A very wet and soggy first Forest School for Hedgehogs today, this did not bother them at all. We got our waterproofs and boots on and headed outside, in the hunt for some puddles to splash in.
We headed down to the trees on the field to have a go at building a tarpaulin shelter, to see if we could keep dry. Hedgehogs worked well as a team, pegging the tarpaulin to the trees and the fence, this was not easy when it’s so windy. It was too windy for the pegs so they decided to use ropes to secure the last two corners. We all got under the tarpaulin as the wind blew it up and then back down onto our heads creating lots of giggles.
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 gained, 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.
We moved over to the fire circle for a bit of bug hunting, we talked about the importance of being gentle with what we find but also returning the logs to their original places once finished. Hedgehogs were great at identifying all the minibeasts we found. “I found an Earwig, come see” we looked at the Earwig closely and talked about how it’s best not to touch as you may get pinched. We found a Toad and everyone took it in turns to hold the Toad and talk about what it felt like “it’s cold”.
They then sat and went round the circle listening to what they had enjoyed about their afternoon at Forest School.
“I liked bug hunting”
“Making the den”
“Touching the Toad”
