Autumn Term - Tuesday 23rd November 2021

This week we welcomed a new group to forest school. The cold, wintry weather could not dampen our spirits as we headed down the lane to forest school. As we went we talked about the things we may see. The children were adamant they would spot squirrels, foxes and deer but to our surprise the first animal we encountered was a horse. A very large, friendly horse. We stroked the horses nose and he really liked it. He also liked the children's bobble hats a lot too! 

We followed the path further down and into our site. We were amazed to spot a squirrel run across the path and up into a tree. Now that the leaves have fallen from the trees we can see a lot more of the animals who live in the forest. As we continued our walk, Freddie and Dylan thought they could see eyes watching us from the bushes. We wondered what it may have been. Could it have been a bear or a tiger? We came to a small bridge with a river and followed it downstream in search of more wildlife. We stopped several times to listen to the sounds of the forest. We could hear the grasses brushing together and the branches rubbing on one another. We heard lots of birds and spotted a few robins and sparrows. Once on our forest school main site we listened again. The noises were different this time, the forest had become more dense and the sounds had changed. We decided to make our camp and have lunch. We chatted about where we would like to explore and the huge hill was first on several children's lists however this would have to be our first stop next week as the day was almost over. We walked back to our minibus. We had enjoyed our walk into forest school so much that we were now very tired. A little nap on the way back was just what some of the children needed. We look forward to climbing the huge hill next time!

Forest School 2021 Autumn Term Thursday 18th November 2021

This week was a particular favourite for the children - fire week. The end of our sessions marks the time the children select what they would like to cook on the open fire. The children had chosen to make pizzas, pancakes and noodle soup, creating a delicious three course meal. The weather had taken a turn for the worse so we also decided we should have warm drinks all day and the majority vote was for hot chocolate (with marshmallows of course!). The children sat around the lunch table in the fire pit and Tara explained how we stay safe around the fire whilst Jen got working on our Kelly kettle. Lisa explained how we could use the fire to cook our lunch and came up with a barbecue style fire pit with an old metal bin which allowed our fire to be lit but remain safe in the windy weather. This was a huge success and our starter of noodle soup was soon ready to try. It was delicious. Thank you Maya for a great suggestion! 

 As the windy weather took hold we held our hot chocolates in our hands to stay warm, snuggling closely to one another. The fire provided us with lots of heat so we were very toasty! It was beginning to feel very wintery. Next up were our pizzas which we folded to create our own calzone style. They were delicious and then for afters, pancakes! We had another hot drink before the wind really decided to blow. It was nearly time to leave but we decided to take shelter in our shed where we listened to the wonderful story 'The Enormous Turnip'. As everyone's eyes grew heavy we headed to our minibus for a well deserved rest (and a few moments of snoozing for some). 

What a super (if not a little windy) day!

Autumn Term - Thursday 11th of November 2021

This week at forest school we had a new grown up coming to join us on our adventures in the woods.  Lisa’s friend Kath joined the group and was excited to meet the children and share some of her lovely ideas with everyone.  Kath enjoys knitting and had brought along some lovely, knitted fairies.  As we prepared for the day getting our warm suits on Kath secretly hid some of the fairies in different parts of the garden.  Before we set of into the woods Tara told a tale of the magic fairies of Blaydon and that they had been spotted flying around the meadow! Could they have landed in our allotment? We were desperate to find out.  The children crept quietly around the allotment as we know fairies do not like loud noises.  It was then that Hannah spotted our first fairy, she looked closely at it but did not pick it up.  

It did not take long for the children to find all ten fairies, but no one had attempted to pick them up.  

Lisa asked Ruby “are we not allowed to pick them up” Ruby replied, “yes we can but we have to be so careful they do not like it when it is too noisy, let’s be careful!”

We gathered to look at the different colours and discuss why the fairies had landed in our allotment, the children had lots of ideas and were so excited about what they had discovered.  We then decided to head into the woods and see if we could find any more fairies or maybe fairy houses.  As we walked down the steep hill, the children talked with Kath about the ‘dangers’ of forest school and what she should do to keep herself safe.  Kath smiled as the children’s knowledge was incredible and they wanted to ensure she knew everything, they discussed brambles and nettles and why we should not touch them.  Road safety and why we should look left and right and what we should do if we see dogs when in the woods.

As we reached the bottom of the hill, we were greeted by the horses in the meadow, the galloped towards the fence and the children wanted to stop to see them.  Jen had brought carrots to feed the horses, Neve was excited to help and laughed as they chomped the carrots. As we moved towards the woods, we discovered more horses in the nearby field who were also very excited to see us.

We carried on into the woods and found a lovely area with low hanging trees, Aubrey then spotted a fairy sitting in the tree.  Tara asked the children, if this fairy is sitting in the tree what type of fairy do you think she is?  Ruby thought she must be a tree fairy.  Millie then found a fairy on the ground and the same question was asked.  Olivia decided this fairy must be a ground fairy!  The children then continued looking for fairies and fairy houses, we found several more fairies and a big cluster of mushrooms (fairy houses).

As we approached lunchtime we began setting up and space to sit, Kath then unpacked some items from her bag.  The children were intrigued and wondered what could be in her little basket.  Hannah looked inside and Kath asked Hannah if she knew how to make fairy flowers?  Hannah looked excited and said she didn’t but quickly sat down with Eve and Camille and they watched as Kath placed out different resources that they could choose from. Kath talked with the group about fairy flowers and explained how to make them, Olivia asked if she could choose any colour she wanted, Kath uncovered the basket of different colours and smiled ‘yes any colour you like’.  As the children began making their fairy flowers, they discussed their flowers and maya was excited to take hers home to show her parents.  She decided it would be her fairy wand.  Kavish was thrilled with his fairy flower and held it proudly to show everyone once finished.

The children really enjoyed working with Kath and engaged with the activities she had planned, Kath had just as much fun as the children and this is her reflection of the day…..

“I think you and your colleagues have an amazing ability to encourage the children to use their imaginations and loved the way the morning was led by the dolls…. Who became fairies to explore their surroundings and interact with nature!!  

They knew how to keep them selves safe and me as their visitor.  I’ll never forget their enthusiasm and pure joy for the morning activities and their ability to learn as only children can.  

I loved the way Tara introduced something new to the allotment, what could it be? Had the children noticed anything new?... From badgers to bird poo came the reply!!  Their interest was sparked straight away and everything was learning and magical after that as they inquisitively searched for the fairies.

It is not a situation I have found myself in before but I applaud you all for the joy and love of nature you give to those wonderful children.  I found the experience uplifting and filled me with joy. 

Best wishes to you all and thankyou for letting me be part of your world for the morning xx”

Autumn Term - Thursday 4th November 2021

This week was the first for many of the children and wow were they excited! We headed down into the woodland chatting about what we might see that day. Would it be deer, a rabbit or maybe a bear or a tiger! As we headed down the lane we spotted our first animals, two very friendly horses. The children were amazed at just how big the horses were. They decided to name them Barnamiel and Ria. We then headed further into the woodland. We stopped to look at the beautiful trees all around us. We looked at the colour and shape of the leaves and thought about which leaves belonged to which trees. Some of the children were able to identify the oak leaves and pointed out which tree they were from. We talked about the seeds which grow on oak trees and the children were able to identify an oak tree as growing acorns which the squirrels love to eat!

 As we neared the entrance to forest school, we noticed an area with a huge accumulation of leaves. We grasped handfuls of leaves, counted to three and threw our leaves up into the air allowing them to float down around us. We repeated this trying to throw them higher and higher every time. Ruby spotted a long ditch which she realised quickly she could jump right across. It was a tricky crossing as the other side was higher so using both hands, she managed to pull herself up. Everyone else wanted to try and before we knew it, we were all jumping across the ditch. The children supported one another with encouraging words or with a helping hand. Leo was thrilled to jump across the ditch independently. “I did it” he shouted.

 We walked on and found an enormous rock sitting beside the path. Camille thought she could move it so gave it a push. It was a tricky job moving a rock that big. Camille’s friends came over to help and everyone pushed but the rock would just not move so we decided to leave it for another day. Once in our forest school site, we created our camp by placing a tarpaulin on the floor. We sat down and ate our lunch which was delicious and very filling! Soon it was time to tidy up and venture onto the huge steep hills above us. Leo and Eve quickly scrambled up the hill before standing at the top to admire their achievement. The children then sat down and slid all the way to the bottom of the bank before repeating this several times. We even found a huge log to walk and balance along before engaging in more climbing. Before we knew it, the time had come to leave our woodland playground and head back to nursery. We were excited to see if our horses were still there and to our amazement they were! We said our farewells to them, promising them a carrot next week. Goodbye forest school for another week!

Autumn Term - Week 4, Tuesday 12th October 2021

This week was one of our favourites – fire week! The children discussed what they would like to cook on the fire and pizzas are always a firm favourite. The children enjoyed preparing their pizza by selecting the ingredients they wanted. They created their tomato base, sprinkled on the cheese and then chose from sweetcorn, ham and mushrooms. Delicious! Kirsty discussed fire safety with the children and everyone was extremely sensible whilst moving around the fire. Once we had prepared our pizzas, we had a little time to complete some allotment jobs. We began weeding our beds and preparing them for winter. We found lots of minibeasts which we observed closely. We also tidied our shed, moved our new pots into the greenhouse and sorted the compost bins. By this point we were all very hungry and it was time for lunch. Everyone enjoyed their pizzas and Toby pointed out that Kirsty was very good at cooking pizza. After our pizza it was time for puddling. It was our favourites (besides pizza of course), pancakes with melted chocolate and strawberries. We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch and sitting under our shelter in the rain together.

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!