Autumn Term : Week 2, Tuesday 28th September 2021

What an amazingly, imaginative forest school adventure we have had today! The children had decided to continue their plans from last week and find the source of the orange river. We found a bridge so we knew the river was close by. As we climbed the hill we spotted an orange river but Rupert was adamant it was not the one he had found previously but we need not have worried because he knew the way. He guided the children along a path where we passed cows, squirrels and a variety of birds until we realised something.... on the back of Ruperts jacket was a caterpillar and some eggs. We carefully scooped them into a tub and decided to carry it back to our allotment and leave it there so we could keep an eye on them (an update will follow soon). As we continued our walk we spotted something hidden in the trees. It was a house made of bricks! But who would live there? The children suggested Little Red Riding Hood, a wolf and then as we walked closer the children believed it was the little pigs brick house. 

 We began to spot some strange items, firstly a cooking pot then a huge shoe and a hat. It could only mean one thing, we had entered a strange, fairytale space within our forest school. The children were so excited! We began to walk through a more dense part of the forest, listening to the sounds around us as we went. The children believed that area of the forest belonged to a giant so we thought we had best get moving. After hearing growling sounds and cackles we had images of witches and wolves in our heads and when we found the giant steps the children were adamant we shared our forest with not only deer but some magical creatures! The children chatted to one another about their amazing adventures all the way back to nursery and can't wait to go back to forest school next week. We hope to discover some new areas of our forest but hopefully no giants!

Autumn Term : Week 1, 21st September 2021

This week we started forest school with a new group of children (very excitable ones at that). Some of the children had never been to forest school so were not sure what to expect. We jumped on board our minibus and of we went. We chatted about what we might see. Rupert was sure we would see deer and Lily thought we might see trees. As we arrived, we changed into our forest school suits and chatted about how we keep ourselves and our friends safe in the forest. We then headed down into the forest together. At nursery we have been exploring shapes so Tara set us a challenge as we walked along the path. Who can find five different shaped leaves? Luke found a tall thin leaf whilst Rishaan found a wavy leaf which he identified was from an oak tree. We noticed the leaves were a variety of different colours. We found yellow, brown, green and some spotted ones. Ahmad found a red leaf and Luke found one with three different colours. We discussed why the leaves were changing colour and Edward pointed out that it is because it is Autumn time and the leaves always fall from the trees in Autumn. Jenny added that they will grow back in the spring time.

We began to listen to the sounds of the forest. Rupert chatted about an orange river he had spotted in our forest. Could he be correct? Was there really an orange river? There was only one way to find out. We began to search for the river and found a stream which flowed into a tunnel but it wasn't orange. We followed the stream, listening for the trickling water sound as we went. We stopped at various points to check for an orange river and sure enough the water led us to a stream which had an orangy look to it. How had this happened?

Edward thought orange leaves may have fallen into the river and dyed it, Rupert thought someone had poured paint into it or a fox had cut his hair and thrown it in, Sam explained that his Dad had seen this sort of thing before and it had been changed by an elf. The children questioned whether the water was safe. We decided we should never drink the water and we would not climb in as the orange rocks underneath were not safe. 

Even though we had found a river which was slightly orange, it still was not the river that Rupert had seen. We continued our walk and found another area which seemed interesting. It had an orange stream flowing into it. We climbed down carefully to the riverbank and observed the water was beginning to turn more of an orangy colour. We thought about how we could cross the river safely, some children decided to jump independently and others crossed holding an adults hand. Once across we were faced with a problem! We were at the foot of a huge mountain. It was either go back the way we had come or attempt to scale the mountain. After a quick discussion the children made the decision that they wanted to attempt to climb it. We worked together as a team to support and encourage one another. We used sticks to pull one another up the hill and everyone was extremely proud of themselves with their huge achievement. We tried to find the orange river once again. We crossed a small bridge before eventually spotting something orange over the hill. We had found it at last! The orange river. Rupert and Edward both smiled. Rupert shouted "Yes, there's my river!"

Summer Term : Week 1, Thursday 12th August 2021

This week was the first visit to forest school for some of our children and wow were they excited! On our way into forest school we chatted about how to stay safe and some of the older children pointed out the nettles and brambles. One child explained, "Don't touch then or you get stinged and then you need a doc leaf". 

As we walked along the path, we discovered something strange. A big poo! But who could it belong to? The children gathered around the poo to hold a thorough investigation. We chatted about the type of animals who may have left it. It was decided it was too firm for a bird poo, too big for a mouse and too small for a bear. We talked about the types of food the animals in the forest ate and from that we concluded, it was in fact a fox poo. We decided to move on and look at the different trees which grow in our woodland. We spotted a silver birch, apple and oak tree. We even learned the name of a baby tree!

As we headed into our forest school site, Tara asked the children to stop, close their eyes and listen to the sounds of the forest. On that day in particular, the forest was so quiet until................ there was a rustle in the bushes and out jumped a mother deer and her fawn. The deer ran very quickly up the hill but we could not see the fawn follow. Kirsten decided to investigate and quietly tiptoed along the path to where we had last seen the deer. The deer sprang to its feet and ran up the hill in the direction of its mum. On the top of the hill we watched the fawn running before joining up with its Mum and Dad. 

The children were amazed at spotting not only one deer but three. They were truly astounded by what they had witnessed with one child commenting, "I've never seen a real reindeer before". After all the excitement we sat down to have lunch. We sat very quietly hoping we may spot the deer on their return but sadly they had gone for the day. After lunch, we had lots of fun collecting fire wood and building a fire. Some children explored holes in the ground as they chatted about what may live beneath our feet whilst Joseph and Olivia enjoyed playing on the swing we had previously created.

All of that excitement was enough to keep the conversation flowing all the way back to nursery, through tea and at group time. The deer spotting really had been a huge highlight of the the day!

Summer Term ; Week 4, Tuesday 10th August 2021

Fire week has come around quickly again for our forest schoolers but again they have chosen what they would like to cook on our fire. Our talented chefs decided upon pizzas with a variety of toppings (made to order of course) and baked bananas with raisins and chocolate drops. Delicious! As you can imagine the food was a roaring success and after a quick lunch it was time to check out the size of our pumpkins (Lewis used himself for scale). We even had time to play in the meadow (a request from Lewis). The children enjoyed exploring different ways to move in the vast open space. They practiced rolling, running, jumping and hopping. Beatrice showed us how we could jump over one another. The challenge became greater when it was time to jump over the grown ups. Daphne and Charlotte enjoyed relaxing in the sunshine and looking at the different shaped clouds which were floating past us. The children enjoyed the freedom and space the meadow has to offer. Time for snooze on the bus for some of our preschoolers!

Summer Term : Week 4, Tuesday 10th August 2021

This week was our fire week and the children had made some decisions about the type of food they would like to cook. On the menu was spaghetti with sausages and pancakes with melted chocolate on top. We also wanted to pick some of strawberries to try as they were now ready and looked very yummy! We picked them, cleaned them and then decided to pop them on top of our chocolatey pancakes. They were delicious! Our allotment strawberries are definitely the best we have tasted. 

As the day moved on, the sun got hotter and hotter and hotter until we were so hot we decided to look for some shade in the shed. We chatted about our bodies and what we need to do to protect ourselves from the sun. The children were able to give ideas such as, wear a sun hat, wear sun cream and drink lots of water. They were great answers but it was now beginning to get even hotter! We decided our plants and vegetables would need lots of water so switched on the hose pipe and gave them a really good drink. Beatrice enjoyed running through the shower of water which was watering the plants and began dancing as the water rained down on her. Her peers joined in and before we knew it everyone was soaking wet and cooling down in the bright sunshine. What a fun day!

Summer Term : Week 2, Tuesday 27th July 2021

Today we decided to head straight to our forest school site and spend as much of our day there as possible. As we headed down the big hill we pointed out some of the trees and plants we spotted. Hugh was able to identify the oak and silver birch trees whilst almost everyone remembered the cow parsley. I wonder why this one is remebered so well? Why not try asking your child what cow parsley smells like? 

As we got deeper down into the forest we stopped, closed our eyes and listened. The forest was quiet and still until we heard a loud rumbling sound. What could it be? It was a monsters grumbling tummy suggested one child. If it was a monsters rumbling tummy we would have to stick together and 'keep our eyes open' suggested another.

We headed into our forest school site, past the swamp, around the deep holes and onto the big hill. We immediately spotted a huge tree which everyone wanted to climb inside. We practiced our skills of balancing and climbing. Albert and Max climbed high into the tree whilst some of the children chose to climb up the sides or swing from the branches. 

Ossie decided to search for fossils after finding an interesting looking stick. Charlotte decided to join him and we were all soon digging with our homemade spades and forks. We found some interesting stones and rocks before again hearing the rumbling sound. Ossie pointed out that it was just the clouds and nothing to worry about so we continued. 

After a hearty lunch we got back to exploring but this time we moved through our site and on into another area listening carefully for any monsters which may be present. We did not find any monsters but we did find the 'sneaky' track which the children enjoyed walking along. "One more time" said Max after completing the walk eight times. Again and again the children moved along the path, through the 'sneaky path' and back up the adults. This was so much fun! 

It was time to leave our forest school site again but we will be back next week for more adventures!

Summer Term : Week 1, 20th July 2021

The children decided that today we would go on an adventure and it certainly was that! We walked down through the meadow to some low hanging trees where we all enjoyed climbing. Nyla was very excited and decided to climb as high up in the tree as she could. "Look at me" she shouted as she climbed higher and higher. The tree had lots of branches to climb and swing from. It was lots of fun! We then spotted a gap in the fence. Should we investigate? Definitely! We carefully walked through the gap and found a long staircase which took us down to a muddy path. As we walked further along the path we encountered a problem. A big problem! Across the path was a huge fallen tree. We stopped and discussed what we could do. The adults suggested walking back up the track but the children had other ideas. Max suggested we climb up the hill and walk around the top of the tree to get back onto the path. Lisa, Tara and Amy were not as sure but we all agreed as a group to give it a go. Amazingly the children showed us just how much they had learned from their forest school sessions. They worked together to support one another, encouraging each other as they went. Their achievements were clear to see when they reached the otherside. We were real adventurers now!

As we walked further down the path we discovered another climbing area. We took this opportunity to practice our climbing, balancing and jumping from the fallen trees which lay spread out over the leafy floor. Nyla and Chloe chose to grasp handfuls of leaves and throw then into the air. It was raining leaves! We walked on under the huge bridge until we heard water. We looked around and spotted a a small wooden bridge and a river. The children immediately took off their socks and shoes and enjoyed plodging together. Some even managed to walk underneath the bridge, pretending to be trolls as they did so. It was beautifully refereshing dipping our feet into the cold water. We practiced walking across the river on the stepping stones but some were quite slippy so we chatted about using caution when walking on wet rocks. 

Soon it was time to head back to nursery. We had enjoyed our adventure. We wondered what our next adventure might be?

Summer Term : Week 2 Thursday 1st July 2021

This week was very, very hot so we decided to have a slow walk down to our forest school site. When we arrived we decided to set up our base. What would we need to achieve this? Firstly, we decided we would need something to sit on but what could we use? Auryn immediately suggested we use our tarpaulins to put on the ground. What a great idea! Auryn walked off to the trolley and returned with a tarpaulin. He attempted to lie it down himself but soon realised this would be a tricky job without some help. He began to direct the other children. "Come on everyone", "hold onto the side" and "you need to shake it" came the instructions. The children listened and everyone took a piece of fabric, pulled it out and then when ready placed it on the ground. We placed our bags and equipment on the top to secure the tarpaulin on the ground. Now that was ready it was time to explore!

We headed up around the swamp and onto the huge hill. We spotted holes in the ground, trees to climb and a huge pile of logs, where should we begin? The children began to experiment with different ways of moving up and down the hills. We ran, walked and rolled as we investigated which was the safest way to move around. We enjoyed climbing inside some of the trees and climbing high up into the branches. 

Soon it was time for lunch and the hightlight of our day was almost here. The children chose to sit on the hill in smaller groups together rather than sit as one on the tarpaulin. Giggles and chatting could be heard around our site as the children talked amongst themselves. At that moment Lisa spotted something moving around just below us. It was an animal! A rather large animal! Anna and Arthur were shocked as they spotted it too. A huge deer had walked through our forest school site and was investigating our trolley! It walked slowly through our site before disappearing into the wilderness. We were all amazed! Once gone we headed down to see if we could spot it and although the deer was gone, it had left behind some huge paw prints. 

The deer sighting had made our day and we couldn't wait to get back to nursery to share the news with our friends. 

Summer Term - Week 4, Thursday 15th July 2021

This week was our fire week and the children had made some decisions about the type of food they would like to cook. On the menu was spaghetti with sausages and pancakes with melted chocolate on top. We also wanted to pick some of strawberries to try as they were now ready and looked very yummy! We picked them, cleaned them and then decided to pop them on top of our chocolatey pancakes. They were delicious! Our allotment strawberries are definitely the best we have tasted. 

 As the day moved on, the sun got hotter and hotter and hotter until we were so hot we decided to look for some shade in the shed. We chatted about our bodies and what we need to do to protect ourselves from the sun. The children were able to give ideas such as, wear a sun hat, wear sun cream and drink lots of water. They were great answers but it was now beginning to get even hotter! We decided our plants and vegetables would need lots of water so switched on the hose pipe and gave them a really good drink. Beatrice enjoyed running through the shower of water which was watering the plants and began dancing as the water rained down on her. Her peers joined in and before we knew it everyone was soaking wet and cooling down in the bright sunshine. What a fun day!

Summer Term - Week 1, Thursday 24th June 2021

The children chatted happily on the minibus about what they were going to do at forest school for the day. "I want to see a deer", "I want to go on the swing" and "I want to find the orange river" were the plans of the day. As we entered the forest, we looked at the different types of trees and plants which surrounded us. We were able to recognise the oak and silver birch as well as brambles and nettles. We discussed the dangers of being in the woodland. The children were able to point out that we should leave the berries on the trees for the birds as they were not safe for humans.

We followed the path which took us deeper into the woods. We met a kind lady who told us she had spotted a deer further up the path. We tiptoed quietly along the path searching for the deer. As we walked along, we spotted some of the old industrial buildings and structures which had been covered with ivy and bushes. Joseph pointed out that the structures were from a very long time ago when they moved coal around in the area. Unfortunately, we did not spot any deer on our way but we did find a meadow to have our lunch in which was filled with rabbits. 

After lunch we descended the hillside until we came to the infamous orange river, "That's my favourite colour" pointed out Auryn. Joshua climbed inside to splash whilst the other children threw sticks and watched them float away. We headed up the hill where we sat perched on some logs watching quietly and listening to the sounds of the forest. 

We followed the orange river down, across the bridge and down to a small flat section of land. Joshua was convinced he could cross the river, it was very slippy but he was determined. As he crossed, he realised the rocks were very wet and he slipped down into the water. This led Joshua to decide that next week we would have to build a bridge to cross as he didn't want to get wet again. The others agreed and a plan was made for the most spectacular bridge we could make. What tools and materials would we need? Some discussions were needed to build this magnificent bridge.

Summer Term - Week 4, Tuesday 15th June 2021

Our final week at forest school was 'fire week'. The children had discussed in the previous week what they would like to cook and it was decided that due to the amazing weather we were experiencing that a barbecue (cheese and tomato ketchup included) would be a great way to end our forest school sessions. 

We ordered all of our food and set off with a picnic basket bursting with yummy barbecue food. 

Before we could start our barbecue we assessed our new fire circle which was completed at the weekend. It was amazing but there was still lots of work to do to get it ready for cooking in. We began by removing the scrap pieces of wood and storing them in our new wood store ready for those wintry days when a fire will be key to keeping us nice and warm. We then moved our benches and table into our circle. Now our fire pit was ready for a barbecue. 

We ate burgers, sausage sandwiches and to finish pancakes with chocolate and strawberries. The consensus of the day was 'that was the best day ever!' 

Summer Term - Week 3, Tuesday 8th June 2021

After discussing our plans for the day, the children decided they would like to venture a little further into the woodland.  We walked across the meadow, down an embankment and we found a beautiful field filled with buttercups.  Hazel picked a buttercup and began a survey of friends who like butter.  This was easily decided by placing the buttercups under everyone's chins and looking for a yellow glow. After lots of detective work, she found that all of preschool like butter (even the grown ups!)  Everyone enjoyed running through the buttercup field until Jesse spotted a mysterious, dark path.  The children were asked, shall we head back up the path we had previously walked down or should we venture along the other route?  The children chose to go along the mysterious path. As we walked along the path it became quiet. Then it became darker and darker until we reached a gate.  Jesse wanted to go through the gate but oh no, we spotted danger ahead!  We spotted lots of bees whizzing around a tree further along the path.  We talked about the dangers of walking past the bees and the children decided it was best to stick to the safer route. 

We came to a small clearing where we spotted a shady area where we could have lunch out of the glare of the sun. The shaded area had three small trees with low hanging branches which looked perfect for climbing. After lunch, the children began to explore the trees. Charlotte, Jesse, Chloe and Nishka enjoyed attemping to climb the tree.  Nishka and Charlotte almost made it to the top!  Chloe was so proud of herself as she managed to achieve her goal of climbing into the tree and sitting down in it.  Albert, Jesse and Auryn enjoyed holding onto the low branches, lifting their feet up and swinging backwards and forwards. 

Oscar found 'the biggest stick in the world' and it was a truly huge stick.  Lewis then found a branch which he was very keen to move independently however he soon realised he would need a team of helpers to move it.  Very quickly a team of 'branch lifters' was assembled and the branch was moved to another part of the site.  It was hard work but lots of working together made the job easier.

Soon it was time to leave.  We walked through our 'high five' gate and up the big bank back to the minibus. This was a day full of adventure, mystery, new experiences and working together.  All the things that we love about forest school!

Summer Term - Week 2, Tuesday 1st June 2021

This week we decided to go on an adventure to find the deer.  The children thought hard about the route we should take and how we could explore the WHOLE forest!  Our first stop was a walk through a meadow full of buttercups and we had to test if everyone liked butter as the buttercup was held under our chins.

We then decided to walk over the bridge that led us to the orange stream! When we reached the top, the children found the staircase that headed up the hill and remembered this route knowing that it was the way to the deer's home.  We followed the stairs and arrived at the big fallen down tree which we climbed on to see how high we could reach.

As we followed the narrow path to the very top of the steep hill, we quietly tip toed to the area where the deer were living and waited patiently to see what we might see.  We then wondered if the deer might have headed out for lunch, so we continued our adventure to the swamp as we had seen the deer grazing here in the past.

Jesse spotted a piece of rope hanging from one of the trees as we passed through and pulled it tight. He then wrapped it around the branch and attempted to tie a knot.  He decided this would help us to find our way back next week.

We then headed further into the woods and discovered a small stream.  As it was a lovely warm day, we decided to stop for a plodge in the water.  This was so exciting, and everyone joined in and soon the children were splashing each other and even splashed Kirsty!  At the edge of the banks there was a bed of sand Jesse thought it was like being at the beach and enjoyed covering his feet.

Auryn then ventured further in the stream and found a balancing beam (log) that he walked along very carefully, Charlotte followed him, and they helped each other as they moved along and jumped to the sandy banks.

It was then time to head back to nursery as we were wet and soggy.  Even though we did not find the deer this week, what an adventure we have had!

Summer Term 2021 : NEW GROUP Week 1 Tuesday 25th May

We started our forest school with a new group of children who were extremely excited to explore our site. We asked if the children would like to head down to our site along the usual route or would they like to go a different way and go on an adventure. Of course, the children (and grown-ups) all chose to go on an adventure after all that is what forest school is all about!

 We headed to the right side of the woodland and found a huge staircase which took us to a fallen tree and a tree which we could climb inside. From here we ventured down to the river. We splashed and stamped in the water. Some children sat on the bridge so they could peer down into the water, guessing how deep it might be and what might live there. Talk quickly moved onto trolls and where they live. Lewis carefully lay on the ground so he could observe the bridge from a different angle to confirm that the bridge was in fact 'troll free'. Dexter spotted a place where the water speed changed and wanted to explore this further. We walked to the end of the river to find an enormous waterfall. We were all amazed and immediately ventured further downstream to get a better view. 

 We decided to move on and walk through the woodland where we found an orange stream. We discussed why the stream was that colour. Some children believed that someone had thrown too many oranges in the stream, another commented that it had been dyed that colour with the autumnal leaves. Charlotte suggested it may be because of the old industrial past which had happened 'before we were here'. We walked deeper and deeper into the woodland, tiptoeing quietly in case we came upon a family of deer (which we sadly didn't). We stopped on several occasions to listen to the beautiful birdsong which filled the woodland. It was an amazingly calm and tranquil experience listening to the sounds of the forest. We can't wait for more adventures next week!

Summer Term 2021 : Week 4 Thursday 20th May

Our final week at forest school was ‘fire week’. This is a very exciting week for everyone as we prepare and cook all of our lunch and snacks on the fire. We discussed what type of foods we would want to cook and chocolate cake was a definite favourite. The children also wanted pizzas and marshmallows as well as pancakes with melted chocolate and strawberries. Yummy!  

The weather wasn’t great but that wasn’t going to stop us. We talked about how to be safe around a fire and what we would need. Lisa made a small tripod fire and then we added more and more wood until we had a roaring fire to cook on. We made chocolate orange cakes by scooping out the contents of oranges and pouring in a chocolate cake mixture as well as making our own pizzas. The children chose their own toppings and these warmed us up on a cold, wet day. We were not going to let the torrential rain stop us, we kept our fire going and fired up the Kelly kettle for some hot chocolate to keep us warm. After filling our tummies, we headed to the shed for a quiet story whilst we got ready to head back to nursery.  

Our final week at forest school was a cold, wet one but that did not dampen our spirits. Forest school is always a firm favourite amongst the children and staff. A super end to our forest school time! 

Summer Term 2021 : Week 3 Thursday 13th May

This week we had already decided that we were going to search for the swing. Joseph recalled that he was sure it was on a hill beside some very large trees. We decided to head to our original forest school site to see if we could find it. On the way, we came across a rather large obstacle – a swamp! The swamp was huge and we all agreed we would need to find a safer way to cross. We found a fallen tree which lay across the entire swamped area. Could we negotiate the tree in order to cross it and find the swing? We decided to give it a try. It was very tricky but Joseph and William were on hand to help their friends get across safely. Once across we were astounded by the sea of bluebells that littered the hill. Hugh thought it should be called ‘Bluebell Hill’. It certainly lived up to its name.  

 Off we went up the hill and amazingly we found the swing. Unfortunately, all that was left was a piece of rope attached to a branch. Joseph was devastated. All of this time spent looked for the swing and eventually we had found it and it was broken. Undefeated he decided to look for the other part of the swing. We scoured the hills until we eventually found it. Joseph was delighted, he immediately tied it to the branch and the children enjoyed using it as a hand swing. It was lots of fun swinging! 

 We wanted to explore all this new site had to offer and we found a hole which was filled with branches. Some of the children thought it looked like a snake pit! As we moved in and out the branches we discovered another huge hill. We managed to move down and around to observe the entirety of our forest school site. It was breath-taking to see how large our forest school site actually is. We could see our swamped area, the hills, the meadow and our base.  

We decided to walk down the hills and see what we could find. We spotted lots of rabbit holes, a fire pit and some bricks. William and Gabriel began to build a wall whilst other children began to dig holes with sticks. Sadly, our day came to an end. But lots to look forward to next week as it is fire week! What shall we cook on our fire? After a busy day, we sat on our minibus and chatted about what we might want to cook on our fire. Everyone was in agreement, chocolate orange cake!

2021 Summer Term : Week 2 Thursday 6th May 2021

Our second visit to Forest School started rather differently to our previous week.  After tracking the electric signs, we were confronted with a digger and two workers. This was our chance to ask lots of questions! After a chat about what they were working on, they were kind enough to allow us to sit in their digger.  What an amazing experience!  

Joseph had decided he must find the elusive swing we had been searching for previously so off we went.  Leaving our trolley behind we were able to negotiate the huge hills where we spotted an orange/brown stream, a badger sett, hills of beautiful bluebells, huge climbing trees and a bridge. Unfortunately, we were unable to locate the swing and it began to grow dark. We thought the weather was going to change quickly so we headed back to our shed for lunch. We would search for the swing again next week.  

After a late lunch we enjoyed a tour of our polytunnel (the children have been growing lots of plants within nursery and there has been lots of talk about our poly tunnel so stepping inside for the first time was very exciting). We also took a look at our pond to see if we could spot any tadpoles or even frogs!  

Unfortunately, the time had come to leave our beloved forest school for the day.  As we headed back on our minibus, we discussed our day and what we had enjoyed. The minibus was a little quieter than usual as we approached nursery. Everyone was feeling very tired after our busy day and decided to have a rest and of course Hugh had fallen asleep ….. again!!   We can’t wait for next week!

2021 Summer Term : Week 1 Thursday 29th April

The children were very excited to finally get back to Forest School.  Our day began with a discussion about what we would need for our forest adventure.  We packed a trolley with food, water, shelter, string and our trusty First Aid kit.

 As we headed down into the forest some of the children were able to recall the area, routes and dangers.  As we got deeper and deeper into the forest, we spotted some red marks on the ground.  A worker told us that they were searching our forest for electricity.  We were able to follow a track of red marks all the way down into the forest. We were amazed that there was electricity in the woodland. We wondered why it was there.

 We discovered a new path which we had never seen before.  We followed it down to a small river where the children decided to work for the day.  We began to experiment with different ways of crossing the river.  Some areas were shallow enough for us to walk across, another required stepping stones, another a bridge and another was just too deep, which some of the children discovered.

After extending our existing knowledge on depth we were surprised by some differing weather.  We experienced hail, snow, rain and finally sunshine.  It’s very difficult building a shelter in these types of weather but we succeeded because as we say in preschool…. “team work makes the dream work”.

On our way back to Nursery we chatted about our day while Hugh had a lovely snooze!

Forest School Week 2

Our second forest school week was just as eventful as the first! As we entered the woodland, the children began to explore a large bushed area where we weaved and dodged low hanging branches until we discovered a small, enclosed area. To our amazement there, lying on the ground, was a small round object. Wow! What could it be? Walter thought it was a snow dragon’s egg. But why was it there? Had it dropped out of the tree? How would the snow dragon Mummy find the egg?

We needed a plan.  Jonah decided to put the egg into his pocket to keep it safe. The children discussed what to do next. They decided to build a nest and place the egg inside. We started to head out of the bushes but - oh no -Tara got stuck!  Walter and Patrick helped Tara to negotiate a very low branch, then used their ropes to finally pull her to safety. Time to get on with building the nest!

We found a small secluded area under a tree where we could build the nest.  The children agreed it was a safe place. Jonah carefully laid the egg down. The mummy snow dragon would be so pleased the children took such great care of her egg.

As we walked along the path we found a frozen puddle. We wondered why it was frozen. After a few skating attempts we headed down the path to what Walter refers to as “the secret door”.   Passing through, we headed across the lane to the bridge. Talk turned to who lived under the bridge. Could it be a troll? We carefully walked quietly over the bridge, trying to avoid those words “Who’s that trip-trapping over my bridge”. We succeeded!  Now time to set up camp and have lunch.

After lunch we explored the river. We paddled in the shallows before finding the deeper part of the river, which we avoided. The children began to construct a bridge to a small island in the middle of the river. This was hard work and we had to search for some very large stones. The children began to explore how they would manage to carry the large stones over to the bridge, so lots of team work occurred. After lots of floating and sinking investigation, it was time to head back to nursery.

Another busy day, what will next week bring?

Forest School Week 3

On our way to Forest School, Diane pointed out ‘the castle’. The children instantly wanted to explore it so, after packing up our trollies for the day’s adventures, we set off along the path.  On the way we all enjoyed playing ‘1, 2, 3, where are you?’, which is our hide and seek game.

When we finally arrived at the castle, Walter asked Tara to be a troll. Tara stomped around, attempting to catch children.  Everyone thought it was hilarious and ran away screaming. Tara showed the children where her troll home was. It provided the perfect climbing area; huge boulders created a climbing wall which everyone was able to negotiate.  It encouraged much problem solving, sharing of ideas and supporting friends.

After a quick drink (it’s thirsty work climbing all morning) it was time to head to our site for lunch. The children wanted to check on their snow dragon egg on the way. To their surprise, it was still there! Jonah decided to keep it in his pocket, where it would be safe.

Down to the river, camp set and lunch out! After our yummy soup, which was made by 3-4s, it was time to investigate the river. But where was our bridge? It had disappeared. The children noticed the large stones have been pushed down the river. Theo decided to throw some small stones into the river and we all talked about the noise they made when they landed. How could we make different noises? Inez and Riley decided to take some huge stones on to the top of the bridge and drop them into the river. Wow! They made a huge splash!

Unfortunately, our time in the woods had to come to an end. A lot of tired children were ready to return to nursery.

Another great adventure! Another great day!

Forest School Week 4

After crossing the lane into the forest, the children stood quietly to observe two robins who were playing together in the grass. We then headed off to our site but - as usual - the sights, smells and sounds of the forest distracted us.

Jacob thought we may see a bear in the woodland – he could be right! Imaginations were in full swing as the children began to play rescue games, naming each other as a character from Octonauts. As the wind blew harder, the more important the rescue missions became. Children collected long sticks in order to support their friends and rescue them when climbing the large hills – ‘pull and heave’ were good words.

After lunch, we decided to visit the ‘giant’s castle’. As we headed up the path, Sebastian explained that he wanted to ‘explore’. Well … to explore the area, it was time to head off the beaten track and venture into the wilderness. We climbed over logs and holes, dodging nettles and brambles. To Jacob’s amazement, we found a strange grass which looked like bamboo. Maybe he was right after all, maybe the forest was home to a bear! We explored the bamboo, pulling the slim branches downwards and watching it spring back into place.

Riley found a deep, dark hole. Who could this belong to? Riley climbed down into the hole to investigate further but – oh no - Riley got stuck!  Luckily Riley used his thinking skills and managed to free himself.  Phew!!

A day of exploring and battling against the wild and noisy wind came to an end too soon. The children (and staff) were very tired.

We now know that the wild wind can make exploring in the woodland more difficult.  “You need strong legs to stay standing up!!” said the children.