the sponge in the paint and use it to paint a picture together. This task involved lots of communication and patience. The children were able to reflect on the character traits that might be expressed in this task. For the rest of the session, some children returned to their mud puddle created last week. They enjoyed using role play together to act out a ceremony and really enjoyed the mud. Other children used the heart hole punches to create pots of love and finally, some children had a go at working together to make paper pulp. Wild flower seeds were added and this was then shaped into hearts, pressed and dried. The children hope to write on their paper and give it to a loved one. At the end of the session we gathered back together to share a character trait that we expressed in today's session. 

Reception children started with their song, counting and name game. Today's regulation strategy was called Feelings Awareness. The children were taken through a guided meditation, focussing on the different parts of their body and trying to relax each part from our toes to our head. Next, we introduced them to the game Eagle Eyes. This involves the children finding closer and closer hiding places in order to make their way back to the tarp without being seen by the eagle. They really enjoyed being sneaky and remaining hidden and some children decided to continue playing this in their own choice time. Lots of children were interested in making paper pulp in the blender to make seed paper. They really enjoyed the sensation of the wet paper pulp and also enjoyed kneading in the wild flower seed. It took a lot of patience to shape the paper pulp and press it, but lots of children stuck with it and had some great success. Other children enjoyed using the heart hole punches. Finally we had some children return to swing making. Today they built a new type of swing and enjoyed investigating the different swinging possibilities. We finished back at the tarp and asked the children to share the name and actions of someone who made them happy today.

Have a great week.

09.03.2023

Forest School is all about following the children's interests and today everyone was interested in the mud!

It was very cold today and so we needed to get our bodies moving. After our welcome routine, Year 1 and Year 6 started off their sessions with a game of Head Honcho. The children really enjoyed taking a turn to be the detective, carefully watching their peers to guess who was the Head Honcho changing the actions. It also really encourages concentration and observation skills. Yesterday was the Hindu festival of Holi, which is a very colourful festival that celebrates the start of spring. So this week, we brought some colour with us. After warming up our bodies, the children gathered under the tarp to hear Emma tell the story of How The Birds Got Their Colours. As the story was told and each bird got ready to be painted, the children were keen to guess which bird it was. It was lovely to hear their guesses and the excitement when they guessed correctly and the bird they were thinking of was pulled out of the bag. It really showed us how much they are learning about the birds in the environment. For the rest of the session, Year 2 were fascinated by the mud and the largening puddles. Many children chose to work together to dig the hole to make the puddles bigger. There was also a lot of transporting of water from one puddle to another. This is a chance to develop their transportation schema. More information about schemas in forest school can be found here. Year 6 also were fascinated by the mud puddles, with one group of children working together to put a den up to create a lagoon around the puddle. Other Year 6 children returned to their favourite activity of Nordic braiding again. They love the swinging motion as well as the repetitive calm and companionship found doing this activity. Both groups also enjoyed throwing Holi powder paint at a white sheet to create beautiful patterns. It was fun watching it float through the air and added a bit of colour to the mud. To conclude our sessions, Year 2 sang a few songs to warm themselves up again. Year 6 reflected on the needs that they had met during the session. Fun and play was a need that was identified as well as creativity and movement. 

Reception joined us in the afternoon where the rain took a break. After our initial welcome routine and a recap of our Welly Boot Stomp regulating technique, we got moving with a game of Ostrich Tag. We had great fun running around and chasing each other's tails, whilst trying to avoid anyone tagging our tails. Once we were all warm, we gathered under the tarp to hear Emma tell the story : How Colour Came Into the World. This told of a time when all the world was grey: The Age of Grey and a tiny butterfly who used all his strength to bring colour into the world. It proves that everyone, no matter how small they are, can be creative because this comes from our heart. For the rest of the session, the children were definitely inspired to get creative. They thoroughly enjoyed throwing Holi paints all over the sheet (and themselves). It was quite a colour explosion. They experimented with making their own coloured material, dipping their fingers in and enjoying the sensory sensation. They also really enjoyed finding worms and different rocks as they dug in the mud. We finished our session with some of the children's favourite songs: 40 Years on An Iceberg, In the Forest and I Walk Into the Forest. 

02.03.2023

Spring seems to have disappeared for now and we were faced with some cold weather today. At this time of year, it is really important to prepare ourselves for all sorts of weather by dressing in layers that can be removed if and when the sun comes out! So please keep bringing in hats, scarves and gloves as well as layers to wear under a warm winter coat.

Year 2 started with their usual song, counting and name game before recapping our Makaton sign for calm and introducing our new regulating technique: Welly Boot Stomp. This involved the children stomping their feet into the ground, shaking out their body as they do so, wiggling their toes and rocking on their feet to really feel the connection with the ground below. Lots of children enjoyed this way of calming their bodies down and getting them ready for Forest School. After this, we returned to our game of Giants, Wizards and Elves that we introduced last week. The children worked hard at including everyone in a group huddle to make a decision about what character their team should be. They really focussed on using kind and inclusive language to make decisions as a group, which can be quite challenging when there are lots of people trying to work together. It was great to see them enjoying themselves playing the game. Next, we returned to the tarp to hear Emma tell the story of The Wind and the Sun. The children listened to the story and were able to identify some of the themes in the story including to be kind and you will achieve great things rather than being bossy and showing off. For the rest of the session, the children followed their own interests, with some returning into the woods to explore with the pulleys and ropes to make a zip line to transport the toy birds. We also had some children thinking about the wind today and having a go at making a weather vane. For this they had to use their cutting skills to cut a leaf into an arrow shape, and insert it on either end of a straw. The trickiest part was using our strength to push a pin through the straw and into a stick. The best bit was watching it spin as the wind blew. Finally we had some children working together to make a giant catapult. We learnt how to use the rope to lash three sticks together to create a tripod and then tied bungee cord on to it with a piece of leather material to hold the object being fired. We tried out different ways to make it travel further and marked the distance with flags. We gathered back together at the end of the session to share some positive moments in the session and share the feelings that we had experienced. Some children felt proud of their ability to work together to test out new ideas.

This week we introduced our character traits to the Year 6 children. Carrie explained that we can imagine it is like having a treasure chest inside us with all our special qualities that make us who we are. These were laid out on the tarp and we took time to wander round and consider what character traits we feel we have. After this we played a quick game of Look Down, Look Up. This game encourages the children to look into each other's eyes confidently and provides a bit of fun. It is also a calm, quiet game that helps everyone to focus. Next, we set the children the lily pad challenge. The children were split into two teams and given 5 lily pads to use to cross the river. They had to work together to find the solution, passing the lily pads along when they needed to, to allow them to all get across without touching the floor. It was so delightful to see how well they communicated and worked through the problem together. When they came across difficulties they were able to be flexible and try another method. For the rest of the session the children followed their own interests. Some children returned to the giant catapult from last week, adapting the material that was being used, which made it break less when the strain was out on it. They then were inspired to make their own individual sling shots and enjoyed investigating the different ways to make these too. Other children came back to Nordic braiding, really enjoying the community aspect of making something together. We also had children who worked together exploring the pulleys to make a zip line. We finished at the tarp looking again at our character traits and shared what part of our character we felt we had expressed during the session. We had lots of determined children.

Reception children started with their usual routine, followed by the introduction of another regulating strategy. This week it was squeeze hug. The children enjoyed lying on the tarp so much last week, we did this again. This time we added in some movement. We wrapped our arms around ourselves and started by tapping our arms, we added more and more pressure and thought about how we felt in our bodies. This helped some children to feel calm. Next, we developed our listening game from the previous week. Today the children all found a space in the field and put on a blindfold. They had to listen as Emma played the drum to determine what direction it was coming from and then follow it. Some children found it very challenging to keep their blindfold on, worrying that they might fall. We talked about different ways to slowly move our feet to make us feel more comfortable. We gathered back at the tarp to listen to Emma tell the story What Rabbit Heard, which tells of a rabbit who did not want to go outside to play because it was too cold, he was too busy and too tired. We recognised times when some of us have felt this way too. We all laughed as small rabbit misheard the instructions of big rabbit and ended up getting up to lots of fun outdoor adventures on a very windy day. For the rest of the session, the children followed their own interests. Lots of children enjoyed relaxing in the hammocks today.  We also had some children thinking about the wind today and having a go at making a weather vane. For this they had to use their cutting skills to cut a leaf into an arrow shape, and insert it on either end of a straw. The trickiest part was using our strength to push a pin through the straw and into a stick. The best bit was watching it spin as the wind blew. We also returned to our giant catapult, testing out some new material for the sling part and some new positions of the bungee cords. The toy birds were launched really high and really far which was very exciting. To finish our session, we gathered back at the log circle and sang Bele Mama, a beautiful calming song and we had a request for 40 Years on An Iceberg, which we fit in too.

23.02.2023

It was great to be back at Kerem today after the half term break. 

Year 2 started by focussing on the feeling of calm and so this week when the children shared their names, they also shared what makes them feel calm. It is so important to recognise the different emotions we have and how they feel in our body. Lots of children shared that they feel calm sitting on their sofa watching tv or reading a book. We then introduced this week's regulating technique: flower breathing. We all imagined a dandelion in front of us and took a deep breath in through our nose before breathing out slowly through our mouth. After a few goes, we thought about how relaxed and calm our bodies felt. Next, we gathered everyone together to play a teamwork game called Giants, Wizards and Elves. This game focuses on learning how to include everyone in a group and making a group decision that everyone is happy with. As the game progressed, their skills in using kind and inclusive vocabulary really improved. We gathered back at the tarp to hear Emma tell the story Facing the Giant. This story tells of a lady who faces the giant even though she hears terrible things about him and he is much bigger than her. As she gets closer to him, he gets smaller and smaller until he eventually disappears. The children listened to this story so well and some children worked out that the giant represented fear and that when we face our fears they often disappear like the giant. For the rest of the session, some children enjoyed exploring the clay, making their own creations as well as mini giants. Others had a go at Nordic Braiding with their partner, finding swinging the wool back and forth really calming. Some children experimented with making a pair of stilts so they could be as tall as the giant was originally. They worked together to use the bow saw to cut log sections, then had to use great strength to twist in eyelet screws to hold the paracord in place for the hand loops. So much problem solving was involved in working out how to fix the screws and considering what length the paracord needed to be. Next week, we are going to try to master the art of walking on them! Finally we had a group of children that were keen to further investigate the 'human pulley'. It is great to see that they are still trying to develop and perfect this idea. We look forward to seeing where they take it next week with some new resources. At the end of the session, we gathered back at the tarp and learnt the Makaton sign for calm. We thought about which activities were quite calming today such as manipulating clay, swinging the wool to make braids with a partner and sitting in the hammocks.

Year 6 started their session with our chant counting and for their names, they shared something they were grateful for. They were lucky enough to see a rainbow as they were walking to Forest School and many children chose this as their moment of gratitude. We also introduced our flower breathing technique and thought about how our body responded as we breathed in and out slowly and deeply. Next, we invited the children into the woods to play a partner game, working on communication and knowing our role. Each pair had to send one person to look at a picture made of natural materials, who then had to communicate to their partner, 'the maker' , to make a copy of the picture, being as accurate as possible. At the end, we discussed how hard it is to only talk and not pick up items and be the maker. They had to think really carefully about the specific instructions and information they were sharing to be as accurate as possible. For the rest of the session, some children enjoyed working with their partner to do Nordic braiding, creating a friendship bracelet for each person. Some children communicated so well, they were able to work together at quite a pace. Others worked together to create a large catapult using bungee cord and a tripod of logs. It was fun experimenting with the different attachment points and the angle that the projectile was being launched. We also had some children that really enjoyed playing together in the woods hiding and seeking. At the end of the session, we gathered together to share our moments of calm that were experienced in the session.

Reception were keen to get back to Forest School today and after our usual welcome routine, we tried out another regulating technique called Peaceful Place. This involved the children lying down on their backs on the tarp, closing their eyes and focusing on their mindful breathing as Emma walked them through a visualisation. They did so well at focusing on their breathing and imagining as Emma spoke. Lots of children found that this was their favourite technique so far. Next, we played a listening game called Drum Stalker. Emma stood in the middle of the field and banged her drum. When the drum was playing, the children could creep closer to Emma, but when the drum stopped and Emma opened her eyes, the children had to be still. They were great at listening and creeping so slowly! After this, we gathered at the tarp to hear Carrie tell the story Stuck by Oliver Jeffers. The children joined in the story telling and we found it very funny. For the rest of the session, some of the children helped get some of the forest friends down from the trees as they had got stuck at lunchtime. The children had to think of ways to poke them or shake them down from the trees, whilst keeping others around them safe. Other children enjoyed exploring the pulleys, buckets and ropes. They worked out how to raise and lower the forest friends in the buckets and also create zip lines for them. This involved lots of teamwork, discussion and problem solving. Finally some of us worked together to build a giant catapult. The children worked out how to attach the bungee cord to the frame of the catapult and we tried different ways to launch the forest friends and clay balls. To finish our session, we gathered back together and thought about the calm activities we did and the fun and busy activities we did. These feel different in our body and the children were able to understand the difference.

Have a great week.

09.02.2023

This half term seems to have really flown by. The children have done so well, adapting to quite a range of different weathers but we finished today with some sunshine after the chill of the early morning.

Year 1 started their session with our chant, counting and our name game. After this we recapped the different regulating techniques that we have learnt this half term and thought about the one that was most effective for us. Flower breathing was the most popular, so we took time to breathe in deeply and breathe out slowly, before introducing the children to a number of different budding winter twigs. We looked closely at the buds, observing their differences and similarities before heading off on a bud hunt to find the trees they came from. Hunts are a great way to not only develop the children's knowledge of plants, trees and life cycles but it also helps develop a deeper connection with nature and their forest school site. We are reminded of our Forest School motto, Caring for our Earth, as we carefully look and touch the buds on the trees. When we looked at the willow twig with its soft furry buds it reminded us of a story 'The Origins of the Pussy Willow' which Emma shared with the group. There's something magical about storytelling that draws us together as a community. 

For the rest of the session, the children followed their own interests. Some explored the clay, rolling it into balls before squashing it flat between the palms of their hands to make clay bud prints or to combine the buds from the winter twigs to make other amazing creations including Spring kittens. Some children had a go at some winter twig weaving in a Y stick frame, weaving in twigs and pine cones that they found. We also had our keen builders who enjoyed tying the ropes between the trees. We concluded the session back at the tarp and shared something that we felt we had learnt or got better at this time in Forest School. Lots of children felt more comfortable in nature, enjoyed making new friends and learning more about the plants and trees.

Year 4 started their session with our usual routine before looking at the different buds from the trees in Forest School. The children worked in pairs to describe the buds' shape, structure on the twig, colour and texture before setting off on a hunt to find the tree they were from. It was amazing to see how well the children know the site and the names of the trees. It really showed us the connection and knowledge they have developed over the years with the Forest School site. For the rest of the session, some children challenged themselves to apply their knowledge of knots and lashings, making a square weaving frame, which they then used to weave coloured threads and winter sticks. This task took a lot of patience and perseverance and once again it was delightful to see how supportive the children were of each other as they worked. Another group of children were inspired by finding some Y sticks and decided to have a go at making catapults. They didn't quite have the right resources to make these today, but it didn't stop their problem solving and exploration. To finish our session, we gathered back together to hear everyone's reflections on this half term's Forest School. Some children found a greater sense of calm, a greater connection with the outdoors and a deeper knowledge of knots and their uses.

Reception children shared their song, counting and name game before recapping the different regulating techniques we have learnt this half term. We thought about which ones were our favourite and chose to do the muscle relaxation technique again, squeezing and relaxing the different muscles in our body. Next, we showed the children the different buds. For each bud they were given, they looked at the colour, shape and texture of the buds before hunting the site to find the matching tree. The children enjoyed running around and shouting 'Found it!" when they had located the correct tree and were very good at naming the tree when they found it. We gathered back together on the mat to hear Emma tell the story of Pussy Willow and the Spring Kittens. For the rest of the session, many children liked exploring the clay again. They used the wool around the clay, which they put on sticks to make microphones and then proceeded to interview people. Others used the buds to make prints in the clay and even a little elephant with white willow bud tusks. Some children had a go at weaving the bud sticks into Y stick weaving frames, which they found challenging but persevered with. We also had some keen forest explorers, enjoying the hammocks and using the ropes. We finished our session at the tarp and learnt a lovely calming song called Bele Mama. After a few times, we split into two groups and sang it as a round. It sounded beautiful.

Have a great half term.

02.02.2023

Today was all about the Spring Equinox and the coming of Spring and there was a real sense of it in the air today.

Reception and Year 1 started today's sessions with their usual routine and then we introduced the groups to this week's mindfulness strategy: Tuning Into Nature. We closed our eyes and took time to tune into each sense, listening to the sounds around us, feeling the sun and air on our faces and the earth beneath our feet. It made some of us feel calm and warm. After this calming moment, we played a quick game of Squirrels before joining Emma at the tarp to listen to the story of Mother Buzzard: the Return of the Light. This story is about Imbolc or the Spring Solstice which is on the 1st February and is the time of the year where there is an equal amount of daylight and night. The story told of a mole that helped make it night by pulling all of the light into the tunnels below the Earth and pouring darkness into the world. It also told of a Mother Buzzard who flapped her wings to drive away the darkness and bring back the light. The children enjoyed flapping their wings like the buzzard and mixing potions like the mole. Before the children followed their own interests, we had a look at the signs of spring coming. We spotted some of the buds on the trees getting bigger, some very tiny green leaves and some daffodil bulbs beginning to come up. After this, some children used the peelers to whittle hazel and willow sticks to either make magic wands or snowdrop people. They worked safely remembering to peel down the stick, away from their hand to remove the bark. Once again this technique is very calming and mindful as the different layers of the bark are removed. It also involves lots of focussed concentration. They then chose to decorate their sticks with pipe cleaners, leaves and white felt to create snowdrop people or magic wands. We also had some children interested in den building, creating a superhero den or homes for the forest friends. The hammocks were also a popular place to go to relax. To end our session, we gathered back together and shared some calm moments we had today before singing a new song: Spring is Coming.

After our usual welcome routine, Year 4 also had a go at Tuning Into Nature, closing their eyes and focussing on their senses one by one. After this, we gave them a challenge we call The Rope Shape Game. Everyone held onto the circle of rope, closed their eyes and then had to work together to get into a triangle shape. This game focuses on communication skills: finding your voice, not talking over one another and problem solving. We then had a go at getting into a square shape. It was more difficult than they thought as it was hard to make sure that they were listening to one another as well as sharing their ideas. For the rest of the session the children followed their own interests, with all children coming with a clear idea about what they wanted to do. Some children were excited to return to the Nordic Braiding that was introduced last week. Each partner holds two strands of wool with weights (pine cones in our case) on the end. They then work together to swing the cords from person to person, back and forth. It is a relaxing, mindful activity that involves some concentration and lots of communication. Other children were keen to use the willow to make bows and arrows. This involved them returning to their clove hitch knot, which many are growing in confidence with, to secure their string to their bow. They then had to cut the correct length of willow for their arrow and learn to shoot it. We even made a willow hoop target to see if we could fire our arrows through it. To end the session, we gathered together and shared moments of calm we experienced today. We also learnt the song Earth, Stone, Feather and Bone. It's always joyous to sing together.

26.01.2023

The ice of last week had almost gone and left some very muddy, wet puddles for the children to enjoy today.

Year 1 and Reception started their session with our usual routine followed by introducing our calming technique: Progressive Muscle Relaxation. This involved the children tightening and relaxing different muscles in turn starting with our shoulders and hands, our faces and eventually working through our body down to our toes. This week, with the Big Garden Bird Watch happening this weekend, we focussed on birds. Our first activity involved the children being split into two teams and hunting for bird cards around the site. They then raced them back to the bingo board where they lay them on top of the matching bird. It involved lots of very careful observation, especially when the birds looked similar in shape or colour. These sorts of activities also really encourage children to move carefully over uneven ground, managing obstacles and navigating their surroundings. After the game, we gathered together to hear Emma tell the story of The Pine and the Winter Sparrow. This is an old folk tale that teaches us why the deciduous trees lose their leaves in the Winter and the Pine tree hangs on to its needles. We flew around pretending to be sparrows visiting the different trees and being told to go away. This story helped us think about being kind, especially when we have a lot. For the rest of the session, some children chose to thread cheese, and apple on to a wire to make bird feeders which they hung in the trees or took home to feed the birds in their garden. There were also lots of children who thoroughly enjoyed role playing with our soft toy birds. The birds were seen visiting different trees and being cared for in different nests. Other children explored the bird books. They enjoyed finding out that female blackbirds are not black at all; they are brown! Some of the children enjoyed dragging the large logs on to the field and worked together to create an assault course, which had lots of jumps and needed lots of energy to get across. Finally we had some really determined children who had a go at finding out how hard it is to make a nest. They took bendy willow branches and wove them in and out of each other to create willow nests. It took great strength and resilience to keep going as it was not a quick task! We finished by gathering back together to sing a group song. Today we chose the Little Robin song.

Year 4 started with their chant and a mindful moment in the sunshine. We thought about what we were grateful for at that present moment and shared it with the group. Next we introduced our Progressive Muscle Relaxation technique. The children were great at focusing on the different parts of their body as they tensed and relaxed their different muscles. Once again, the children were split into two groups and sent on a hunt for our bird cards. Learning about and recognising the birds in our environment is a great way to connect with nature and some of the birds are becoming familiar to the group. It also is a great way to warm our bodies up as the children race around the site, navigating the uneven ground. For the rest of the session, some children returned to their knot skills, picking up where they left off with the chair project. They have now worked together to lash two sections of the chair together. We hope to complete it next week. Other children used their time to get creative with the flexible willow branches that were brought today. Some children really challenged themselves to weave a willow Swallow. This took a lot of patience and problem solving as the branches needed to be bent and weaved in and out. Other children enjoyed seeing where their creativity took them. There were willow hearts, a willow hot air balloon, a crown and a willow nest. They are a really creative bunch! We finished by gathering back together and sharing our favourite bird and thinking about something we were grateful for in the session.

19.01.2023

It was an incredibly cold forest school day today and the site looked beautiful.

Year 1 were very excited to arrive on site and see the puddles of last week frozen into large ice sheets across the grass. After our chant, counting and name game we introduced a new regulating technique called Welly Boot Stomp. We stomped our feet on the ground, wiggled our toes and rocked back and forth in our wellies to feel the ground beneath our feet. This weekend Lunar New Year will be celebrated in many countries around the world and this was a focus of our session today. We started with a game which encouraged the children to find their voice and be creative. They were each given an animal card and had to move around making the noise and doing the actions of their animal to find their matching partner. It was fun to guess the different animals and some children got so into character they crawled on the ground. For the rest of the session, the children followed their own interests. Some were fascinated by the ice and had a great time working together using the mallets to smash holes in the ice. Others used the broken ice to make sculptures, carefully manipulating and balancing the ice pieces against each other. Finally, we had some children who used a needle and wool to thread leaves before tying each end to a stick and adding a clay head to make a dragon puppet. 

The children gathered back together to finish the session with a song: I'm A Little Rabbit, with lots of movements to warm us up.

Year 4 started with their chant, counting and our name game to keep us moving in the cold. Next we played our Noah's Ark matching game. Each child was given an animal card and for the first round had to make noises and movements of their animal to help find their pair. For the second round everyone was allowed to ask yes or no questions to each other to help find their pair. It was very tricky and put to use the children's knowledge of animal classification. For the rest of the session, many children were interested in the ice, using the mallets to break it up and use it for sculptures. Others enjoyed using the bow saw and hand drills to make Chinese drums. This took a lot of perseverance as the wood was very thick and took a long time to drill, as well as the threading with cold fingers, but they did very well.

Reception were very excited about all of the ice to explore at Forest School today. After our song, counting and name game, we got moving with our regulation technique: Welly Boot Stomp. This helped to warm up our feet and feel the connection with the Earth under them. This week has been book week for Kerem children and Reception children have been finding out about Spiders, so we started with a spider game where we had to move around and perform spidery actions including freezing, gobbling insects and throwing web slingers.

For the rest of the session, some children used the bow saw and drill to make spider and spider web thaumatropes. They really enjoy using the tools and showed lots of persistence in threading and tying the rubber bands through the holes of their wood cookies. They then had to learn how to use it to make it spin. Other children really enjoyed exploring the ice, swinging in the hammocks and climbing the trees. We ended the session back together with a song: 40 Years on An Iceberg. 

12.01.2023

Year 1 started their session with their chant, counting and name game, before recapping our flower breathing technique. Once again the children were able to focus on their breathing and took time to breathe deeply and develop this calming technique. After this, we returned to our Giants, Wizards and Elves game. This week we really focussed on the skills in making a group decision: making a suggestion and asking if others are happy with the decision that was made. Next, we gathered under the shelter of the tarp to listen to the story of Jack Frost. We learnt the Makaton signs for frost and ice and used these to help tell the story. For the rest of the session, the children enjoyed exploring the mud, digging holes with trowels and jumping in the puddles. Some children enjoyed working together, getting creative and making a picture of a snowman on the ground using flour. They then worked together gathering materials to add on a scarf, a hat, eyes, a mouth and buttons. Other children enjoyed the comfort of the shelter and used pipe cleaners and sticks to make snowflakes. Finally, we thought about how the birds find it hard to get food at this time of the year. The children were provided with blocks of ice containing cranberries and were challenged to imagine they had beaks (sticks) and use them to get the food out of the ice. It took a lot of perseverance with a tiny beak and some children found it much quicker to smash the ice with the mallets. To conclude our session, we gathered back at the log circle and sang 40 Years On An Iceberg.

After our usual welcome routines, we asked the Year 4 children the question, what is your favourite thing about winter. Lots of us enjoyed experiencing the cold weather and then seeking warmth and comfort with a warm drink or a snuggle on the sofa. The children were keen to learn a new game Fox and Rabbit, which involved chasing each other and avoiding capture by linking on to an awaiting pair. This game provided lots of laughs as the children hurriedly darted in and out of each other. Last week some children showed an interest in making a chair and so we recapped some of our knots and lashings learnt in their previous years at forest school. As with many skills, it is important to practice them to gain in confidence and many children were pleased with how much quicker they were able to tie their clove hitch and square lashing this year. For the rest of the session, some children chose to work together to start the chair project. They are hoping to build a stargazer chair and began by sawing some logs and then lashing them together using their square lashing technique. Other children who have always enjoyed exploring the clay and mud, had a go at turning their clay into dorodango balls. This is a Japanese art of mud polishing and takes a great amount of patience to create a shiny mud ball. The children rolled their balls in their hands and rubbed the outside with sand to slowly dry them out. They plan to continue polishing these in the next few weeks. We finished our session with some group singing.

Reception children were excited to see all of the mud puddles on site and hurriedly jumped in them before we started our session with our usual routine. We played our Giants, Wizards and Elves game introduced last week with more focus on the skills of making a group decision. The children worked to include everyone in the decision huddle and used the phrase, "Is that ok with everyone?" to check that everyone was happy with the decision. We gathered back under the shelter to listen to our story of Jack Frost, learning the Makaton signs for Ice and Frost. This led on to some exploration of food trapped in ice. The children worked out that by putting the ice in a puddle it melted a bit faster. There were some children who really persevered whilst working on their fine motor skills as they twisted pipe cleaners to secure willow sticks together to create snowflakes. Finding ways to successfully and securely attach things together is something that we are working on this half term and it was great to see how proud the children felt when they were able to do this challenging task by themselves. Finally we had some keen mud painters who enjoyed climbing into the trees and painting them with mud, strengthening their core muscles as they balanced. Our Reception children love to sing and we always enjoy finishing our sessions with a song. Today we enjoyed sing: 40 Years on an Iceberg.

5.1.2023

It was lovely to welcome the children back to Forest School today and to see them all so excited despite the occasional drizzle. 

Year 1 began their session with learning the welcome chant, and our usual names and numbers. We then warmed up our bodies with a new game: Giants, Wizards, Elves. A take on Rock, Paper, Scissors, we thought about what the actions should be for each character and who beats who and why. We then got into two teams and for each round made a collective decision as to which action to use. Once played, the winning team tries to catch the others while they run back to their base. Anyone caught joins their team, continuing until everyone is on the same team. This game gives the children the opportunity to work on their communication and teamwork skills as they make collective decisions. Once we were nice and warm we returned to the tarp and listened to the story Facing the Giant. This story tells of a brave woman who faces a giant and realises that as she gets closer and closer to the giant, the giant gets smaller and smaller until she can hold it in her hand and it is no bigger than a grain of sand. The children shared their ideas about what the giant might represent and how when we face our fears, we can reduce them until we are no longer afraid of them. For the rest of the session, many children enjoyed returning to exploring in the woods, digging and using the mallets. We also had the clay out, which some children used to make giants, wizards and elves.  The children were invited to add a wish to our Wishing Tree near the tarp. We thought of our hopes and wishes for the year and wrote or drew them on wooden leaves, which the children attached to the tree with string. Some of the children also wrote wishes on pieces of Elder, hollowed them out and put them on a pipe cleaner to make wishing bracelets. Finally we had the slack line out today, which they enjoyed balancing along and facing the challenge of reaching the end without falling off. Returning to the tarp, we ended the session with the Makaton sign for our focus feeling of the week: scared and thought about the ways that this is felt in our body. We introduced a calming strategy: Flower Breathing, where we imagine we are holding a dandelion clock and taking a deep breath in, we blow the seeds and repeat. Once again this made us feel calm and relaxed.

Year 4 began with the welcome chant, count and names with a question of the week: What makes you feel scared? The children listened with kindness as they shared with each other their fears. We recognised that some of the fears are shared by many others in the group. Again, like Year 1, we played our new game: Giants, Wizards and Elves. It was a fun game producing lots of laughter especially when the actions were the same or when teams chased instead of ran! We listened to the story: Facing the Giant and thought about things that we are sometimes afraid of. We thought that the lady in the story was very brave facing the giant and learnt the Makaton sign for brave. Year 4 were able to guess that the Giant was called 'fear' and he shrank and disappeared as the lady bravely faced him, even though she was scared. We thought about times we have done something even though we were scared and realised it was not so scary after all. For the rest of the session, the children enjoyed returning to the woods, digging up clay and finding worms. Many of the children also put their rope and knot skills to work making swings in the trees and dens. The children are keen to challenge themselves in the next few weeks and enjoyed coming up with a plan for the next few sessions including making a chair and using their clay to make dorodango balls. We ended the session with our Flower Breathing technique and enjoyed the calming feeling.

After our song, counting and name game, Reception were asked to go around the site to find a natural object that interested them to introduce our mindful strategy: Mindful Object. Everyone enjoyed telling each other about their object and we looked at it carefully, even giving it a smell, to focus and do some mindful breathing. They also enjoyed learning our new Giants, Wizards and Elves game, which warmed us all up, before listening to the story Facing the Giant. The children learnt the Makaton sign for Scared and Brave and thought about how this makes our bodies feel. Sometimes when we are scared our tummies feel funny, or our chest feels tight or our legs feel wobbly. For the rest of the session, children explored in different ways including making rope swings in the woods, relaxing in the hammocks and balancing on the slack line. They also enjoyed adding their wish on to a wooden leaf and adding it to the wishing tree. Clay was also a popular activity, helping to develop the children's creativity and fine motor skills. To end the session, we had some requests for Princess Pat, which we enjoyed singing together. The children were also keen to sing our Earth, Stone, Feather and Bone song. They now know all parts of the song and enjoy singing it as a round altogether. It sounded so good it gave us goosebumps!

8.12.2022

It was a cold, crisp, sunny day for our final Forest School sessions of the term today.

Y2 and Y3 started their sessions today with our usual chant, counting and name game, making the most of the different actions to keep our bodies moving in the cold weather. The temperature has really dropped this week and so we thought about how to look after ourselves in this weather. As well as wearing lots of layers, we need to move our bodies to build up warmth, so we played some of our favourite games. We started with Squirrels followed by a quick game of Secret Stone. The children have really worked on their strategies and played the games with more confidence and skill. After this, we set the children the challenge of working in small teams. Each team was given a wooden ring with five strings attached and a tennis ball. The children had to work together by holding the strings and keeping the ball balanced on the wooden ring. They then set themselves challenges to see how far they could move without it falling off. It involved a lot of concentration, communication and teamwork. For the rest of the session, the children chose how to explore. Some of them enjoyed the rest they got from sitting in a hammock, others returned to their debris den that they have been working on this half term and some children enjoyed using the ropes and pulleys to build swings and people transporters. The children were also interested in hollowing out pieces of Elder with the palm drills and creating woodland jewellery by threading their beads on to cord. Finally, to warm us all up we lit the fire and all enjoyed toasting a marshmallow. Delicious! To conclude the session we gathered together for a warm up song called 40 Years on An Iceberg. Quite appropriate for today!

Reception children showed how resilient they were today in the cold weather. They came well wrapped up and thought about how to keep their bodies warm by putting on their layers and moving their bodies. After our welcome song, count and name game, we got ourselves moving with some running games. The children enjoyed playing Squirrels and then a game of Forest Fire. For the rest of the session, some children enjoyed using the palm drills to hollow pieces of Elder and make beads, which they threaded on pipe cleaners. Others had their first go on the slack line and were great at balancing all the way to the end. We also enjoyed learning about the fire triangle, what is needed for fire and how to stay safe around the fire before lighting it and toasting marshmallows. They were delicious. To finish, we all gathered together again to sing 40 Years On an Iceberg.

Have a good holiday.

1.12.2022

Blue skies and sunshine were very much appreciated today as we enjoyed the first chilly day of December.

Year 2 and 3 children started with their usual welcome routine followed by our sign of the day: Angry, and our question: What makes you feel angry or frustrated? As well as being able to express the emotions that make us feel good, it is also important to be able to recognise and express when we feel uncomfortable emotions to help us understand each other more. Today, many children expressed that they felt frustrated when their siblings break their toys or destroy their lego, when they have their PS5 or iPad taken away and when they are not listened to. After this, we returned to our Nest Robbers game. Both groups were keen to take this to the next level, where they had the freedom to choose where to build their nest including the field and the woods. They could also choose to camouflage or hide their nest to prevent the Corvids from finding and stealing from it. They really enjoyed thinking through and analysing how successful their strategy was each round. They realised they needed to get a good balance between distance from the bird feeder and ability to hide. It led to some great discussions about the different techniques/strategies that real birds use to avoid predators. Having seen the fascination of worm digging and holding over the last few weeks with both groups, we shared a book called A Worm Called Wallace. This is a great book that tells the story of why worms are in fact superheros and explains the essential role they have on our Earth. It also brought out some discussion and awareness about how to look after the Earthworms. For the rest of the session, as well as our explorers and den builders, we had some children interested in using the pulleys today. They were keen to work together to construct a 'human carrier' and had to use great perseverance to be able to throw a rope high up over a branch as part of their construction. Many children returned to using the clay, this time to create Fungi. They enjoyed looking through our Fungi ID book and discovering all the unusual types of fungus and used sticks and berries to decorate and make marks on their clay creations. We also had some children try the challenging task of making a five pointed Winter twig star from a branch of Willow. They had to carefully bend the pieces and work out how to put them together to get the star shape. They used pipe cleaners to secure the pieces together drawing on their fine motor skills. To conclude the sessions, both groups were keen to return to our Earth, Bone, Feather and Stone song to learn the last part. We added this into our round and even had a go at just choosing which bit to sing. It sounded fabulous.

Reception children were wrapped up warm today and after our welcome routine , we played a new running around game to keep them warm called Den, Fire, Friend. This game involved the children listening out for different instructions which meant that they had to get in groups of two or three and perform an action. They had to make quick decisions to find the correct number of people to be in a group with the correct action. They were very good and we hope to introduce a few more actions next week. Next, we listened to the story of A Worm Called Wallace. There are so many worms in the muddy areas of Forest School and so we enjoyed finding out more about them including that they breathe through their skin! For the rest of the session, children enjoyed exploring with the forest friends and returning to the tools the bow saw and the hand drill. The children used the bow saw to cut wood cookies, which they then drilled. Both of these activities take a lot of hand strength and the need to be patient. Once their hole was drilled, the children had to problem solve to find the right size stick to fit in their hole. They finished by decorating their spinners to make dreidels and they were incredibly proud of them. To conclude our session, we gathered back together and thought about the sign Proud and shared some of the moments we felt proud of today. We also sang a song together.

24.11.2022

We were very lucky to avoid the rain today and had the full Forest School site available for exploring, which we all enjoyed.

We started our Year 2 and 3 sessions with our chant, counting and this week's sign and question: What makes you feel calm? There were a great range of answers including drawing and colouring, watching television, playing on my console, being out in nature and listening to birds. It is great to know what makes our bodies feel calm, as we can always go to this activity or space when we are feeling uncomfortable emotions like anxiety or frustration. Being outdoors is a great way to calm our nervous system and it was lovely to hear that some children have noticed this for themselves. Next, we played a new game with both groups called Nest Robbers. This is a great game for running around, keeping ourselves warm and moving our bodies as well as developing strategies. Everyone found a partner and used sticks and leaves to build a nest on the ground. They then were tasked with flying to the bird feeder and collecting a piece of food to bring back to their nest. For the groups that picked this up quickly we introduced a predatory bird, the Red Kite, who could tag the players, meaning they had to return their food to the bird feeder and fly back to their nest empty beaked. The next challenge was the introduction of a Corvid, who was able to steal food from unattended nests. The children worked well with their partner, thinking of strategies to escape the Red Kite and protect their nest from the stealing Corvid. It was lots of fun and the children are keen to try the next level of challenge in the game next week. For the rest of the session, the children explored in their own ways. As well as our keen diggers, worm explorers, hammock swingers and den builders, we had children exploring with clay. Many children chose to use pine cones, moss and leaves to create winter gnomes, protectors of the forest. They enjoyed manipulating the cold clay with their hands to create their creatures, some children commenting on how calming the activity was. Other children tried out an activity called Nordic Braiding; a technique used by fishermen a long time ago to make their fishing nets. They worked in pairs, swinging wool strands from partner to the other to create cordage. They enjoyed tying it and sharing it with their friend to make friendship bracelets. Once again, we found that the rhythmic swinging of the wool strands had a really relaxing, calming effect on our bodies and minds. We concluded our sessions with a new song called Earth, Stone, Feather and Bone. The children learnt the different lines of the song and we enjoyed singing it all together. It created a beautiful calming sound.

Reception started their session with our usual routine of our song, counting and name game, followed by the introduction of the game Nest Robbers. The children worked hard gathering resources to build their nests with their partners and enjoyed running to and from the bird feeder to gather pieces of food to bring back to their nests. It was also fun when the Red Kites were introduced. The children ran so fast, trying to get the food back to their nests, escaping being tagged. For the rest of the session, as well as exploring in the woods, many children had their first go at using peelers for whittling. We introduced the tool and the children really impressed us with how safely they were able to whittle the Elder wood. They were fascinated and intrigued by the different colours of the wood as the different layers were whittled away. By whittling the end of the Elder stick, we hoped to create the look of a dripping wax candle. The children hollowed out the end with a palm drill and found a yellow Silver Birch leaf, which they pushed in the end to look like a golden flame. They were really proud of their creations. We also had some children using the clay and pine cones to create Woodland creatures and even a clay candle, complete with Silver Birch leaf flame. We concluded our session sharing the song Earth, Bone, Feather and Stone. It seemed that the children really enjoyed this as they were singing it still as they left the site to head back to school. Singing together brings such a good feeling.

Have a great week,

Emma and Carrie.

17.11.2022

Year 2 and Year 3 started their session with our usual routines and asked the question of the day : What makes you excited? Next, we introduced a new game called Den, Fire, Log Pile, Bushes and Friends. This game encouraged the children to make quick decisions and get into groups of different numbers to perform the action: den, fire, log pile, bushes and friends. We have noticed that the children are really enjoying using the ropes to make dens in the woods, so this week we recapped and extended knowledge on some den building knots: the timber hitch and the truckers hitch. The children then had a go at working in self chosen groups to put a tarp up in the tree. This task encourages communication, negotiating and problem solving skills. To conclude our session we shared some of the teamwork moments that we spotted during the task.

Reception started their session with our usual routine before playing our Hibernating Hedgehogs game. This involved the children snuffling around each other and when 'Hibernating Hedgehogs' was shouted they curled up in a ball, closed their eyes and one child was covered with a tarp. The other hedgehogs then had to guess who was still hibernating under the tarp. They showed great observation skills, noticing who was missing from their class and guessing that they were under the tarp. Next ,we played a game where the children had to think about moving slowly, just like many animals need to, if they are hunting prey or hiding from a predator. We gave them a shaky bell, which they needed to pass around from one person to the next without letting it ring. They focussed so hard on not ringing the bell and did really well. For the rest of the session, many children enjoyed making the most of the mud in the woods, exploring it with their feet and hearing the squishing sounds. Other children used the beautiful leaves of autumn to create leaf lanterns. They used scissors to cut the leaves and glue to stick them on to their lanterns. We also had some children taking care of the Forest Friends and playing with them in the woods. We finished with some singing together with some actions to come together as a community.

10.11.2022

It was great to share a bit of sunshine with the children today after the days of rain we seem to have had.

Year 2 started their session with our chant, counting our group and our name game. This week's feeling was 'sad' which we learnt how to sign in Makaton before sharing something that makes us sad. Contributions ranged from when my friends leave me out or are unkind to me to when I get something wrong. The group are really showing respect and kindness to one another as they share something personal about themselves.

Next, we played our game Fox and Rabbit game. The children had to be observant to notice when it was their turn to run away from the fox. It took a lot of concentration and awareness of others to know when to run. We then gathered back on the tarp to enjoy some storytelling as Emma shared the story of how the hedgehog got its spikes. The children listened really well to the story and could guess the different animals in the story from the clues. After the story we played a game of Sleeping Hedgehog. At this time of year hedgehogs are beginning to think about hibernating and so this game made us think about that as well as our observation skills. Everyone closed their eyes and then one of the children was covered. When the children opened their eyes, they had to work out who the sleeping hedgehog was. For the rest of the session, the children had fun returning to some of their favourite activities - one of which is building with the ropes, tarps, logs and mallets. Some children looked up facts about hedgehogs while others made clay hedgehogs, using pine cone scales as prickles. We gathered back at the tarp to share a song together.

Year 3 started with the chant, counting and our theme for the week, which was exploring our needs. We all have needs to both survive and thrive and we shared some of these with the children. Everyone then took a turn to share the need that they hoped to meet today at Forest School. These ranged from peace and relaxation to fun and play and creativity. After this we came back to our game of Fox and Rabbit, which we played in the previous week. Last week, the children thought of ways to make the game more fun and enjoyable for more of the group. We played the game with the children's adaptation and it worked really well. Next we focussed on a team work task. Tomorrow is Remembrance Day and to mark this day, we worked together to collect red and black leaves. We also gathered some sticks to make an outline of the poppy and then we filled it with the leaves. It took a lot of patience and collaboration to make this piece of land art. When it was finished we stood around it, closed our eyes and gave a thought to those soldiers who went to war and are still at war still to protect us. For the rest of the session, some children enjoyed working around the fire again, making candle holders out of clay, which they decorated with natural materials and added a wick. We then made the fire and used it to melt wax, which was poured into the holders. The children are very aware of how to stay safe around the fire and enjoyed sitting around it, expressing how calm they felt. Other children had a go at creating willow square based pyramids, which they will cover in wet strength tissue paper next week to make lanterns. This took a lot of patience (and masking tape!) to make the structures strong. We also had the keen den builders who continue to develop and improve their den, this week focussing on the roof and back wall. Once again, this self guided activity really helps build the children's communication and negotiation skills as they work together to create something. To conclude our session, we gathered together and thought about how our needs were met in our session.

Reception started their session with our song, counting and name game, which everyone joined in well with. Next, we played our Forest Fire game again that we introduced last week. The children enjoyed running around and chasing each other and it warmed us all up. After this, we had a go at a teamwork activity. We showed the children some images of artwork created by James Brunt. We began our creation by identifying and collecting oak leaves, then yellow Silver Birch leaves, some sticks and some red Maple leaves to make circles and a great piece of collaborative art. For the rest of the session, some children enjoyed making clay candle holders. They shaped the clay with their fingers and added natural items they found. Others made some woven woolly poppy crosses. This took a lot of concentration and patience, but some children were really successful. We also had the ever popular digging and den building. 

Have a good week.

3.11.2022

It was a challenging weather day today, but the children all really enjoyed exploring the autumnal woods and feeling the cosiness of shelter under our tarp.

Year 2 were excited to be back at Forest School for their first session of the year. They started their session under the shelter of the tarp where we taught them the makaton sign for happy. Although it is nice to be happy, we can't be happy all of the time, but if we know some of things that help us feel happy we can help ourselves when we feel a bit low. The children all shared something that made them happy with the group, who listened with kindness and respect. Contributions included being with my family, friends, playing football and being at Forest School. After this, we ventured out of the woods to play a new game called Fox and Rabbit. This game focussed on the predator-prey relationship of the two animals and involved lots of running, which warmed us all up before we sat down to listen to the story of Conker the Chameleon. The story is all about a chameleon who is sad because he can't change colour and feels different. As chameleons change colour to show how they’re feeling, he’s worried the others won’t be able to see how he feels. During the story he discovers using words is a more effective way of sharing feelings and by the end of the story, while he still can't change colour, he has changed his mindset and feels happy about who he is. The children shared their thoughts about the meanings of the story and we discussed the benefits of talking about our feelings to others, rather than displaying them through our behaviour i.e. shouting, being unkind, rude, hurting others etc. The children were keen to have free choice to explore their ideas. Some children enjoyed using the palm drills to make beads out of conkers, acorns and elder, threading them on to string. Others used wool to make woolly spiders. They carefully wrapped wool around their fingers and used their knot skills to tie it in the middle before cutting the edges to make a furry pom-pom. They had to problem solve to think about ways to attach pipe cleaner legs. We also had many keen diggers, minibeast explorers and of course den builders.

To conclude our session, we gathered back together and thought about our energy levels and whether we had a nice feeling inside our bodies from being outside.

Year 3 were also excited to be back. For their names this week, we asked them to think about their feelings in terms of colour: red for anger, green for happy, yellow for scared, blue for sad, purple for excited and orange for calm. Each child shared how they were feeling with the group and explained why. Once again lots of children recognised that they feel calm under the trees or excited about what we might do at Forest School this half term. We played the Fox and Rabbit game again, which most children really enjoyed. Some children shared that they felt frustrated that they hadn't been chosen by the other players to be a rabbit and we thought about ways we could make everyone in our community enjoy the game and have fun. Lots of ideas were shared and it was agreed that we would try them next week and see how we felt with the improvements. Year 3 also listened to the story of Conker the Chameleon. This group was more able to identify the themes of the story: We need to talk about how we feel. Year 3 were all very interested in making dreamcatchers in their free choice time. They bent willow and wrapped it around itself to create a hoop. This was then secured with wool which was thread in and out to create the pattern. It was a really tricky challenge, but the children persisted. Other children enjoyed working in teams to build dens using the ropes and tarps. To conclude our session, we gathered together and we sang In the Forest, which they enjoyed joining in with.

Reception started their session on the grass, in a circle, sharing their names with an accompanying action. Each week this is getting smoother and flows more as the children gain confidence in the group situation. 

Today's session was focussed on fire and light as there are currently many festivals celebrating these things. We introduced our game Forest Fire, where the children chose four different woodland animals and had to escape past the fire when their animal name was called. This is a fun running around game and got us warmed up before we sat and listened to Emma tell the story of Fox and Fire. This story taught us all the wonderful things fire can do but reminds us to be respectful, otherwise we could get burnt. For the rest of the session, many children were keen to use elder sticks to make rockets. The children used a palm drill to hollow out one end, into which they pushed coloured strings to make a tail. They also used a small piece of clay to weigh down the front end. The rockets flew really well through the air. Other children enjoyed exploring the paint, using sticks to flick different colours onto the cotton sheet to create an exploding firework pattern. We also had our keen diggers and shelter builders. We finished our session by gathering back together and singing our song 'I Walk Into The Forest'. It was joyous to sing together.

Have a great week.

20.10.2022

It was lovely to be back with the groups today following their half term holidays, despite the changeable weather! It really is true that we can have fun whatever the weather as long as we are wearing the right clothes and fun is what they had!

Year 1 started their session under the tarp by the Lime tree, which felt lovely and cosy. We took a moment to listen and be aware of how quiet the woods were with the absence of bird song when it rains. We noticed a strange sense of quiet and felt really peaceful. This half term the children have been focussing on expressing their emotions and learning makaton to support them with this. Today we recapped all of the makaton we have used and asked the children to share how they felt today and why. Lots of children shared that they felt calm watching the leaves falling or being under the tarp. Others said they were feeling excited about playing in the mud. As there was a little break in the rain and we all had a need for fun and to move our bodies, we played a quick game of Ostrich Tag. The children all really love chasing each other, tagging others and running through the long grass: a great opportunity to navigate uneven ground. We gathered back under the tarp to hear the story of How The Hedgehog Got His Spikes and shared our ideas about what the message of the story was. The hedgehog in the story had to look inside and think about who he truly was to be able to get his spikey coat. For the rest of the session, the children had fun returning to some of their favourite activities - one of which is building with ropes and tarps and digging for clay. Some children looked up facts about hedgehogs while others made clay hedgehogs, using horse chestnut shells to make the spiky prickles. We gathered back together at the end of the session to reflect on our achievements tis half term.

Year 5 have also been working on their feelings a lot this half term, but today we asked them to start by thinking about their needs for Forest School today. They shared a need for fun and play, creativity, peace and discovery and thought about ways this might be achieved. After this, the students got straight into guiding their own time. Lots of students showed great perseverance, returning to their hedgehog pencil holder they have been working on for a few weeks. Today they used the drill and sheath knife to shape the wood. They followed the safety rules carefully to ensure they kept themselves and others safe. Some finished by decorating them with pens, clay and seeds. Other children enjoyed using the clay to get creative, making clay hedgehogs and finally we had some students setting up Nordic Braiding in the trees with their peers. They are really able to guide their own learning and it is a pleasure to watch how they engage with each other and their environment. To conclude our session we asked the children to reflect on how well their needs they shared at the beginning were met and how.

We began the session with Reception talking about birds and introducing the children to the nest game, where they had to run around finding missing eggs and return them to the nest. This gave the children a great opportunity to move quickly over uneven ground, strengthening their core. Next, we had a go at making our own leaf nests by using our feet to move the leaves into a circle on the ground. Some children struggled with the coordination to do this activity, but persevered and enjoyed sitting in their finished nests. When we gathered back on the tarp to listen to our story, our resident robin enjoyed having a chat with our cuddly robin as we heard about how the robin got his redbreast. We learnt that you have to do the best you can with what you've got. For the rest of the session, the children had the opportunity to enjoy the bird resources and listen to their different songs. Some of the children enjoyed reading the information in the bird books and sharing their new knowledge with others. We also made bird feeders in order to invite some birds into our gardens and Forest School site. The children showed great imagination when making them, using the resources in different ways and coming out of their comfort zones when spreading the lard on their sticks or squashing it on with their hands. We taught the children how to tie the string onto their feeders using a double reef knot. Other children enjoyed exploring the clay and following pictorial instructions to make a clay owl. We ended the session with a moment of reflection and a song: Two Little Dickie Birds. We really enjoy singing as it brings the group together.

See you in two weeks time.

29.9.2022

Year 1 started their session today with our chant and then we introduced our focus feeling this week: ‘calm’. After learning the makaton sign for calm, we went around the circle and shared something that makes us feel calm. This part of the session is used to encourage and develop the group's ability to show one another understanding and value by listening respectfully to each other. Lots of children shared that being with their friends or sitting at home made them calm. It was lovely and warm in the sunshine today, so whilst we sat down on the tarp, we played a game we call mystery bag. Everyone took a turn at feeling the object in the bag and guessing what it was. It took a lot of self control not to say what we felt in the bag straight away and allow other children to take their turn. It was amazing to see what a connection some of the children have with Forest School and the objects in it. Our next activity was a sit spot. The children took a mat and a small piece of clay and found a spot by themselves. We listened to the sounds of nature around us, relaxed and created if we wanted to. During the reflection afterwards we observed how connecting with nature can help us to feel calm but can also be quite challenging as we are so used to our brains being busy and occupied..

For the rest of the session the children chose between:

• a creative craft activity: making conker soap 
• a problem solving challenge activity: nordic braiding
• exploring with the digging
• finding minibeasts
• using the hammocks

We had lots of fun and challenges, particularly the Nordic braiding which involved lots of communication and teamwork. We ended the session with a new song, Belle Mama. A beautiful calm song, of unknown origin. Singing songs together encourages the children to step out of their comfort zones and helps to build a sense of community and connection. 

Year 5 had a good energy today and enjoyed our chant. We returned to our feeling of calm again today and thought how smells can make us feel calm and happy. Everyone shared what smell made them calm and answers ranged from freshly cut grass, a cup of tea, lavender and vanilla. As with Year 1, we played our Mystery Bag game, adding in some trickier, more specific items, which some children were able to identify from their shape: an oak leaf, and from their squishy pith in the middle: an Elder stick. The children showed great self control, keeping themselves calm and quiet as the bags were passed around, ensuring not to spoil the game for others who were patiently waiting for a turn. Last week, the Year 5 children did a Sit Spot with paper and pencil. We reflected on how this felt and how easy we found it last week and thought about ways to improve our mindfulness practice. We all then took a small ball of clay and found a new sit spot this week. Many more children were able to get into a quiet place today and focus on their bodies and the clay in their hands. Some children found that the clay was like a fidget toy, helping them to focus, whilst others enjoyed the mindfulness of creating. This week, one child realised that by being 'bored' for a bit of time, he then was able to have time with his thoughts and this was helpful. 

For the rest of the session, there was a variety of exploring going on including: 

• connecting and creating with the environment: making conker soap
• mindfulness with clay and relaxing in the hammocks
• minibeast exploration

We also started a longer project where the children used a bow saw to cut a piece of hael log, then a billhook, which was used to split the wood in two. Next week, the children will whittle and drill the wood to make a hedgehog pencil holder. To conclude our session, we asked the children to return to the motto and share some of their moments that reflected the motto. We heard about lots of Knowing Me moments, where children expressed their joy and wonder at creating soap with natural materials.

Reception started the afternoon session with our song, counting and name game, with growing confidence in joining in. We all needed a bit of movement and so we played a game of Squirrels this week. The children enjoyed running around, chasing their squirrel friends and acting out eating their nuts. After the game we shared the story of The Nut Thief. A story about a young squirrel who mistakenly believed another squirrel was helping themselves to her precious pine nuts and started to think bad thoughts about her. It turned out it was actually she who had been taking the nuts. We talked about how she felt when she thought her nuts were being taken and how she felt when she realised her mistake. Storytelling supports the development of language and emotional literacy while promoting brain development and imagination. Our free choice activities this week included some seed rolling, placing the paint covered seed onto the paper and lifting it to roll down leaving a paint trail. Some children enjoyed painting the acorns and pinecones while others used them to create patterns and pictures. We also introduced a new tool: the palm drill. The children used them to drill holes in acorns and conkers and hollow out pieces of elder wood to create beads, which were then threaded onto a cord to make a necklace. It can take a lot of strength and patience to drill through a seed and it was lovely to hear the proud shouts of 'I did it!' when it was achieved and the children worked out how to do it for themselves. During our reflection at the end of the session the children learnt the sign for 'sad' in makaton and shared who they can tell when they feel sad. Lots of the children said they could talk to a friend, a parent or a teacher. 

23.09.2022

What a beautiful Autumn day! The dew on the grass highlighted all the hidden cobwebs and Forest School was covered!

There was a good energy from Year 1 this morning and this came through in their song, counting and then shouting the number of people up to the treetops of the hornbeam, willow and silver birch trees. This week our focus feeling was 'excited'. The children learnt the sign for excited in makaton and then shared something that makes them excited with the group. This part of the session is used to encourage and develop the group's ability to show one another understanding and value, by listening respectfully to one another. Contributions included, when I play with my friends and when I come to Forest School. We recapped our motto: Knowing Me, Connecting with my community and caring for our Earth. We feel that it is so important for the children to make real connections with the outdoor world and develop their knowledge and understanding of it, including recognising and knowing the names of different trees. To continue supporting this knowledge acquisition we played a new game called Twig In Your Wig. This involved one child wearing a wig/crown of willow with a twig from another tree tucked in. They then had to ask a series of Yes/No questions to be able to identify the unknown tree branch. Lots of children were keen to have a go and it really tested their ability to ask these types of problem solving questions, as well as supporting those answering to observe the leaves carefully to provide accurate feedback to the questions. After the game, we sat down and shared the book Conker the Chameleon. This is a great book that  has several themes, which we asked them to identify at the end. They were able to pick up the message that Conker was different to the other chameleons and it is good to be different. A message that they also spotted was that we should not think about how someone is feeling by guessing what they look like, instead we should use our words and communicate how we feel with one another whether this is a comfortable or uncomfortable feeling. We thought of different scenarios where we might tell someone our feelings and practiced trying out some different ways of starting our feelings sentences...I feel frustrated when...I feel scared when...

For the rest of the session, the children chose between:

•  a calm, connecting activity: wet felting acorns
• a creative craft activity: tie dying material
• relaxing in the hammocks
• exploring with digging

We all had lots of fun.

Year 5 started their session with our chant and this week's focus feeling: calm. We each took it in turns to share something that makes us feel calm, with responses including listening to the waves or moving water, hearing the birds and sitting in the sunshine. We played our Twig in the Wig game, with the wig wearer asking yes or no questions to identify the type of tree the twig in their wig came from. Next, we introduced the children to our permission to feel cards and asked them to identify how they were feeling:

Yellow: a high energy, high pleasantness feeling

Green: a low energy, high pleasantness feeling

Blue: a low energy, low pleasantness feeling

Red: a high energy, low pleasantness feeling

We talked about using focussed breathing to relax our bodies and invited them to find a sit spot in the grass to practice this for five minutes. Some children were able to focus on their breathing, whilst others felt a bit self conscious. When we returned to the group, we thought about how our feelings and energy levels had changed. For the rest of the session, the children chose to spend their time in different ways. A group chose to sit together and learnt how to wet felt acorns. This was a very calming activity, where we all had a good chat about self confidence and perfection. Lots of the children wanted their acorn to be perfect, but came to realise that nature is not perfect. All the acorns are unique and have their differences, just like ours. Other children took a piece of clay and found a spot to be calm and create; for some children this was sitting under the trees in the hammock. We also had a group who have been inventing their own tribe game, which they have been developing over the last few weeks. To conclude our session, we put out some word cards showing some of our human needs and asked the children to choose a need that they had met in the session today. Lots of children had a need for fun and play, others needed creativity, peace and freedom which they felt was met today.

Reception children are really settling into the rules and routines of Forest School. We started with our song and counted all the members of the group. Applying our maths skills outside in Forest School is another opportunity to practice and the children were keen to join in, pointing as we counted. We took turns to share our names with an action. We introduced the children to part of our motto: Caring for our Earth and explained that this involves learning about our world around us. We showed the children some leaves from the Willow tree, the Oak tree and the Hornbeam tree one at a time, making our bodies like the shape of the leaves and using words to describe them. The children were great at using their observation skills and already are developing a great knowledge of the site. They were able to work together as a team to locate the different trees, excitedly calling, "Found it!" when they did. Next, we gathered together, sitting on the grass, to listen to the story Leaf Man. This story shows Leaf Man's travels and the children enjoyed guessing what different animals and objects were created by the leaves. For the rest of the session, the children had the opportunity to explore the site. Many chose to make potions in the mud kitchen area, pouring, mixing and making different culinary delights, developing their imaginary play and social skills. Others explored the different shape leaves, using the glue to stick them down to create different pictures, just like in our book. We also had our hammocks out for the first time. The children learnt how to get in and out of a hammock safely and felt happy relaxing in them, feeling the comfort of the material hugging their bodies. At the end of our session, we gathered back together and recapped our makaton sign for happy. Trees can bring us lots of happiness and so we learnt a fun song called 'The Trees in the Woods', which we enjoyed singing together.

15.09.2022

This week our Year 1 group started their session with our welcome song and counting. Each week we take a deep breath and shout the total number of people to different trees around us on the site. This is another way to release some of our energy, find our confident voices, whilst also having a regular connection with the names of the different trees on site. The more we learn about our environment and build a connection with it, the more we will want to be custodians of it in the future. As we shared our names this week, we also asked the children to share something that makes them sad. Although we would love for everybody to be happy all of the time, it is also important to recognise that more difficult emotions are perfectly normal as well, The children confidently shared the different things that make them feel sad and listened to one another with kindness and understanding. A common response was that they felt sad when their siblings hurt them or their friends left them out; ideas that many of us could relate too. We recapped our motto: Knowing me. Connecting with my community. Caring for our Earth. Each week we hope to encourage the children to think about how the activities in the session, and what they choose to do, link back to this motto and its meaning. We chose to support the children in developing their knot skills. Knots can be a challenge, but they open up so many possibilities for exploring and creating when we get the hang of them, whilst supporting fine motor skills. This week each child used a rope to tie a reef knot around their leg and an overhand knot - two useful knots that they then were able to put to use in some of the activities. In our free part of the session today, some children used palm drills to make elder beads and drill acorns and their cups. These were then threaded on cord and those knot skills were put to work to create necklaces and bracelets. We also had the fire going today, which the children helped build. The group used it to melt wax, promoting lots of discussion on states of matter. The wax was then used for preserving the leaves by dipping them in the wax. The children needed to manage risks around the fire, taking it in turns to dip their leaves and then they tied them on to a string to make leaf bunting. Tying knots provides opportunities for developing many skills including dexterity, hand eye coordination, focus, problem solving and perseverance. We gathered back at the tarp and some children shared their 'knowing me', 'connecting' and 'caring' moments with the rest of the group. We finished with a song to bring our community together called In The Forest. The children enjoyed joining in with the funny moves, sounds and actions.

Year 5 started their session with our chant and counting. This week we focussed on the feeling 'sad' and thought about other synonyms for it. The children thought carefully about the most appropriate word for their 'sad' feeling and shared their response with the group. We recapped our motto: Knowing me. Connecting with my community. Caring for our Earth and recognizing that by sharing our emotions with others we are making connections as well as understanding ourselves more. Before our game today, we worked on developing the children's knot skills. This week each child used a rope to tie a reef knot, firstly around their leg and then developing this skill even more by using the reef knot to tie their rope to the ropes of those either side of them. We recognise that our learning language is so important in building confidence and self esteem. Many of us can fall into the trap of saying to ourselves, 'I'm no good at this,' or 'I'm rubbish at this,' but this does not help us in getting to a point of believing in our own abilities. We encourage the children to express how they are feeling rather than to say something negative about their ability e.g. 'I'm feeling frustrated because I'm finding this tricky.' Once they are able to express their emotions, they are open to receive support and the look of pride when they recognise they have achieved something challenging is a moment to savour. Our knot skills were then put to the test in our game The Longest Line. This game focussed on the children's problem solving and teamwork skills as well as providing an opportunity for some knot work. The children were split into two teams and had to work together to stretch out to the longest line possible. They worked out that by taking off their coats and jumpers, tying them together and holding them between people it made the line longer. Great communication and collaboration was shown as well as it being lots of fun. Many children enjoyed using palm drills to make elder beads and drill acorns and their cups to thread on to cord to make necklaces and bracelets. Doing something creative like this, can be a peaceful, mindful activity, allowing the children to relax. We also had the fire going today, which the children helped build and used it to make plantain balm. The plantain had to steep in coconut oil over the fire to release its chemicals and then it was mixed with beeswax. The children enjoyed being involved in the process and making this healing balm which is good for bumps and bruises. We gathered back together and learnt a new song called In The Forest. Singing is a great way to bring us all together with a shared focus.

Reception sang our welcome song and counted everyone. The children then shared their names with an action, which the rest of us copied. We were so proud to see how many of the children are already confidently joining in with this routine. Part of the Forest School principles involves the children experiencing risky play, where they think about and learn to manage the risks for themselves. Today the children were asked to find a stick and bring it back to the group. Lots of the children were already able to demonstrate an awareness of how to move around with a long stick by dragging it behind them or by holding it with their hands on the pointed ends. This is something we will continue to work on throughout the year. We thought about how to compare the lengths of the sticks by putting them next to each other to work out the longest and shortest stick, practicing using our comparative language. Our free exploration part of our session provided opportunities for the children to continue becoming familiar and confident at moving around the site. Lots of children were keen to explore clay again this week. They manipulated the clay in their hands and added it on to the end of sticks to make stick people. Like last week, the children enjoyed looking around for natural materials to add to the clay to create facial features. Naming leaves and seeds in our environment helps the children to make a connection to their world and a love for what's around them. Other children enjoyed exploring the shape and patterns of the leaves, by dipping them in paint and using them to print on to paper. They really enjoy the sensory experience of the paint and messy play. Following their interests in messy play, we also put out a potion area today. The children mixed seeds, grass, mud and leaves together to create different soups and potions. We finished our session recapping our makaton sign for 'happy' and thought about times we felt happy at Forest School today. The children were invited to share what they felt happy doing today. Lots of them enjoyed squashing clay and painting.

8.9.2022

Year 1 were excited to be back at Forest School after the summer break and see the changes. As part of our Forest School experience we support the children in developing their emotional literacy, communicating our thoughts and feelings to one another to express ourselves and resolve challenges we face. Today we started with introducing ourselves and sharing something that makes us 'happy'. Many children shared that being with their friends makes them happy. We also enjoy sharing stories under our tarp, which was definitely needed with the rain today. These stories encourage the children to learn about their Earth and how to connect with their community. Our story today, called The Dirty Earth, told the tale of a Raj who did not like to wash and when he finally did, did not like getting his feet dirty on the Earth. He instructed his servant to clean the Earth, but did not think of the consequences. The Year 1 children were not worried about the dirt today and were keen to dig for treasure, they also enjoyed mixing the mud and berries with egg yolk and water to make a paint and some children explored the art of creating mud balls or 'doradango'. They really enjoyed this type of sensory, messy play and those creating the mud balls enjoyed the relaxing, mindful nature of this activity. We encourage the children to take mindful moments, connecting and understanding themselves and their mental health. To finish our session today, we did an autumn imaginary guided breathing activity. The children tried hard to close their eyes and focus on deep, slow breaths which helped us relax our minds after a busy session.

Year 5 had not been to Forest School since the winter months and were surprised to see how many leaves were on the trees in the wooded area, making it shady. We sat under the tarp on the lime tree to welcome everyone with our chant and thought about the emotion, 'Happy'. The children understood that there are lots of different strengths of happiness and other synonyms of happiness might express whether it is a high energy or low energy feeling. All of the children shared their words to describe how they were feeling and this helped us to identify their energy levels of the group. We also shared our motto, which we will be working towards this year: Knowing Me, Connecting with my Community and Caring for our Earth. Year 5's also listened to the story of The Dirty Earth and we thought about how they have changed over the years we have worked with them. Many of them really enjoy the sensation and freedom of getting dirty now. They were keen to explore independently, with some children organising their own tribes and working together to build and protect a den, decorating their faces with mud. Others enjoyed exploring creating their own paint from natural materials ground up in the pestle and mortar and made sticky with an egg binder. Finally we had a group who got stuck in with the mud to create dorodango balls: a Japanese art of polishing mud balls. We finished our session thinking about whether we had any 'Knowing Me' moments. Some children shared how much fun they had in different roles in the groups and others said how calming it was rolling mud.

It was great to reconnect with the new Reception children we met last summer. They were great at remembering the Hello Forest School song, which we will sing every week at the start of our session. We counted the number of children we had, supporting their maths skills and used big voices to shout this number to the treetops. The children took it in turns to introduce themselves to the group by their name, a part of the session that will develop the children's confidence and creativity as the weeks go on. Forest School encourages the children to take managed risks. They play with tools and sticks amongst the trees. To support the children in managing these risks we have a few rules which the children remembered today: No pick, no lick. Be careful how you carry a stick. During the session, the children get the chance to follow their interests. Today lots of children enjoyed digging in the mud. This type of play supports their imagination and social skills as they work together. Some children also enjoyed mixing the soil with water to create sticky mud which they painted on to the trees and others squashed clay onto the trees and decorated them with leaves, seeds and fruits to create faces. They really enjoyed these sensory experiences. Finally some chose to take a Forest Friend and think of ways to make them happy.

Our Forest School sessions aim to support the children in developing their emotional literacy. Today we learnt the makaton sign for 'Happy'. We thought about how we could make the Forest Friends happy and then shared the song, 'If You're Happy and You Know It' using our new sign. We enjoy singing songs at Forest School to bring our community together.

2021/2022

7.7.2022

And so we have come to the end of the year! It was great to celebrate wit the different groups today.

Reception started their session with a discussion about all of the seasons that we have experienced this year. They shared their names and their answer to our question: What is your favourite season? Next, we thought about our favourite place in forest school. The children were given a piece of card and a pencil and sat in their favourite place for a period of time drawing their view. They were very keen to share their pictures afterwards with each other and are clearly really fond of the forest school site. After this, the children had the opportunity to use the bow saw again to cut a wood cookie, which they then drilled to make a Forest School medal. Many children were so proud of their ability to tie knots now in order to make their medal. They have made such huge learning steps over the year and it has been lonely to celebrate this and for them to recognise this in themselves. They also enjoyed making forest school bandanas using the hapazone technique and getting some camouflage face paint. We finished with a song: Boom Chicka Boom.

Nursery started their session again with their song, counting and names. They are really building confidence almost everyone joins in now. Today they went on a pirate adventure and started off with a game on our pirate ship, built out of logs. We all climbed aboard and had to perform different pirate actions as they were called out, such as climb the rigging, captain's coming and scrub the decks. It was lots of fun and got us all moving about. For the rest of the session, the children had different things to choose from. Some chose to make pirate flags by drawing on some material and using pipe cleaners to attach it to a stick. They were very good at manipulating the pipe cleaners independently and were very proud of their achievements. Some children also enjoyed making eye patches by threading elastic through the holes on either side of the patch and then tying the ends with a knot.  They also decorated them with natural materials such as grass seeds and clover flowers. We finished with a song: If you want to be a pirate, sung to the tune of If you are happy and you know it.

Year 3 started their session with a question: what is your special treasure? It was lovely to hear of all the important things that the children have that are special to them and they were also keen to share the reasons they are special. Next, we thought of words that summed up what the forest school experience was for us. We then used natural materials to make the words on the ground and decorate them. This was a lovely mindful activity and it was interesting to hear the different reasons the words were chosen. Words included: calm, nature and fun. For the rest of the session, the children chose to have a go at using a pyrography tool to decorate wood cookies with their names and patterns. This was incredibly tricky but they persevered. Others used the peelers to whittle hazel sticks to create pendants as a memory for their time in Forest School this year.  We finished by sharing our takeaways from the sessions this year. Many children shared how they have really felt a nature connection this year and enjoy being outside and being calm.

It has been an absolute pleasure to work with the children and staff of Kerem again this year and we look forward to more Forest School adventures next year. 

Have a great summer!

30.6.2022

We were back in the open grass area today, having been hiding in the woods for the last few weeks from the sun and the rain and the children loved exploring in the long grass.

Reception started their session with the children sharing their name and their favourite colour and then we returned to our pirate skills. This week we practiced our throwing strength, by all lining up and throwing pine cones as far as we could, shouting, "Ready, aim, fire!" The children really enjoyed trying to beat their previous throw and each other. After this, we sat back at the tarp and listened to the story Pirates of the Scurvy Sands. The children listened well and then used this as an inspiration for our play. Some children used the peelers to whittle willow sticks, then decorating them with wool, pipe cleaners and leaves to create mermaids and pirates. They were incredibly focussed using the peelers really safely to remove all of the bark so they were ready to draw on. Other children enjoyed climbing in the trees, carefully working out where best to step and helping each other to manage in the different trees they attempted. We also encouraged children to get creative and see if they could build a boat for some Lego people and float it on the water. We finished the session with our song The Princess Pat, which has become a bit of a favourite song!

Nursery are becoming more confident each week with the rules and routines and most shared their name with an action for us to copy today. After this, we went on a wander through the woods to collect sticks and used them to make nests with a partner. Once our nests were ready, we played a game, which involved one of the children protecting the nest, whilst their partner ran to the bird feeder to collect a piece of food to bring back to their nest. The children enjoyed running as fast as they could and then carefully counted their food at the end of the game. One pair managed to collect a record twelve pieces of food! For the rest of the session, we carried on with our bird theme. Some children enjoyed getting messy and using vegetable fat to cover pine cones, before dunking them in bird seed to make bird feeders. The children used string and learnt how to tie a knot around their pine cone so that it could be hung up in a tree for the birds. They also enjoyed playing with the cuddly birds, listening to their bird songs and making nests for them. We finished the session with the finger rhyme Two Little Dickie Birds.

Year 3 started their session with our question: what is your special treasure? The children enjoyed sharing things that were important to them and some of the stories associated with them. After this, we played an observation game where the children worked in partners, one being the observer and one being the maker. The observer had to look at a picture made with natural materials and then relay this to their partner, who attempted to make it from the description they were given. It was incredibly tricky for the observer not to get involved in making at first, but when they really focussed in on using prepositional language they were really successful. Next, we recapped the clove hitch knot that was taught last week. Lots of children remembered this and then we moved on to teaching square lashing. These knots and lashings are quite tricky and they showed so much persistence and motivation. For the rest of the session, some children used their knots and lashings to build rafts and swings. Others opted to challenge themselves to make willow twisted staffs. It took a lot of finger strength to bend, move and hold the willow in place as they weaved. They are keen to come back to this next week. Children also enjoyed using willow for their own crafts. What a creative bunch! We concluded the session sharing how we felt in the session. The children are using a much wider vocabulary to explain their emotions now.

24.06.2022

The weather was quite changeable yesterday and instead of seeking shade from the sun, we were seeking shelter from the unexpected rain! It didn't dampen anybody's spirits though and we all had a great time.

Reception started their session with a recap on the ways to be a pirate, learned from our story last week. Lots of children remembered things from the story and were happy to share. To start our session, we thought about being sneaky. We split into groups with a Captain guarding a tree. The others in the group had to sneak to touch the tree without being heard and pointed at. They really enjoyed this game. Especially shouting a pirate Arrrrrggghhh, when they touched the tree. For the rest of the session, there were a lot of different pirate adventures going on. Some children enjoyed exploring charcoal and using it to make their own treasure maps. They practiced their knotting skills in order to tie their maps in a scroll. They also had a go at using the bow saw to cut wood slices and decorate them to be Pirate Doubloons. They used the hand drills to drill a hole in them, threading string through and once again putting their knotting skills to work.

To conclude our session, we gathered together to have another round of Princess Pat that they learned last week. They really enjoyed doing the actions and singing loudly!

Nursery joined us under the shelter of the Lime tree where we started with our song, counting and name game. More children were confident to share their names and actions again this week as they become familiar with the rules and routines. This week we began with sharing some Who Am I? riddles about three different minibeasts: the ant, the ladybird and the bee. The children enjoyed using the clues and the pictures to guess the creature and then we learnt a song: the ant, the bug and the bee. We found out that they all have 6 legs and are all insects. For the rest of the session, the children had the opportunity to hunt for creatures using the different equipment, which they enjoyed. They also put their fine motor skills to work, shaping the cold, wet clay into different minibeasts, adding stick legs and leaf wings as needed. Another exciting new introduction today was the bow saw. The children really enjoyed using it to cut wood slices, which they then decorated and made into ladybirds and other creatures. They carefully counted the number of spots and we found out that not all ladybirds are red with black spots. Some are orange or yellow and some even have white spots. We finished our session with one final round of the ant, the bug and the bee song.

Year 3 came back to the feeling cards, developing their emotional literacy. All children chose a card that represented how they were feeling in the present moment. They are becoming more and more confident at expanding on the reasons for feeling the way they do and understanding that their feelings are all valid. We decided to do a different sort of mindfulness activity this week. The children were keen to do another scavenger hunt, so they were encouraged to find the items on their list quietly as they wandered on their own. As the items were not specific, e.g. something fuzzy, they had to use their initiative and trust that their opinion of what was fuzzy or beautiful was valid. We encouraged them not to seek approval or validation from an adult and have confidence in their choices. We came back and shared some of our findings and it was great to see how differently we can experience our environment. Next, we sat in the shade of the Lime tree and learned the clove hitch knot. The children were incredibly motivated and persistent with this quite tricky knot. The joy on their faces when they achieved it was wonderful to see. They also had a go at supporting each other. Having learnt the knot, many children chose to use it in the rest of the session. Some children used it to make bows and arrows, whilst others used it to put up log swings in the woods. There was a real sense of purpose and pride in themselves. We concluded the session with a reflection on what we had learned about ourselves. 

16.6.2022

We set up camp under the trees in the woodland area today to keep everyone cool and it was delightful!

Year 3 started their session with our question: what is your favourite smell? They enjoyed listening to each other’s responses and there was a great variety. After this, we had a chat about mindfulness and why it is so important. We each took a mat, pencil and paper and found a ‘sit spot’ - somewhere on our own where we could focus on the moment and tune into our senses. Some children chose to draw what they could hear or see, whilst others enjoyed just being still and doing nothing. The children reported that they felt calm and peaceful. The children were keen to hear another story, so we shared The Magic Ring, a tale of a quest for a magic ring that once was owned by a magical lady of the woods who kept the world in balance. For the rest of the session, many children enjoyed going on a hunt for the ring, listening out for its hum and its glittery colours. Others used their timber hitch knot to put up a hammock to relax in. We also had some keen crafters who made corn dollies with ears of wheat. These took a lot of patience and concentration but looked great when they were finished. To conclude our session we came back to our feeling cards and shared how we were feeling and why.

We started Nursery's session with our song, counting and our name game. This week, some children moved on to sharing an action with their name for us to copy. We recapped the rules of Forest School and then practiced our 1,2,3 game again. The children remembered to stay inside the red flags and were very quick at coming back when called. For the rest of the session, the children explored in different ways. Some children enjoyed creating beads by hollowing out pieces of Elder using a palm drill and threading them on pipe cleaners. This took strength and persistence and they were really proud when they managed it. Other children used sticks and other natural materials to make their own nature paint brushes, attaching the brush pieces to their sticks with a pipe cleaner. They enjoyed dipping their brushes in paint and creating a group picture with different marks and shapes. There were also keen builders who used the mallets and sticks to create homes for the forest friends. We finished our session with our Grey Squirrel song. The children sang loudly and enjoyed following the actions.

Today, Reception got into pirate mode. We started by thinking about the natural treasures around us, had a wander and brought back our treasures to share with each other. This was a great opportunity for the children to work on their descriptive language, with some sharing that their leaf was a treasure because it was soft and smooth or colourful. Next, we listened to the book How To Be A Pirate. The children joined in with the book in their best pirate voices as we learned all about what pirates do. We dragged large logs out into the grassy area to build a pirate ship. Once it was complete we boarded our ship and played a game of 'Captain's orders'. The children had great fun 'scrubbing the deck' and 'climbing the rigging' and 'saluting' to the Captain. Once we finished our game, Emma noticed something in the bushes. We went over to look and it turned out to be a treasure map of Forest School. We worked out where we needed to start by identifying landmarks on the map and finding them at Forest School. We then followed the map all the way to the buried treasure, which we were really excited to open. For the rest of the session, some children made pirate flags with skull and crossbones, attaching their flags to a stick with pipe cleaners. Others enjoyed making eye patches. They took time learning how to thread and tie elastic onto their eyepatch, focusing on their fine motor skills and independence. They enjoyed decorating them with natural treasures. We also had clay out today. The children shaped it into a skull and crossbones and put it on a stick to scare off enemy pirates. Although many children asked for help and said they couldn't do it, once they had a go and put their mind to it, they were amazed at how much they could do by themselves and were excited by what they had made. We finished the session with a song called Princess Pat, who sailed the seven seas. We all enjoyed singing it with the actions.

9.6.2022

The year is flying by and here we are in our last half term!

Today’s session with Reception was all about bees.  We thought about why some people are afraid of bees and discussed why. Sometimes we are afraid of things we don’t know much about. Did you know that only the female honey bees sting and males are harmless? We shared some pictures of the different types of bees that can be found in the UK and compared their colours and patterns. The children then went on a hunt through the woods to find pictures of the different bees and match them to the images and base camp. The children were very knowledgeable about the jobs of bees and so we decided to find out how hard they worked to collect nectar. The children ran around with pipettes collecting ‘nectar’ from our pretend flowers and bringing it back to the hive. It was tiring work. We even did waggle dances to show where the source of nectar was. For the rest of the session, some children made bees out of alder cones and pine cones, wrapping pipe cleaners and yellow wool around them. Others thought about another pollinator, the butterfly, and made hapazone butterflies using the mallets. Our keen minibeast explorers also enjoyed playing with the Forest friends and catching different creatures in the sweep nets. We concluded our session with a lovely song about the bees and learnt how to sign:Thank You bee!

It was Nursery's first trip to Forest school today and so we spent some time learning the rules and routines and boundaries of the site. We played 1,2,3 where are you, helping the children find their voice and confidence exploring the space. The rest of the session was spent making bees with pine cones and pipe cleaners. Lots of the children initially asked for an adult to make it for them, but found that with some guidance they were able to make it for themselves and felt really proud. Other children enjoyed using the mallets to hit leaves on material, a process called hapazone to make beautiful patterns. We also had some keen minibeast hunters who enjoyed using the sweep nets. To finish the session we sang our bee song together and learnt how to sign thank you bee.

Year 3 started their session thinking about their feelings. We asked them to look at a selection of feelings cards and select the one that fit with how they were feeling in that moment. They were great at explaining their feelings to the rest of the group. Next ,we thought about our different senses and our awareness of our surroundings. The children were put in teams and given a blindfold which the first person put on. The rest of their team had to use their words to guide their team member to an object which they had to pick up and return. This was quite tricky as they had to tune in to the right voices and use directional language. After this we went into the woods to teach the children some useful den building knots including the timber hitch and truckers hitch. The children tried really hard to tie the different knots and were very proud when they managed them. They got into teams and used these to build different types of dens. It was great to see how much they have moved on from the simple ridgeline tent they put up in previous years, to working out different ways to make the dens hang higher and have more space under them. We finished our session coming back to our feelings cards. A few of the children who had had a tired and uncomfortable feeling at the start of the session had moved to a more comfortable, higher energy feeling and lots also shared that they were very proud of their achievements.

26.5.2022

Reception started their session with a game of Beetle Tag. The children all enjoyed running around chasing and tagging each other’s arms and legs, which they then had to put out of the way and hop or eventually lie on their back until someone freed them by touching their forehead. Next, we showed the children a plastic model of a minibeast and asked the children to tell us what they thought it might be. Some children thought it might be a spider or an ant. We counted the legs together and realised it had 6 legs so could not be a spider. To find out what the mystery creature was, we went looking for 4 hidden life cycle cards. We found pictures of eggs, larvae, pupa and an adult ladybird and realised the creature was a model of a ladybird larvae. We compared the lifecycle to one that we know of a butterfly and then went on a hunt around the site to find them in real life. We were very excited to find a real ladybird larvae on the willow tree. For the rest of the session, some children continued to explore and look for invertebrates. Some children chose to use old plastic bottles and reuse them to make minibeast hotels. We threaded a string through holes in the bottle and tied a knot in our string. They then filled their bottle with bark, sticks and dead leaves, leaving spaces for a variety of invertebrates to make their home inside. Some children also enjoyed making bees out of pipe cleaners, alder cones and yellow wool. 

Year 2 and 3 started their sessions with a game of Secret Stone, which they had requested to play. This provided lots of fun as the children discussed and put into practice a variety of different strategies and tactics. After this, we gave the children another fire lighting experience. We recapped the safety rules and the fire triangle, which most of the children remembered. Next, they had a go at striking the fire steels to make a spark. Although some children found it a bit tricky, all managed to produce sparks and some of the year 3s were able to increase the size of their sparks compared to the last time they had a go. For the rest of the session, children enjoyed hunting for mini-beasts, building dens, using the clay and doing jubilee weaving on cross sticks. This took lots of patience and concentration and they were all pleased with their creations. We also all enjoyed a toasted marshmallow on the fire to celebrate the end of half term.

Have a good half-term break.

19.5.2022

We had a great day in the sunshine with the different groups.

We started our session with Reception with our song, counting and name game, followed by a mindfulness moment imagining a fire. We closed our eyes and as we took slow mindful breaths, we thought about the colours, smell and sound of the fire. Next, we played our Forest Fire game. Each child pretended to be one of four woodland animals. When their animal was called, they moved as quickly and as quietly as they could to escape the fire and reach the safety of the other side. After this, we discussed the fire triangle and what a fire needs. We also thought through ways to stay safe around the fire. We learnt the position to sit in: the  respect position and how to use a fire steel. It was really tricky and took lots of hand strength and resilience. Lots of children kept going and made bigger and bigger sparksFor the rest of the session, some children enjoyed learning to tie a clove hitch knot and using it to make a bow and arrow. Even when it was made, the learning continued as the children had to choose a good stick as an arrow and learn to fire it from the bow. We had to think about how to keep our friends safe as we did it. Children also enjoyed exploring using the sweep nets, finding a variety of minibeasts in the long grass. It is amazing to see how much more wildlife can thrive when the grass is left to grow. We also all had a chance to cook a marshmallow around the fire. To conclude our session we thought about what our favourite things are about fire.

Today's session with Y2 was all about bees and pollinators. Our first game of the session involved the children learning about some of the different species of bees that we have in England. We found out that not all bees sting and some make their homes underground in the soil. We then explored the site to hunt for pictures of different bees and bring them back to match with those at the base camp. We had to look closely to tell the differences between the different bee species. Our next activity involved all the children becoming bees and using pipettes to collect 'nectar' from various flowers around the site. Children performed a waggle dance to each other to show their fellow bees where to find the flowers with nectar and they enjoyed working together to bring the nectar back to their hive. For the rest of the session, some children really enjoyed exploring the area for minibeasts using the sweep nets in the long grass. They were excited to find a variety of spiders and beetles, which they tried to identify with the ID guides. Some children also got creative making fairy/butterfly wings out of willow and enjoyed flying around the site with them. Our keen diggers used the mud for other purposes this week, learning the art of Dorodango, a Japanese art form that involves making polished mud balls. It was great fun sieving the earth before adding water to make a dough which was then formed into balls. It felt relaxing sitting in the sun, rolling the mud balls in our hands. To finish the session, we shared an interesting thing that we found out.

Year 3 started their session with our chant, counting and name game followed by a mindful moment where we took time to breathe mindfully and Carrie took us through a relaxing, imaginative story. The children have really enjoyed teamwork games and so this week we set them the plank challenge game. Each team had to stand on ski planks (one foot on each) and work out how to move together to go from a start to a finish line. The teams were very motivated and persevered, even when they found it difficult if they got behind other teams. They kept going to complete the challenge. Next, they also enjoyed the bee game, where they collected 'nectar'; from around the site with pipettes before bringing it back to the hive. In our free exploring time, the children really enjoyed using the sweep nets. Every creature that they found together, they brought back to the tarp and were keen to ID and name it. Other children enjoyed having a go at creating dens in the woods using the ropes and tarps, enjoying the cooling shade of the trees. We concluded with something interesting that we discovered today.

12.05.2022

Reception

Reception started their session with our song, counting and our name game, which the majority of children confidently joined in with. After a quick recap of our rules, we went on a hunt for spiders around the site. We looked for spider webs amongst the long grass and trees and we learned how to do a tree shake by laying a sheet under the branches of a tree and giving it a good shake. When the creatures fall out, they are easy to spot on the sheet. We were amazed to see how many different minibeasts were hiding there including spiders, caterpillars and ladybirds. After this, we gathered back on the tarp to listen to the story, Arghhhh Spider. We talked about why some people are scared of spiders and thought about whether we need to be scared of them. For the rest of the session, some children chose to explore spiders more. We looked at cartoon pictures of spiders and compared them to correctly drawn diagrams of spiders, which showed they have three body parts: a head, an abdomen and a thorax. The children used clay to create anatomically correct spider models and used pipe cleaners as legs, ensuring they had eight. Other children made thaumatropes using the bow saw to cut a wood slice, drilling it and attaching rubber bands to either side to make it spin. They were amazed to see that if they drew a spider on one side and a web on the other, when they span it, it looked as if the spider was on the web. They really enjoyed making something they could play with. To conclude our session, we talked about what we had learned about spiders and thought about whether we need to be frightened of them. By the end of the session, lots of children decided they were not really afraid and were going to encourage their adults not to be afraid either.

Year 2 started their session with our chant, counting and name game. Next, we sent the children on a grass hunt. The grass in the Forest School area has been left uncut and we are starting to see the grass flowers and seeds. We shared with the children that as well as there being many types of trees, there are also many different types of grass. Usually we don't notice, but when they have their flowers, we can tell them apart. We searched the site to see how many different types of grass we could find. Meadow Foxtail was the most common, but we realised that when we took our time and observed more closely, there were patches of other varieties. We gathered back together on the tarp to listen to Emma tell the story of The Boy and the Nettle, which taught us to be bold, have courage and be brave in order to get what we need when we feel worried or scared. For the remainder of the session, some children chose to use the trowels for digging, hunting for treasures. Other children enjoyed using the willow to make crowns to celebrate Beltane (an old, traditional seasonal festival) and the Goddess Flora which they decorated with flowers and ribbons. The children had to work out how to secure the different natural materials. Also on the theme of Beltane, some children chose to use the clay to make green men on trees, which they decorated with different natural materials. We concluded the session with an opportunity to share something that we felt grateful for in that moment.

Year 3s session started with our chant, counting and name game, before the opportunity to share a favourite sound with the group. We really enjoy hearing these contributions and getting to know more about the group. Next, we played a game we call Bird's Nest. This involved the children working in pairs to build nests in safe places around the site near a 'food source'. They had to take it in turns to collect some 'food' from the food source without getting caught by two predatory birds. The first round of the game led to many discussions around the idea of fairness and fun. We realised that although it may be fun for one person to take lots of bits of food at once rather than one at a time, it makes the game not fun for others. We need to be honest and mutually agree on the rules of a game for it to be fun for everyone. We played the game a second time adding in a corvid (a type of bird) that was able to steal the food from the nests. We all enjoyed the game much more the second time with the added challenge. The children were great at working out tactics to make them more successful. For the rest of the session, the children chose to use willow for crowns and some had a go at using a jig to help them weave a willow bird feeder. This was incredibly tricky, but the resilience and patience of the children that had a go, meant that they were really successful and achieved something they were really proud of. Other children enjoyed going into the woods and digging and making shelters. It was lovely to see them embracing their forest school experience.

We concluded the session sharing something we were grateful for and everyone was able to join in.

29.04.2022

Reception

Our focus in Reception was worms. We read the story Yucky Worms by Vivian French, which talks about the benefit of worms, their structure and their needs. We then looked for evidence of worms around the site and some children dug for worms and found a lot of them in the woods. We had looked at the worm life cycle and the children decided that they had mostly found juveniles and one adult worm. Their search involved lots of discussion about likely places to find worms and how we might tell if the soil is damp. They found ways of putting water on the soil to encourage the worms to come up to the surface, which led to exploring with digging for clay and mixing mud. During free play, the children enjoyed tree climbing and discussed the skills of climbing safely. One group of children set up a game of hide and seek where we noticed their collaborative and leadership skills developing. Another group enjoyed creating worms and bracelets with Elder pieces. We taught a few how to use the secateurs safely so they were able to cut up pieces of Elder themselves. There were some lovely long worms made with clay. At the end we asked the children what they had learned about the worms and were impressed with what they had picked up. They knew that worms breathe through their skin, that they hide when they feel vibrations through the ground and have 10 hearts but no eyes.

Year 2

Our focus this week was trees. The children have been learning about flowers-parts in class, so we showed them different tree flowers. We explained that some trees are both male and female, like the Horse Chestnut, whilst others, like the Willow, are male or female. We told them the story of the Hawthorn tree and the leprechaun. The leprechaun had to tell a man where his pot of gold was, but of course, didn’t really want to. He wasn’t allowed to break his promise, so he found an ingenious way to solve his problem. We then played a Kim’s game where the children had to find 5 leaves from different trees. This helps focus their attention and to notice small differences, whilst developing an awareness of our local trees. During the free play, den building was the favourite thing. One group used large sticks to make a debris den and the other group used rope and planned to put a tarp over it. The results were excellent, but their negotiations were where most of the learning took place. There was much discussion, collaboration and problem solving around creating the structure, safety and transporting materials. Other children explored digging for clay and mixing mud, one pair made a ‘poison potion’. Other children chose to use the clay to make some lovely creations including a hedgehog and a ‘Scottish parrot’. Some wanted to cut up sticks to add to their creations, so we taught them how to use the secateurs safely.

Year 3

This was the first time Year 3 had been to Forest School in a while, so we began by reminding them of the rules of Forest School: the boundaries, how to move with sticks and tools safely, to only pick things that are abundant and the rules around tree climbing. The theme of this session was birds. We played ‘Bird Bingo’ where the children had to work in small teams to find six bird pictures from around the site. We discussed the team skills needed for the game to succeed: working together, listening to each other, involving all the team members and contributing equally. We had a little look at a range of bird nests, demonstrating that nests are not simply a bowl-shaped object built with sticks, up in a tree. Nests come in all different shapes and sizes: some birds live in tree holes or in nests on the ground and that they sometimes use their saliva and soil to build them. We then gave the children a series of activities: 

·using a bird-hide and binoculars to watch birds,

·exploring with our soft toy birds, which make the bird song, and try to identify them using books  

·making nests from clay

·making bird feeders using apple, raisins and cheese

·the usual free play resources such as ropes, tarps, mallets, trowels and the mud kitchen.

We were really impressed with Year three’s creativity and collaborative skills. One group made a swing which developed into a ‘bird feeding swing’, where they designed beautiful ‘nest/feeders’ which were decorated with the tree flowers we had used with an earlier group. Others explored digging for clay whilst others built a den. By the end of the session, children were beginning to identify the blackbird song and were noticing the birds in the environment. 

All the children had a great time at Forest School this week and we cannot wait for our next sessions.

31.3.2022

What a different day we had. Sunshine and ice cream last week and snow this week! The children absolutely loved it though.

We started our session with Reception with our usual song, counting and name game and the snow arrived. We enjoyed stretching up to the sky and letting the snow fall on our hands. After this, we played Secret Stone to warm us up. The children enjoyed working with the other children in their teams to conceal an alder cone in their hands and try to get it through the goal of the opposing team without being caught. Next, we thought about the special treasures in our environment and moved around our site collecting natural treasures in a matchbox. The children found buds, small leaves, moss and small sticks and were able to explain to tier partners why they liked them. For the rest of the session, to keep ourselves busy and warm, we got in teams and recapped how to make tarp dens. The children enjoyed tying timber hitch knots to create a ridge line and then worked together to hang a tarp over it, finally pegging it out with sticks and a mallet. They worked together sharing the mallets and some children enjoyed singing together inside their dens. We finished with our goodbye song.

Year 4 and Year 6 started their session with their chant, counting and sharing our names and a special treasure that we have. Some children shared that their treasure was their family, their school and their pets. For our first activity, we played an observation game. We had a good look around the site, closed our eyes and then tried to point to a given place or object such as a tree in blossom or the Silver Birch tree. Sometimes the challenge would be to hold up the number of fingers that corresponded with the number of people wearing red wellies or number of flags on site. It was interesting to learn a little about ourselves and how much notice we take of things around us. Our next game was to move from looking at big things in our environment to focussing on the small things around the site. We each had a small treasure box which we filled with natural items that we liked/meant something. This activity gives the children an opportunity to connect with and closely observe the smaller things in our environment. For the rest of the session, the children spent time making journey sticks using wool and wrapping it around the stick, adding on natural materials to remember their time at Forest School, others enjoyed playing in their woods creating swings, making dens and putting up hammocks. Some children had another go at fire lighting using the fire steels. We then worked together to build a fire in the fire pit and everyone enjoyed toasting a marshmallow. We finished reflecting on what we had achieved or improved on in our time at Forest School this half term. Some students felt that they had got better at listening, better at working in a team and communicating with others.

Have a great holiday.

24.3.2022

What beautiful weather we had today. It is delightful to see how the site is coming to life and so many trees now are starting to have their leaves.

Reception started their session today with our song, counting and name game, followed by a mindful moment which involved pressing our fingers together and tapping our thumbs together, then our pointy fingers and so on. It made us really focus and calm our breathing. With our Forest School coming to life in a variety of green hues, we decided to go on a green colour hunt. We each had a piece of card with some double-sided sticky tape on and wandered around Forest School collecting green things. Before we stuck them down, we thought about whether they were light or dark and tried to put them in order from lightest to darkest. There were so many different shades of green. Next, we came back to the tarp to hear Carrie tell the story of How Colour Came Into the World. The children listened attentively and joined in the movements of the butterfly in the story. We really enjoy storytelling with the group without the use of a book as it really engages the children's imaginations. For the rest of the session, the children explored in different ways. Some children had a go at using the hapazone technique to take the colour out of the plants using a mallet and transferring it onto material. Other children enjoyed creating seed paper by tearing up pieces of coloured paper and mixing it with water to create pulp, which was mixed with wildflower seeds and pressed into shapes. It was quite tricky to sculpt the paper pulp and press out the water, but it was lots of fun. Finally, lots of children are really developing in their imaginative play, building structures with sticks in and out of the wooded area. We finished the session sharing something that made us excited today. 

Year 4 started today's session with our chant, counting and an opportunity to share a piece of advice for the world. The children gave very thought-provoking comments and it was a great opportunity to listen to each other with respect and kindness. Next, we raised the energy with the pinecone game. The children stood opposite their partner with a pinecone between them. They had to follow commands: heads, shoulders, knees, toes and when they heard cone, they had to be the first to grab it. It was very competitive and lots of fun. We carried on playing until we found the ultimate pine cone champion. After this, we lowered the energy by taking part in a sit spot mindfulness activity. The children all took a piece of paper, a pencil and found a place on their own in Forest School. We sat for five minutes and listened to the sounds around us, focussed on our breathing, and being in the present. Lots of children enjoyed this experience and felt really relaxed and peaceful.

For the rest of the session, some children chose to make seed paper. They loved the sensation of it squashing between their fingers as they formed it into shapes, which they found quite tricky. It took a few attempts to get it the way they wanted, but as always we learnt from our different attempts how to be more successful. Other children enjoyed creating dens and using the hammocks in the woods, working in teams. Finally, some children enjoyed shaping willow into heart shapes and weaving them with coloured material. They needed to support each other by holding the frame, while the other person tied and secured the willow together. A great chance to practice knots and tying. We finished with sharing our energy and levels of positivity on a scale from 1 to 10 at the start of the session and at the end of the session. It was amazing to see how much they had increased and it is great that the students are recognising how being outside can make them feel. 

Our Year 6 group started their session with our chant, counting and sharing a piece of advice for the world. Most children were able to give very thought-provoking ideas. Next, we all took part in a sit spot activity like the Year 4s. They had done this before and most really enjoyed returning to this opportunity, even closing their eyes and lying on the ground. Others reported finding it boring and difficult to stay quiet and still. We recognised that it is hard for some people and that it definitely gets easier with practice. For the rest of the session, the children were set a teamwork challenge. This involved using a pulley and creating a structure that would allow the pulley to run freely for as far as possible. The children enjoyed this challenge and got to work in their teams finding the longest log to raise vertically and tie their rope too. It took a lot of thought and problem solving to work out how to keep the sticks upright for the rope to run between. All groups managed to create a structure that worked, but more importantly, they showed great resilience when things went wrong and an increased understanding of how to work successfully with others. Children shared their ideas and all children found a role within their team, in order to work fast and achieve the outcome. At the end of the session, we thought and shared some of our strengths in this task.

It was a much drier week this week and we had moments of glorious sunshine with a real feeling of Spring being on its way. We were even lucky enough to spot the first butterfly of the year today.

Reception

Reception began their session with their song, counting and name game, followed by our Mindful Moment which was about love and kindness. We closed our eyes and repeated some words as we breathed softly, thinking about good wishes for ourselves, our families and the rest of the world. 

After this peaceful moment, we let the fun commence as the children played Chase the Dragon game. The children started in teams of four, holding each other's shoulders: the front end being the mouth of the dragon and the last person with a dragon tail. The children 'dragons' chased each other, trying to grab the tail of the other dragons. It was lots of fun.

Next we listened to the story The Trouble With Dragons which tells how dragons took over the world , using up all the resources and forcing other animals to leave and causing the plants to die. They didn't want to be alone and so were taught by the other animals how to look after their planet properly. 

For the rest of the session, the children could choose to make their own sock dragon to ride on and teach about how to look after our environment. We repurposed socks for the dragon heads and filled them with dry leaves. The children had to work out how to attach the m to the sticks and then how to attach tails, ears, fire and eyes. It was hard, but lots of children persevered and enjoyed some independence creating their dragons. Others enjoyed making wild flower seed bombs using clay, soi and wildflower seeds. They rolled them into small balls which they will be able to scatter in order to attract a range of wildlife. We also had some children who enjoyed looking after our baby dragons, making homes for them and exploring the site.

Year 4

Year 4 began their session by sharing one thing that they loved about themselves. Some children found this a bit of a challenge at first, but all were able to share something, whether it was their kindness or ability to make others laugh. 

Next we played a numbers game, where partners worked together to count to 3, taking alternate numbers. Once we got the hang of this, we moved to Level 2 challenge, which involved swapping a number for a sound. This proved a bit trickier but provided lots of laughs when we made mistakes. Finally, Level 3 challenge was to swap a final number for a movement. The children really concentrated hard and were able to laugh and start again if they got it wrong.

For the remainder of the session we gave the children a team challenge which involved working together in groups of four to keep a stick up vertically without it being embedded in the ground. The teams were able to use ropes and pegs to do this as well as anything else that they could find. Many teams worked towards using the ropes as guy ropes pulling the stick from opposing angles and preventing it from toppling over. Although this was a challenging task, the children all really persevered and were able to work through several difficulties on the way with great resilience. Some children struggled with their emotions when they felt they were not heard by the group or that they had not completed the challenge in the way that they wanted, which led to some discussions about the needs and feelings of others and how as well as recognising our own emotions and needs, we also need to consider the feelings and needs of our team mates.

We finished the session reflecting on what we had learnt about ourselves.

Year 6

Year 6 started their session in a similar way to Year 4 with sharing something they loved about themselves and the numbers game.

We thought about whether it was easier to work in friendship groups or in groups where we don't know everyone really well. For this week's challenge we allowed the children to pick their own groups. Their task was to build a free standing den away from the trees using rope, tarps and sticks. This challenge really stepped up the level of challenge from before. Many groups worked towards hitting the posts into the ground, forgetting that they could use guy ropes as they had in a previous task. Some got frustrated that it wasn't going in the ground easily, but found it challenging to move towards another idea. We had great discussions about not giving up, but also needing to realise when you get to a point of trying for a long time and not making progress. At this point you need to be prepared to try something new. 

We will be following up the feelings and needs that arose through this activity in a similar activity in the following sessions.

Have a great week,

Emma and Carrie

03.03.2022

We were lucky that it was dry today, but all of the rain recently has meant that the site is very waterlogged. The mud and water was definitely enjoyed by all of the groups today.

Reception started their session with a mindfulness moment called Inhale the Universe. We started practicing our mindful breathing as we raised our arms above our heads and stretched out, before flopping down and letting our arms swing by our sides. As we did this we imagined scooping up the universe and sprinkling the stars and planets over our heads and then flopping down and relaxing. It felt good to stretch and then let our bodies flop and relax. Next, we played a listening and movement game based on the children's theme of space and planets. We ran around pretending to be astronauts, aliens, rockets, spaceships and twinkling stars. We gathered in the woods to listen to the story How To Catch A Star by Oliver Jeffers and used this to inspire our exploration. Some children used bendy willow branches to make willow stars, using twisty pipe cleaners to secure the pieces together. This really showed how well the children's independence and fine motor skills are progressing. They then enjoyed wandering around with them casting spells. Some others enjoyed using their imaginations and working together to build a boat in one of the puddles using fallen logs. They were incredibly creative making steering wheels and a lever to control the speed. We finished the session sharing a wish we would make on a star. Lots of children wished to be fairies, princesses or superman.

Year 4 and 6 started their session with a sharing activity, introducing themselves and sharing their favourite smell. We really enjoy starters like this and it always interests and amazes us at how many different unusual answers we hear. After this, we played a teamwork game, where the team members had to work together to 

pass six hoops of willow from one player to the next using sticks instead of hands. The hoop was not allowed to drop or touch a player's hand. After the first round, we asked the students about what went well, who was a good team member and why. They realised they needed to make sure each team player was ready by communicating to them and that everyone responds differently to encouragement and judgements if a player makes a mistake. Although the site was wet today, there are lots of signs of Spring including the buds on the trees which are beginning to open. We seized this opportunity to focus on using the buds to identify the different trees. The children were given a branch from a particular tree and were asked to examine the colour, shape, size and positioning of the buds on the branch with their partner. They then had to go and find the matching tree, shouting, "Found it!" when they identified the matching tree on the site. We were so impressed with how much their children know the site as it did not take them long to find the Willow or Hornbeam trees from their buds. The Oak tree was slightly harder to locate and the Alder tree proved a bit tricky, but they got there in the end. For the rest of each session, some children used the bud branches to be creative, pressing them into clay tiles to create patterns or weaving them in between Y sticks. Some children enjoyed returning to the trees and their interest in building dens with the tarps and using the ropes to make swings in the trees. They worked carefully to identify suitable branches to hang from, testing them and ensuring they were living and not dead. We also had some children that loved digging in the mud, looking for different stones and minerals. We finished both sessions with the children having the opportunity to share the name of their favourite tree with the group. Many Year 4 children shared a tree that they love at their house, or at a loved one's house and Year 6 have a great connection with the site, lots sharing how much they like the Willow tree and its flexible branches.

10.2.2022

Thank you for another fantastic half term. I can't believe we are halfway through the year and there are signs of Spring appearing, with the bulbs coming up and our first bit of leaf burst from the hawthorn trees.

Reception

We started our session today with our song, counting and name game, followed by a quick game of Forest Fire. The children were able to think of woodland animals that they could be and enjoyed running away from the 'forest fire' and avoiding being caught. Next, we introduced the children to fire building. We showed them the fire triangle and thought of the three things that are needed for fire: fuel, heat and oxygen. The children then heard about how to stay safe around the fire, by checking ourselves for dangly bits, checking we have space around us and sitting in the Respect Position. The children then worked in pairs using the fire steels to create sparks. This is a very tricky task for small hands, but the children worked hard and kept trying, showing great resilience and beautiful sparks were made by most. They were rewarded for their efforts and we all built a fire and learnt how to cook marshmallows on it. They were delicious.

Year 2

Year 2 started their session with our chant, counting and name game, before thinking and sharing something they love about themselves. Lots of people loved that they had good friends and they were good listeners. Next, we introduced a sit spot activity. This group has shown great interest in the birds and have been practicing mindfulness this half term. This activity involved finding a quiet spot in the Forest School site, sitting down with a piece of card and a pencil and listening and reflecting on our environment around us. We really enjoyed having a peaceful moment, breathing and listening to all of the amazing bird sounds around us. It made us feel calm and happy. After this, we gathered back at the tarp to listen to the story of the Kind King and the Wandering Gnome. This story told of an unkind gnome who wandered into the kingdom of the Kind King and learnt how to show kindness. For the rest of the session, we used the story as a springboard for our exploration. Some children enjoyed returning to whittling, using the peelers to make hazel gnomes, which they decorated with pipe cleaners and pens. Others used the bendy willow to willow hearts and others enjoyed hole punching hearts in bay leaves and collecting them in small pots which they plan to give to someone they love. We also had the ever popular mallets and trowels for those that just love digging. We finished by sharing something that we feel we have got better at this time at Forest School. Lots of children felt they had become more independent and creative.

Year 5

Our Year 5 joined us for their last session this year. They have made huge progress in their independence, problem solving skills and determination this year and it was great to celebrate this. We started by sharing our one takeaway from Forest School this year. Children shared that they enjoyed being outside, they were better at teamwork and that they know it's ok not to be perfect and that having fun is important. By popular request, we started with a quick game of Secret Stone. This is their favourite game and they enjoyed sharing tactics to improve their game play. For the rest of the session, they enjoyed taking time to explore in their own ways. Some children enjoyed working together to build the ultimate palace using tarps and ropes. They have improved this each week and it was great to see so many children enjoying working together and solving different problems as they came about. Someone enjoyed using the sheath knife to make a guiro. Others used the hole punches to create heart leaf confetti which they collected to give to someone they love. Finally there was a group that helped collect dead wood to build a group fire and we all enjoyed toasting marshmallows. We finished the session with a final grateful moment. The children shared how lucky they felt to have their families a safe home, a beautiful world and forest school.

3.2.2022

It was great to feel a bit of Spring-like weather today and the children certainly enjoyed their sessions today where we were focussing on the Lunar New Year with both the Reception and Year 2 classes. We started our sessions with our song, counting and name game. In Year 2's session, we shared our weekly mindfulness moment which was called 'Open Ears'. We took mindful breaths and listened to the sound made by the singing bowl. We had to listen very carefully to hear when it stopped making a noise and raise our hand. We then listened to all the sounds near and far as we took mindful breaths. This week our focus was on the Lunar New Year.  We sent the children on an animal hunt around Forest School. They loved running around finding the animals of the zodiac and once they were all gathered up, we used them to tell and act out the story to the Reception children. The children enjoyed pretending to swim across the river as we told the story The Great Race about how the Lunar New Year was named. Year 2 heard a different story called Saving Spring, which is an old Scandinavian folk tale where Old Man Winter captures and traps Spring and she needs to be rescued by a little boy called Oscar. For the rest of the sessions, the children enjoyed exploring in their own ways. Some children made tiger sticks, twisting pipe cleaners around sticks to make striped tigers. Others enjoyed using charcoal to draw. Finally, there were some children who enjoyed returning to the story and acting it out independently with their peers. We finished the sessions asking the children to share with the group something they were grateful for. Lots of children shared that they were grateful for their family, friends and teachers.

Our Year 5 group started with their chant, counting and sharing their name and something they love about themself. This was a hard question and we all had to think hard about our positive qualities including being a good friend, being someone others can talk to and having a good sense of humour. Next, we played Ninja. This game focussed on our listening skills and awareness of others moving. One player was blindfolded and had to move around inside a rope circle trying to listen and tag the other players when they heard them. When we take away our sense of sight, our other senses are heightened and it can make us feel strange.  After this we lit a fire, recapping the fire triangle: heat, oxygen and fuel and how to stay safe. Once the fire was going, we put a tin containing green willow branches on top. We made predictions about what might happen to the green sticks. Some thought they would be burnt and go, others thought they would turn black. It was exciting to see that when the box was taken off the fire, the sticks had turned into black charcoal which the children enjoyed using to draw. They were quite surprised at how easy it is to make this great drawing tool. The children all returned to their fire lighting skills, firstly using the fire steels to create sparks and then using the sparks to light cotton wool. They were amazed at how much easier they found it this year, having struggled in previous years. They have grown in finger strength and resilience and this was truly shown in their achievements. Some children even persevered in their free exploring time, choosing to continue and attempting to light Silver Birch bark. The rest of the children enjoyed building dens in the woods and using the charcoal and hollowed out Elder to make charcoal pencils. To finish the session, the children shared in a mindfulness moment where we tried balanced breathing. Most children were able to focus their mind on their body and the present moment and really fully take part in this activity taking mindful breaths.

27.1.2022

It was definitely a bit warmer than recent weeks today and this allowed us to focus on using our observation skills with our first two groups, rather than focussing as much on staying warm.

Reception and Year 2

This weekend sees the launch of Big Garden Bird Watch, an annual event where we are asked to survey the birds that visit our garden and submit the data to help get a picture of what birds are in our country. So in our sessions with our Reception and Year 2 groups we got a bit more familiar with the different birds that we might see. We started with a fast paced game of Ostrich Tag, which the children are now familiar with and thoroughly enjoy (particularly when they catch the adults!) After this we split into two teams, to play a bird bingo game. The children had to run around the site to find bird cards, which they had to bring back to the bingo board and find its matching pair. It involved lots of very careful observation, especially when the birds looked similar in shape or colour. After all the birds were found we gathered back at the circle and heard Emma tell the story of The King of The Birds. This is an old folk tale that teaches us that even when we are small we can achieve great things. The children enjoyed listening to the reasons why the different birds thought they should be king and joined in flapping their wings. For the rest of the session, the children enjoyed using the binoculars and the ID sheets to find different birds. Others sat down and enjoyed using the bird sound books and bird sound toys to hear the calls of the different birds that visit forest school. Nests were made in the woods using different natural materials including sticks and moss, with the hope that a bird might visit later. We used bird seed, cheese and apple to make bird feeders out of pine cones. This task supported the children in their knot skills, using string and a simple reef knot to tie around a pine cone and finally some children enjoyed digging and finding words which they put out by the bird hide that they built, hoping to catch a glimpse of a hungry bird. We finished our session sharing something we learnt about birds today or our favourite bird. The children really enjoyed sharing the reason why different birds were their favourite.

We do hope you will be able to join in with the Big Garden Birdwatch at the weekend. Details can be found here: https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/birdwatch-take-part/ where the cuddly birds were also from.

Year 5

We started the Year 5 session with our chant and counting the group, before moving on to share our names and something that makes us feel scared. Some of the children really impressed us with their thoughtful answers, which led on to a discussion about how we. can face our fears. Next, we introduced a new game called Bat and Moth. This game involved half of the children being bats and the other half, their prey, the moths. Bats use echolocation to find their food, but today the children who had their eyes closed and were bats had to use call and response to find their prey, calling 'bat' and hearing the response 'moth'. If they listened carefully they could use these sounds to locate and tag the moths. It was very hard to trust ourselves to keep our eyes closed and play safely and fairly. A reflective discussion followed about when we feel someone has cheated in a game and how we can respond in a positive and kind way, rather than it leading to unnecessary frustration and conflict. For the rest of the session, some children had a go at making bird feeders for their gardens. Others enjoyed using the ropes and pulleys in the woods and finally some students enjoyed using the sheath knife to make a guiro and knot skills to make a xylophone. We finished with a discussion on something we will reflect on or take away with us today from Forest School. 

13.1.2022

It was another cold week at Forest School, but the sunshine was glorious and the frost, ice and mud were great fun to explore.

Our Reception class had their first trip back to Forest School following the holiday break. We started their session with a trail through the woods left by Beegu. Beegu's footprints led the way through the trees where we had to spot objects that were not meant to be in the environment. The children had keen observation skills and spotted all ten items including a sat nav and some headphones. For the rest of the session, the children explored in different ways. Some enjoyed continuing with the Beegu theme and used bendy willow branches to create a head dress with ears just like Beegu. It was tricky bending the branches and securing them to the headband, but great resilience was shown by those who chose to do this. Other children had a go at making rocket launchers using Y sticks and stretchy rubber bands. Once again this was challenging and took a lot of patience and problem solving to work out how to attach the rubber bands to the Y stick. We also had some imaginative adventurers, who went on a hunt for traces of Beegu in the woods and found where her spaceship landed and where she played.

Year 2 started their session today with our chant, counting and names. Continuing with our new year theme, we challenged the children to follow a trail through the woods and use their observation skills to pick out items that should not be there. They showed great care for their environment and some children spent the rest of the session litter picking in the area. Although the trees look like they are sleeping in the Winter, they are all in bud and it is fascinating to see how the buds differ in colour, size and shape just like their leaves. The children were given a branch with buds from three different trees on site which they had to match with the tree that it came from. This was a great activity to warm us up as we ran from tree to tree and identified them. For the rest of the session, some children used the buds to create patterns in clay tiles. Others made winter twig weaving frames using Y sticks and string. Many children enjoyed playing in the mud, digging with the trowels and discovering clay. We also had some keen bird spotters who used the binoculars to spot a robin, magpies and long tailed tits. We finished the session sharing with the group children good ideas that were had in the session. It was lovely to see the children visibly proud when their friends shared their good ideas.

Year 5 started their session sharing the sound that makes them uncomfortable. They really enjoy sharing these thoughts with each other and many of us share the same thoughts. Next, we challenged the children to find a sit spot. Sit Spot is a great activity for finding calm and peace, quieting our mind and slowing down. Everyone found a spot to sit alone in Forest School and got comfortable. As we sat, we listened to the sounds around us and recorded them on some paper, creating a sound map. We used pictures, symbols, mark making and words to record what we could hear and where it was in location to us. It was fun to share what we had heard with each other and compare our sound maps at the end of the activity. Many children really enjoyed having to sit quietly and one lucky member of the group was so quiet that a robin landed on their foot! What a magical experience. For the rest of the session, lots of children enjoyed returning to the woods with tarps and ropes. They have been working on developing their skills with these each week, but today were thrilled to have made a hammock that they could lie in. Other children enjoyed using the woods to play hide and seek, keeping themselves warm on this cold day. We also had students exploring clay, using their knot skills to create xylophones and some using a new technique with a sheath knife to create guiros. 

6.1.2022

It was great to be back at Kerem today and it was such a beautiful frosty morning, with lots of ice and mud to explore, which the children in all groups thoroughly enjoyed.

Year 2 were excited to be back to Forest School after what seemed like such a long time. They were last here in the Autumn Term 2020 and so we felt so proud to hear how much they had remembered about the different trees at Forest School. We started our session by introducing our welcome chant, counting and sharing our names. The children enjoyed learning the new chant as well as the familiarity of the counting and name game. Next, we played a trust game called Find My Tree in which the children paired up with a partner and one of them led their blindfolded partner to a tree. The blindfolded child then needed to feel, smell and explore the tree with their hands before being led away from it. Once they took their blindfold off they had to find the tree that they had met. This game requires lots of good communication between the partner and their blindfolded friend to ensure that the blindfolded player stays safe and feels comfortable. It also helps us to really focus on our senses and descriptive language of the different trees. The children were so caring and supportive to each other and enjoyed this challenge. For the rest of the session, the children chose how to explore, with some choosing to use the trowels to dig in the mud or climb in the trees. We learned how to identify dead branches and climb safely. Some children also had a go at hollowing Elder and using it to write what we are grateful for, tying it on to a class mobile. We finished with sharing our hopes, dreams or goals for this year.

By the time Year 5 arrived in the afternoon the frost had melted and there was lots of mud to enjoy! We began our session with our chant and count, followed by the children sharing a resolution or focus for the year. They have lots of thoughtful, reflective comments including wanting to be kinder to their families and friends, wanting to go outside more and increase the amount of exercise that they do. We took the children into the wooded area of the site and introduced our Meet The Tree Game. They recognised and shared the different skills that they needed to be successful and carefully led their partners through the woods, challenging them with the distance they took them from their tree before removing the blindfold. Many of the trees look the same, as many are coppiced Hornbeam, but the children realized that by feeling them again with their eyes open they could distinguish the trees from each other. Next, we regrouped at base camp and heard the story of The Mother Elder. This story told the children of a time where people had forgotten to be in the woods and how the trees and forest folk reminded them of the wonders of the woods and how to belong in nature. We shared with the children some information about the properties, qualities and folklore of the different trees on the site and then some children chose to use the different types of wood to reflect on these qualities in themselves. They would like to continue exploring this next week. Other children had been interested in creating zip lines before the holiday break and so this week we introduced some pulleys. They were able to work together to tie a rope securely between two trees that would bear their weight. They would also like to continue exploring this and adapting their design next week.

As this term is usually the coldest, please ensure that your children have several layers of clothes that they can put on underneath their warm winter coats. Gloves, scarves and hats are essential as little hands get cold quickly. Two pairs of gloves can even be worn, one on top of the other. For the children's feet, which also can get cold, please ensure that they have several pairs of warm socks that they can wear on top of each other and if you have old trainers, snow boots or walking boots, they may find these warmer than welly boots.

9.12.2021

We can't believe how fast this term has flown by! We have had so much fun seeing the changes of the seasons and it is starting to get very soggy and quite muddy at Forest School, which is being thoroughly enjoyed by the children.

Reception started their session with our song and counting as usual. We then got out the shaky eggs and gave ourselves a shaky egg shower to wake our bodies up and get moving. The children then thought of a way to use their shaky eggs to share their name in the group. Everyone took a turn and the group copied back their movements, supporting them in their observation and turn-taking skills. Next, we played a game of Ostrich Tag. The children used one hand for their long neck and beak and one hand for their tail feathers. The game involved everyone chasing each other and tagging someone's tail feathers with their beak. It was lots of fun running about. After this, we introduced the children to the bow saw, talking them through how to use it safely. The children enjoyed cutting 'wood cookies' and then drilling them with a hand drill. They then found a stick that fit snugly in the hole to make a spinning dreidel, which they decorated. As they worked, we got serenaded with some lovely singing! Some children also enjoyed using their gross motor skills and learning to walk and balance along the slack line. It got very wobbly as they walked and they had to take it slow and concentrate.

Year 5 started their session with their chant, counting and this time, they used the shaky eggs to say their names. We then put this together to create an orchestra of names and rhythms, with one child joining in at a time, building up the sound until we were all playing together. It sounded great. We thought about the skills we used in this activity and realised we had to be patient, focusing on ourselves and others. Our next activity involved a bit of partner work. We started with challenge 1: taking it in turns to count to 3, one person saying one number and the next person saying the next etc. This took a lot of focus to allow us to count in order correctly. Challenge two involved the children swapping a number for a sound and challenge three involved switching another number for a movement. It got really tricky and funny, which led to a discussion that when we get things wrong it's okay to laugh about it rather than get cross or frustrated. We can keep going and try again. For the rest of the session, the children also had the option of using the bow saw and drills to make different things. Many chose to make winter snowmen using the wood cookies, connecting them with pipe cleaners and adding scarves and decorations. Others enjoyed working in the woods with the ropes and loose logs. Each week they have been developing their ideas and today they came up with an incredibly creative zipline between the trees. They are looking forward to developing this idea further next half term. We finished our session by sharing one thing that we were going to do today to make the world a better place. Lots of children shared that they would like to be kind and think of others by contacting a loved one they had not seen in a long time. 

Year 1 started their session with their chant, numbers and we used the shaky eggs to share our names. 

We had a quick game of Ostrich Tag and then made sure that we had lots of time to get creative. The children used the bow saw to cut 'wood cookies' which they used in different ways. Some children enjoyed making necklaces, others made dreidels and some made snowmen. The bow saw is lots of fun to use as we had to work together taking turns to pull it across the logs to cut our slices. Lots of concentration is needed and it is very satisfying cutting through the log. Some children also enjoyed balancing on the slack line. They were very pleased at how much further they were able to get this half term.

After a great term, the children reflected on one thing they had got better at. Children reported that they were more creative, better at knots and better at teamwork.

2.12.2021

It was a very cold day today and so it was quite a challenge to keep ourselves busy and warm enough. Lots of the children came out in lots of layers and thick coats which helped them look after themselves in the cold weather. It is essential that we are dressed in suitable clothing to ensure that we can continue to enjoy ourselves and experience all the magic that Winter holds. Emma and Carrie could barely move today due to their five layers of tops, trousers and socks they were wearing but were able to stay warm enough to have fun with the groups. 

Wellies can be a cold shoe to wear in the winter and so walking boots with several pairs of warm wooly socks can be better at this time of year.

Reception

We tried to keep everyone moving today in their session, so used lots of actions and body movements in our welcome song and name game. We then played our game Forest Fire, where we took on the role of different animals and had to run away from the fire that chased us. The children really love running around in the space and chasing each other. Our next challenge supported us with working together. We asked the children to find sticks on the ground around the site and use them to make a long line of sticks reaching from one flag all the way to another on the other side of the site. We were amazed by how many sticks we could find when we looked carefully and we all worked together to make a long line of them. We had to think about carrying sticks safely and it kept our bodies moving to help us keep warm. For the rest of the session, the children had free play. Lots of children chose to make some jingle sticks using ribbon, pipe cleaners and bells. This was a great fine motor activity. The children learnt how to tie the ribbons onto the stick and the sense of pride was visible on their faces. They threaded the bells onto the pipe cleaners and wound them round their sticks as well. Other children enjoyed trying out the beginnings of fire lighting with Carrie. They used the fire steels to create sparks. This is a real challenge for small fingers and takes a lot of strength to create sparks: a real lesson in resilience. We finished the session with a song about Channukah using our jingle sticks.

Year 5

The Year 5s were excited to be at Forest School today, especially when they found out we were playing their favourite game Secret Stone, which they had been requesting. They are really taking ownership over their Forest School sessions and it is great to see them challenging themselves each week and being inventive. After this warmed us up, we set the groups a new team challenge. Each team was given a small ring with several pieces of string attached. The team were given the task of working together to balance a ball on the ring and transport it, only holding on to the strings. It was fascinating to watch how each team moved from the ball falling off regularly, to being able to keep the ball on the ring and then finally to moving together as a team without the ball falling off. This provoked a discussion around the phrase, 'comparison is the thief of joy.' We realised that by worrying about how other teams are doing and comparing our progress to theirs, we can lose focus and not enjoy the task at hand and the joy we can get from just doing something for the sake of doing it. For the rest of the session, the children explored in their own way. Several children enjoyed taking the ropes and tarps into the woods, building dens, constructing pillows from piles of leaves and making swings in a variety of ways. Others enjoyed using the peelers and sheath knives to whittle for different purposes and some enjoyed exploring the elder, making beads and using them to create elder people. We finished the session sharing what we were grateful for or how we had been inventive today.

Year 1

Year 1 started their session with our name game and welcome song. We thought about lots of different ways to move and used these in our song that we learned last week: Inside I Am Wild. This is a great song to explore our voices, using funny and loud voices as well as different movements. After we had warmed up, we gave the children the ball and ring challenge. They found it quite challenging to work with others in their team to carry the ball successfully across the field. Some children found it frustrating when their team was not doing it 'properly' and we talked about how this can make us feel frustrated and sad. We supported the children with strategies to deal with these situations and encouraged them to empathize with those that felt frustrated and think about what we can do to help them. It is really important to support the children through these challenging situations that arise as they learn about relationships and teamwork. The children then had time for free play. Lots of children enjoyed creating jingle sticks with the ribbon and pipe cleaners, once again giving them practice with their knot skills. Others enjoyed creating candle decorations by whittling some Elder with peelers. We finished our session with some breathing mindfulness, which the children tend to request at the end of the session. 

25.11.2021

It was a very chilly day at Forest School today and it was good to see how well prepared the children were to enjoy the cold weather.

Reception

We started our session today with our usual song and counting routine. Since it was very cold, we gave each child two shaky eggs and gave ourselves a shaky egg shower. We shook them over the different parts of our body helping us to wake up and warm up. We thought about different ways to shake our eggs and say our names and then took it in turns to share our ideas with the group who watched and copied. The children were really focused on each other and were able to observe and copy the different movements. Next, we played a game where we had to keep the shaky egg quiet. We chose one detective who stood in the middle of the circle with their eyes closed, whilst the rest of the children passed the shaky egg around, keeping it as still and quiet as possible. The detective had to guess where the shaky egg was, having to really focus on their sense of sound. For the rest of the session, many children chose to use the large fallen logs to create an obstacle course to run and keep themselves warm. Others enjoyed exploring the woods and digging for worms and finally some children used the bendy willow and wet strength tissue paper to create decorations to hang in their windows. We finished the session by sharing something that we found exciting today at Forest School. Many children chose to talk about how exciting it was to build their own obstacle course.

Year 5

Year 5 started their session today with thinking and sharing their favourite smell. It was fascinating to hear all the different favourites and see how well the children listened and respected each other's contribution. After this we introduced the children to a new game: The Earth Game. This game focuses on understanding and navigating the compass points, seasons and relevant seasonal festivals, supporting the children's connection to the Earth and their place in it as well as their quick-thinking skills. It also helped us to all keep warm on this chilly day. For the rest of the session, we set the children a teamwork challenge, which involved them using the rope and large, fallen logs to build a structure that could transport a member of their team from a starting line to a finish line. All teams managed to create a structure together to transport a team member, but more importantly this  activity provided another opportunity to look at success, failure and teamwork. During the activity there were lots of ups and downs, which we were able to reflect on at the end of the session. After recapping on the elements of teamwork, the children shared what element they felt was effective in their team and any challenges they faced. It is so important to learn how to recognise and manage our emotions when we face challenges. We also thought about the bigger picture:  we do not have to come first or beat others to 'win', instead it is more rewarding to have fun and learn to work well and communicate effectively in a team. These are the important lessons that the children are really learning to take on board that will support them in all other areas of their lives.

Year 1

Year 1 started their session with their usual welcome chant and counting. They then shared their name and their favourite sound, which the children really enjoyed. We learnt a new song: Inside I Am Wild, which sang about the different movements of the animals. The children contributed to the song by thinking of different ways we could move and enjoyed using different voices to make the song fun. Next, we played a game called Nest Robbers to warm ourselves up. The children worked with a partner to build a nest. They then had to go one at a time to collect food from the bird feeder, without getting caught by the food protectors. For the rest of the session, some children enjoyed going into the woods to continue building their dens. Many children were keen to investigate animal footprints, using clay to create footprint tiles. Some of us worked in the muddy areas of the site to make footprints in the mud and then we tried to cast them with plaster of Paris. We finished the session with some breathing and mindfulness, which the children were keen to come back to. It is a lovely way to bring our focus back after all being so busy.

18.11.2021

We had a great day at Kerem with our groups this week.

Reception

We started our session with a new game called Ostrich tag, which the children loved. They had to hold one hand up for their beak and the other as their tail. We had to use our beaks to tag the other ostriches on their tails. When our game was finished we stopped to think about how our bodies felt and recognised that our hearts were beating faster and we felt warmer. Next, we went into the woods and split into teams, learning the timber hitch knot to create a ridge line between two trees and then worked together to hang a tarp over it. The children then used the mallets to tap the pegs into the ground securing the edges of the tarp. Once all of the dens were made, we played a game where we all raced through the dens one after another as fast as we could, crawling on our knees. It was lots of fun trying to beat our time. We finished our session sharing something that was tricky today. It was decided that using the mallets was quite tricky and making sure we had enough space inside our dens was also tricky.

Year 5

The year 5's started with an observation game where they had to see how well they knew the site. We looked around and then closed our eyes, before being asked to point to the nearest willow tree, silver birch tree etc. They are quite confident with their knowledge of the site, having grown connected to it over the years. We had a discussion about climate change and the importance of having a connection to our environment and looking after it. The children shared a piece of advice or a hope for the world with the group and we thought about the small things we can do to be part of this. For the next part of the session, we focussed on the beauty of the Autumnal changes around us and how it can support our wellbeing and mindfulness. The children gathered some natural materials and using inspiration from some pictures of nature mandalas that we looked at, they got to work on creating their own. The children worked hard, enjoying the focus and teamwork elements of this activity. They produced some beautiful mandalas and were keen to show each other. For the rest of the session, the children enjoyed a variety of different activities. Some enjoyed taking the ropes and tarps into the woods to create dens and swings. Others had a go at whittling pieces of elder to create decorative candles, some enjoyed using the wool to weave and a large group enjoyed playing a game of tug of war. They had to work together to work out the rules and make the game fair, safe and fun for everyone. We thought about how to observe each other's body language and ideas to work together collaboratively to solve disagreements. We finished the session with a brief discussion about people who had good ideas during the session. The children were keen to share who had helped them, being kind, and thinking about how to arrange the leaves in their mandalas or how to make a fair game.

Year 1

We started our session focussing on our fox this week. We practiced fox walking, slowly picking up our feet and walking by putting our heel down first followed by our toes. We then put this into practice in a game, where the children had to walk silently from a start line to a finish line past someone who was blindfolded, without being heard and pointed at. Next, we listened to the story of The Fox and the Fire told by Emma. The children really love listening to oral storytelling, using their imaginations rather than worrying about focussing on pictures in a book. The story taught us the wonders of fire, but that we need to be respectful, careful and safe around it. For the rest of the session, some of the children returned to their digging in the woods, others had a go at weaving around sticks with wool to create patterns and some used clay to create staffs with heads of their tribal animals. They are really becoming more independent and creative, realising how much they can do for themselves. We finished the session with a reflection on which animal tribe we feel we relate to and why.

10.11.2021

Our Reception children started their session today with our song, counting independently and our name game. The children were able to tell us that it was Autumn and share some of the features of Autumn they had spotted e.g. the leaves falling off the trees, the leaves changing colours and that it is getting darker and colder. They then got into pairs and explored the site collecting a variety of interesting natural materials. After some collecting, we found space on the grass and worked in small groups to create patterns inspired by pictures of nature mandalas which we had looked at together. Lots of concentration and discussion was needed to work together and make decisions about what items to use and where they should be placed.

With all of the different festivals and celebrations involving light, we decided to use this as a focus for exploration today. For the rest of the session some children chose to make candle holders using clay. They moulded the clay into balls and pressed out the shapes of our lamps using their thumbs and fingers to squeeze the sides. Other children enjoyed playing with the finger torches underneath a tarp shelter. There was lots of exploration and investigation working out which items the coloured lights would shine through. The children discovered that the lights could shine through leaves. We finished the session by sharing some of our discoveries that were made today.

It was great to be back with the Year 5 children this week. We started our session with a short discussion about the practice of gratitude. We took it in turns to share our names and what we were grateful for at that moment. We heard some really thoughtful reflections including my family, my friends, for my beautiful surroundings, for nature and for being alive. Next, we gave everyone two shaky eggs and asked them to explore the site and use their shaky eggs to represent something they found on the site. It was great to see how much concentration went into this activity, showing how well the children are developing their observation skills and creativity. They shared their ideas and we took turns at guessing each other's mystery natural object. We brought the children back together to introduce them to a teamwork challenge. We recapped the skills and steps that should be used when working in a team and then set the groups off with the challenge to be able to keep a stick upright without having any of it embedded into the ground. They used ropes and other sticks to create guy rope structures and keep the stick standing. It was great to see how much this group's teamwork skills have already come on and we look forward to what they can achieve this half term.

We carried on our theme of animal tribes with the Year 1 children, moving on to learning about badgers today and their sense of smell. We started with secret smell bags, which contained different items to smell. The children enjoyed using just their noses to smell and guess the mystery objects. Next, we played a game which involved the children moving in darkness. They got in teams and played a game called Blind Fetch. Each child took a turn at wearing the blindfold and had to be directed by their team to move across the site and collect and bring back different objects to their team. The children had to move slowly to avoid tripping over and had to tune into the voices of their friends directing them. For the rest of the session, the children enjoyed exploring their tribes. Some children enjoyed continuing with their fox hole, taking turns to use the spade. Others had a go at whittling hazel wood and then decorating it with their tribal animal. This took a lot of concentration and persistence to whittle the bark off the stick, whilst keeping safe with the peeler. Other children enjoyed returning to creating their own dyes. This week they used pestle and mortars to grind up grass to create green dyes for their bandanas and flags. During the session, one of the children asked to finish with a mindfulness activity and so we came back to the tarp, closed our eyes and shared a mindful breathing story. The children really enjoy these calming breathing activities and recognise how this activity can calm them down and provide peace.

4.11.2021

We had a great day with all groups despite the unexpected showers at times, but the children were happy to put their hoods up and carry on with the fun at Forest School.

Reception

We started today's session with our usual song, counting and names and then we introduced a new game called Forest Fire. We thought about all the lovely things we can use fire for including cooking, keeping warm and giving us light, but also talked about how it can be dangerous, particularly for animals. The children enjoyed the game, which involved them choosing to be a woodland creature and having to run away from the fire (one of the Forever Green staff) to get to the safety of the other side without being caught. If they were caught, the fire had spread and it was harder for the woodland animals to run past. This game was really needed on a cold morning to warm us all up. Next, we sat down together to listen to the story of Fox and Fire. The children enjoyed listening to this oral retelling of the story which taught the children to not be scared of fire, but to respect it and keep a safe distance: an important lesson to know this time of year, when many of our celebrations involve light and the use of fire. After this, the children had some free choice. Many enjoyed using the wood from the Elder tree to hollow with the palm drills before adding material tails and sparkly pipe cleaners to create their own rockets, which they enjoyed throwing through the air. Other children enjoyed flicking paint using sticks onto cards to create paint fireworks and finally there was some great fungus growing. The children moved around the woods carefully to not destroy the fungus, but enjoyed looking carefully at it and discovering all the different colours and shapes that fungus can come in.

Year 1

We met Year 1 at the school gates and enjoyed our walk to Forest School, watching the tree surgeons working in the park to cut down parts of the oak trees. It was amazing to see the ropes and pulleys they were using to get really high and lift things up and down safely. When we arrived at Forest School, we did our welcome chant, counted and played our name game. This half term we are focussing on tribes and three woodland animals: the fox, the owl and the badger and thinking about their traits and which ones we can relate to. Today we focussed on the owl, with our first game testing out our owl eyes. We all put our fingers in front of our eyes and then moved them out to the side to see how far our peripheral vision stretched. We then played an observation game. The children looked around and then closed their eyes before being asked a question about the things in their environment e.g. point to the closest oak tree, how many people are wearing red waterproofs etc. This game made us think about our observation skills and whether we were as observant as an owl. We listened to an oral retelling of the story How Owls Became Wise before setting off on our own explorations. Some children chose to use the trowels to see if they could dig an underground den, just like the fox. Others enjoyed using earth pigments and paint to decorate flags and bandanas to represent their tribe. There was lots of opportunity for problem-solving as the children worked out how to attach the flags to sticks and which stick to use. They are really developing these independent thinking skills and enjoy working things out for themselves. We finished our session by sharing what animal tribe we feel we are in at the moment and why. The children gave some thoughtful responses saying they were like the fox because they enjoy digging, or they are very clever and can move quietly. Others thought they were like an owl because they enjoy watching and observing.

21.10.21

Reception

The children enjoyed splashing in the puddles on the way to Forest School this morning; their boots and waterproofs really did their work. Luckily the sun came out and we had another fun session. We began with our usual song and name actions; most can shout out their name with an action confidently now. The children are now confident in telling us the Forest School rules. Today our focus was owls. We learned about what they like to eat through a game. We set a challenge to find as many pieces of ‘food’ (wool) for our homemade owl nest. This teaches the children observation skills, especially as some of the ‘food’ was well camouflaged. We then acted out the story of The Owl Babies which they all loved. 

During independent choice time, children had a choice of activities designed to strengthen their fine motor control. There was an opportunity to make owls from clay, using sticks to roll and make patterns with and Alder flowers for eyes. Some children chose to make bird feeders for the school garden. They had to thread apple, cheese, and raisins onto a wire and then hang it in the trees. They could also act out the story independently and/or build their own nests, which supports their developing storytelling skills. Some of the children enjoyed being in the woods and playing hide and seek. At the end of the session, we reflected on what we had found exciting today and sung our Grey Squirrel song to finish.

Year 4

Our first challenge for Year 4 today was to think of a word that they thought summed up their experiences in Forest School and then represent this using natural objects. They came up with some lovely words including: ‘creative’, ‘nature’, ‘exhilarating’ and ‘fun’. Next, they learned about the fire triangle: heat, oxygen, and fuel and how to use a fire steel.  We learned the necessary rules to keep us safe when managing fire lighting, for instance using the Respect Position, finding a suitable space, and moving in ways that ensure that we won’t get burned. Unfortunately, the wind blew up, so we did not get a chance to light fuel with it, but the children all got the chance to learn the safety rules and had a go at making sparks. In their independent time the children had a choice of activities: one group worked hard to make a den and learned how difficult it is to make the roof stay up; they devised some interesting ways of making it stay above their heads. Several children wanted to continue the work they had done last week to create objects with conkers wool and elder, whilst others spent time creating all sorts of things with clay and natural objects.

We ended the session by having kosher marshmallows which the children loved cooking over the fire.

Year 1

As we walked from school to Forest School, we asked the children to notice the trees. There is a lovely selection in the park of English and Red Oaks, Maples, Alder and some more exotic trees. We asked them to collect different coloured leaves from the ground. This was to encourage the children to notice the differences in their shapes and colours and discover that not all the trees have started their autumn change whilst others had already lost most of their leaves. One child found some Spangle Galls which were created by a tiny wasp. We noticed that this group of children are particularly fascinated by nature and were really excited by these tiny galls and by some fungi that they found in the woods. When we arrived in Forest School, we did our usual welcome song and name actions. The children have got very slick at counting round the circle.  We then did a mindfulness exercise to help them focus on the present. In this exercise they had to imagine being in a beautiful field of wildflowers. At the end they had to breathe whilst imagining the flowers opening and closing. This is only the second time that we have done this type of activity. We were pleased with how many were able to engage fully as we know that many children find stillness difficult to manage. It created a lovely peaceful beginning to our work. The children then had a choice of activities designed to improve their fine motor control. Some made bird feeders to hang up in the woods, others made creations with clay and natural objects, some made leaf and conker mobiles which they made by sewing the leaves together on a string. The children also had the opportunity to make dens, always a favourite, and others practiced their knot skills whilst making “booby traps”! 

We ended by reflecting on one thing that the children felt grateful for. There were some lovely ideas including: the opportunity to make things, the fresh air, their friends, the sunshine, and the earth.

14.10.2021

Reception

Reception children had a squirrel-themed session. We played the squirrel game to start, where they had to listen carefully to and follow instructions. We spoke about what squirrels eat and that they need to collect and store food for the winter. Each child was given a conker to hide. Next, we heard the story The Squirrels That Squabbled, which teaches the value of working together and sharing. We reflected on how good we are at sharing with our friends. Afterwards the children had to go back to find their hidden conker; just like the squirrels, they had to remember where they were hidden. We learned that it was quite hard to be a squirrel as it can be tricky to re-find your nuts. We then went into choosing time. Lots of children were creative and wanted to make their own squirrels with clay and natural objects including Teasels. Others developed their hand strength and coordination as they learned how to use a palm drill safely. They made holes in conkers and used them to make bracelets and necklaces. Others enjoyed playing in the woodland and being under the trees. We closed the session by reflecting on how being in Forest School had made us feel. Several children said they were proud of what they had done. Some children thought hard about their answers and said things like they felt happy because their friend had worked with them.

Year 4
We had a musical theme this week and began the session by creating a sound pattern for our name, using the egg shakers. We were impressed that everybody joined in and designed their own unique pattern. We then worked on team building. We talked about the 'collective needs' of a group and how there are some times when it is necessary to prioritise the group's needs over our individual needs; as we had to in lockdown. We set a team task to create a musical 'code' using sounds and natural objects. Each team managed successfully to put together a short performance of their code. Afterwards we reflected on what things made the exercise work well and noticed that the groups that had been able to focus on the 'team objective' found it easier and even more fun. We also noticed that sometimes this is a bit of a challenge. We then moved into free choice activities. Some children returned to den making in the woodland, where they practiced their den-making skills. Others learned how to use a palm drill to pierce conkers to create necklaces, bracelets and 'conker spider webs'. They made some beautiful creations. At the end, we reflected on what we were grateful for.

Year 1
Year 1 were very well behaved this week. They listened attentively and settled well to doing the activities. We began with a technique to focus attention onto our bodies by using shaker eggs to give ourselves a 'sound shower'. We talked about what season it was and the changes we had noticed in the trees. This led into an 'Autumn Leaves' guided mindfulness exercise, where we had to close our eyes and imagine we were trees. This was the first time the children had tried this kind of exercise with us. We were very pleased with the way they responded. One said "I felt like a real tree"; several said that it made them feel "calm and nice". We then went into free choice activities. Some children built fantastic dens and were really proud of their team work. They practiced their knots and used the mallet with control. Lots of children made 'Spider Conker Webs'. They developed their hand strength and coordination whilst learning to use the palm drill safely and weaving the threads. We were impressed with what they accomplished. Some children used the conkers to make their own creations to take home because they learned that putting conkers in your house discourages spiders! Two children worked on making an amazing bug hotel with beds, play equipment and sumptuous food. At the end of the session we reflected on how we were feeling. Many children told us that they felt proud, calm and happy.

7.10.2021

Reception children came out and were very puzzled to see that the grass in the Forest School area had been cut and left on the ground. It was lovely seeing all of the little tunnels made in the grass by the small mammals that live there. We started our session with a new game of Eagle Eyes. This involved the children hiding in the woods when Eagle Eyes were open and trying to move closer back to base camp when Eagle Eyes were closed until they reached base camp. They are really confident at moving around the site and using much more of the space now. After this fun game, we thought about what season it was and noticed some of the other Autumnal changes at Forest School. The Hornbeam leaves are turning bright yellow and look beautiful. We shared the story of Leaf Man and had to look carefully at the pictures to spot the shapes of plants and animals made by the leaves. We used this idea to do our next activity which involved drawing around a child on a piece of paper to create an outline of their body. Next, we worked in teams to decorate the shape. One group used some of the grass to make hair and shoes, we had to find eyes and a nose, stick trousers and leaves to make a top for our person to wear. We finished the session thinking about who had been helpful on our team today.

Year 4 started their session today with a quick 'feeling weather forecast'. The children used the weather to help explore how they were feeling. It is so important to be able to express our feelings to support one another. Next, we all held on to a circle of rope. We had a discussion about what good communication involves and looks like and realised that we use visual cues and auditory cues to help know when it is our turn to talk. We asked the children to challenge themselves by closing their eyes, taking away the visual element of communication. They then had to move together to form a triangle shape with the rope. This was incredibly difficult to ensure that we took it in turns to speak and listen to hear when it was our turn, instead of relying on visual cues such as putting our hands up or eye contact. After one go, we thought about how we could get better as a team and be more successful at achieving the outcome. It was agreed that a real focus has to be on listening and turn taking. The children were able to take on board some of these ideas and put them into practice to get close to creating the shape on the second try. The children were then keen to return to their den building they started last week. We briefly recapped the breakdown of steps and skills that are needed when completing a team challenge and the children got to work. They all managed to get the tarps in the trees and everyone had a role in their teams. Our next steps will be to make the dens allow water to run off them, rather than pooling in certain areas. Something we as Forest School leaders quite often have to deal with!

Year 1 started their session with a mindfulness breathing exercise using our imaginations to visualise a pond and the creatures in it while focussing on our breathing. This is such an important thing to do in our busy lives and everyone can benefit from taking time to focus on one thing such as our breath. Next, we played the game Creeping Commanche. We practiced the fox walking technique where we lifted our foot up slowly before shifting our weight and carefully placing it down. The children were then able to use this technique to walk slowly and not get detected moving. The children then moved into the Forest area and we recapped on how to use the rope and the timber hitch knot to create a ridgeline to hang a tarp over. The children then split into groups to have a go at constructing a den/shelter. There is a lot of problem-solving and teamwork skills involved in putting up a den. The children had to ask each other for help and share their ideas. Two groups managed to make dens so their whole team could fit in and enjoyed jumping out to 'boo' the adults when they thought they weren't looking. It was lots of fun.

30.9.2021

We can't believe how well the Reception children are settling into the rules and routines of Forest School with it only being their third week coming. They are so confident exploring the site and moving about in the woods.This week we had our tarp shelter up in the trees to give us protection from the occasional drizzle. It felt really cosy and relaxing sitting under it, singing our welcome song, counting all the children and then playing our name game. We practiced our 1,2,3 Where Are You calls in amongst the trees and had to listen to Emma shouting, "1,2,3 come back to me!" The children had to locate Emma who kept on moving to different places each time and get back to her as quickly as possible. Next, we thought about the animals that might live in the woods and how they might be feeling in the rain. We sang a song about the woodland animals and then were given one of the Forest Friends to take into the woods and make a home for them. The children used sticks and leaves to make dens at the bottom of the trees to give their Forest Friend shelter. They had to carry the sticks through the woods correctly and then balance them against the trees to create their homes. It also worked on their collaborative skills.

Year 4 started their session with our welcome chant, a recap on the rules and our name game. We quickly moved on to learning the 'Humpty Dumpty' knot and were each given a small rope to practice it on a nearby tree. It took lots of resilience to not give up when it got tricky, but the children supported each other and some were able to master this tricky knot. Next, we split into teams and were given the challenge to put up a tarp den. Previously the children had been given a set way to achieve this, but this time the children had to use their initiative to work out how to put their tarp up, using the different types of knots. There was lots of discussion and problem solving required and the children took their first steps working towards this challenge. All groups managed to tie the corners of their tarps out to the surrounding trees but noticed that the middle of the tarps were not high enough. They want to come back to this task again next week and will be reflecting on the ways they might be able to develop the success of their dens over the week.

Year 1 started their session with a game of Secret Conker. The children enjoyed this hiding and chasing game and it warmed us all up. Next we thought about what part of the tree the conker was and realised it was a seed. This inspired us to go on a seed hunt. We looked all around the site and found some grass seeds, some burrs, some hornbeam seeds and some lime tree seeds. We read a story about Christopher Nibble who learnt about seeds and how to grow new plants from them. For the rest of the session, the children explored in different ways. They were keen to have the Forest Friends out and make homes for them. Other children enjoyed using the seeds and clay to make woodland creatures such as hedgehogs and squirrels. Some children planted some bulbs amongst the trees which we hope will come out in the Spring next year. 

23.9.2021

Reception

It was great to finally get our first session with the reception children. We were so impressed with how much they remembered from the Summer term in Nursery. They were confident with the rules and routines at the start of the session and were good at coming back when they heard the call of '1,2,3 where are you?' We started our session with an Autumn leaf hunt for leaves of different colours. We found yellow, brown and green leaves, which the children were able to sort into piles. We then used the leaves and some sticks gathered from the woods to make faces. After this, we gave the children some time to independently explore. Many of the children chose to create elder beads using the palm drills and threaded them onto pipe cleaners. They were very patient waiting to use the tools and sharing with each other and were good at using the palm drills safely. At the end of the session, we thought about what made us happy today.

Year 4

We started our Year 4 session today by introducing the weather forecast feelings to the children. We thought about how we feel and that sometimes we don't always think carefully or respond honestly when someone asks us if we are okay. We thought about the different weathers and how they might describe how we are feeling e.g. feeling foggy in the morning and then brightening up later might indicate that we were feeling tired in the morning but we know we will feel better later. The children all took it in turns to share their weather forecast and gave very thoughtful answers and listened respectfully to one another. Next, we played an observation team game. The children got into two teams and were challenged to find as much dead wood as possible and use it to make the longest line. It got very competitive and the children worked hard together to source and safely carry the logs into place. It was amazing how much they were able to find when they looked carefully. There are so many resources available. Finally, we had a quick go at learning a timber hitch, which the children will use next week to design and put up some dens of their own.

Year 1

Year 1 came out in the afternoon and after a recap on rules and our name game, we played the Secret Stone game with an Alder cone. This is a favourite of the group as they enjoy being sneaky and running as fast as they can. Next, we got our breath back sitting at Base Camp listening to the story It Could Have Been Worse. It told the story of a mouse that thought he was unlucky and felt that bad things always happened to him, but he learnt to be thankful for what he had because worse things could have happened. The children enjoyed the story and used the pictures to work out what could have happened to the mouse. For the rest of the session, the children chose to explore in different ways. There are a large group of children who thoroughly enjoy creating in the woods with the ropes and tarps. Different mazes and dens were put up and the children are really developing their communication and teamwork skills, supporting each other with their creative ideas. Other children enjoyed using the clay to create mice and other creatures and some had a go at felting and making dreamcatchers by bending willow branches and using different knotting techniques. We saw so much persistence as this really was a challenging task, but they kept on going and didn't give up. We finished by thinking about what we were grateful for, following on from our story and our experiences in the session.