Squirrels set off for the woods in the sunshine and were thankful that the rain had finally stopped! They all managed to climb onto the dinosaur tree and the turtle mound on the journey. It was great to see the children taking risks and challenging themselves with the height of the tree, how to work out the best way of moving along the trunk carefully and how to turn take and share the space with each other.
On the way to the woods the children spotted some holly leaves and berries, found some acorns; some of which had turned pink and started sprouting shoots to grow into oak trees and they also saw a robin perched on the fence watching us all as we walked past.
“I think the robin is saying ‘have a lovely time in the woods’…”
Once in the woods, the children each found two sticks, measuring them carefully against the length of their arms as they chose them. They then used the sticks to tap out some rhythmic patterns and learn a song together.
The sticks were then used to make a nest for a game of ‘owl eyes’. They had to try to sneak up to the nest by hiding behind trees and being really still.
It was amazing to see a whole class of squirrels disappear into the woodland so quickly!
The class worked together to gather sticks and leaves to make a nest big enough for a person.
“These leaves will make it really soft for a nest….oh and this moss is really soft and spongy”.
Then there was time to explore and play in the woodland. There was some excellent turn taking and balancing on the slack line.
Some children pretended that the fallen tree was an aeroplane, jetting them off to Goa and New York!
Lots of the class worked to develop the den of sticks they had started last term and they had a go at digging out an old root from the forest floor, showing great perseverance and problem solving.
Some of the class found a fallen tree branch to bounce on, which was great fun!
The Impact of Forest School for the children is the knowledge the children have gained from the Forest School experience.
The impact can be seen through the skills, tools used, art and craft activities, observations and knowledge of the fruit, plants trees in relation to the seasons and the skills involved in learning how to play Forest School games.
Squirrels class ended their session by talking about what they had enjoyed about their session.
Well done Squirrels class, it was great to see the children following their own ideas and fascinations and engaging so well with the woodland environment. And a huge thank you to the parent volunteers who came and supported the children so brilliantly and got involved in all of their play. We can’t wait until next time!
