The bluebells are growing in the woodland, so to preserve these amazing plants, the Owls had their session on the field this week.
We spent the first part talking about risk assessments and the things the children can do to make sure they are safe when learning about fire. The Owls stacked wood from thick to thin, to lay a fire. Then the class used fire strikers to ignite cotton wool from a spark. It took a lot of perseverance and persistence to use the fire striker- “…it is not as easy as it looks…”. It was great to see how the children were supporting and encouraging of each other, sharing tips, working together and taking turns really well. They are developing skills of patience, resilience, focus, perseverance and encouragement. So many of the children were successful at independently starting a fire by the end of the session.
Once the fire was going the class went and picked dandelions. The Owls made sure they were free from dirt and bugs and then pulled the petals to add to some pancake mixture. Then using the great fire they had made, the pancakes were cooked over it in a frying pan. Lots of the children tried them. It is good to see them experimenting with trying new, unfamiliar foraged foods. The class were very enthusiastic about cooking and want to try more during their next forest school session.
This week the Owls had a go at ‘leaf wapping’, or leaf printing. They chose some leaves and flowers from around the site and arranged them on half a piece of fabric. The fabric is then folded over and then hammered to tap the plants and printing the leaf shapes onto the fabric in a symmetrical pattern.
Some children used secateurs to cut willow from the dome, strip it of its leaves and cut it into lengths. They then placed this in a metal tin, which went on the fire to make charcoal. Lots of the class explored and played independently, making dens and swings with tarpaulins, rope and found pieces of wood.
A huge thank you to the parent volunteers who came and supported the children so brilliantly and got involved in all of their activities.
