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Forest School

Forest School – Term 1

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Arriving in the woods we have started each session with a game of Eagle eye. The children try their best to remain hidden while the eagles eyes are open but when they are closed they have to sneak in and tap her nest, making it back to the hiding spot before her eyes open and they are caught.

This term the children have been experimenting with tie-dying some pieces of fabric, they have done this using turmeric. First the children found themselves a small stick to wrap inside their piece of fabric. Next it was time to add the string, the classes have discovered that it worked best to tie the string in wider tight bands to give them the best tie-dye effect. The finished effect was a vibrant yellow, a perfect autumn colour.

The children have been using conkers to make their own toadstools. They carefully drilled a hole into the conker using a palm drill, making sure to only go half way through the conker. Some classes used egg boxes and some used clay to make the stem of their toadstool. With both parts made a stick was pushed half into the conker and half into the stem, using paint pens they then decorated their conker top with autumnal yellows, oranges and reds.

Rabbits had their first ever Forest School sessions of the year, they enjoyed playing a conker rolling game. The aim was to see who could get their conker as far along the playground, this was made a little trickier as they were rolling up hill. The year 6 buddies joined Rabbits for their second Forest School session. Together they explored the school Forest School site, climbed trees, crawled through pipes and gathered a selection of autumnal leaves. These leaves were used to make an autumn hedgehog picture, using the leaves as the spikes of a hedgehog.

Term 6 Forest School Round-Up

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This term we have enjoyed the sunshine in the dapple shade of the woods. The children have been fine tuning their den building creations ready for a water test. In small groups they have added many sticks and tarpaulin’s to make their den as water tight as they can. Once ready the building team all climb inside their den and water was thrown over the top of the den testing how water tight they had managed to make it, we ended up with some rather soggy children!

The children have also been practicing their fire lighting skills. Hedgehog’s class had gathered some King Alfred’s Cakes a few terms back and wanted to have a go at using them as fire starters, this was a lot trickier than the usual way the children lit their fire. However they did not give up and eventually is was achieved. With a fire going the children have toasted a marshmallow over the flame until gooey and enjoyed it squashed between two chocolate biscuits.

While at Forest School the children have used Willow to make bow and arrows, trying out their knot tying skills to attach the string making sure to have a good bend in their bow. They then cut a length of Willow as long as their arm to make themselves an arrow. Once it was all made they had a go at shooting their bows, each time they reloaded they tried to beat their distance from the time before.

Rabbit’s went to the woods for the first time this term, they enjoyed the freedom to explore all the dens built by the older classes, climb trees and play a game or two of eagle eye.

As a class the children have also worked on their team work skills by all standing in a big circle holding hands. A large hoop must then be passed all the way around the circle without the children letting go of each other. They found the large hoop easy so the challenge was kicked up a notch with a smaller hoop, this they managed to achieve but was definitely a little trickier!

As this was their last session the children in year 6 headed over to the school field and enjoyed making pizza’s on the fire!

Term 5 Forest School Round-Up

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This term, the classes have been using all the new fresh green leaves that have come out on the trees to create some beautiful hammered leaf prints. This was done by gathering up a selection of different leaves of all shapes and sizes, which were then placed on half of a piece of fabric. Folding the fabric in half, a hammer was then used to bash the fabric all over; with every bash, the juices from the leaves came out onto the fabric, creating a symmetrical picture.

Each class was given a tub filled with double cream and tasked with shaking it all the way to the woods. Arriving at the woods, the tub was opened and the cream was no longer cream—all that shaking had turned the cream to butter. The children were able to try the butter on a cracker, with many of them loving it and asking for seconds.

The dens created this term have been very creative. The children in Foxes gathered themselves up a selection of long sticks all roughly the same size and length. Using other lumps of wood, they bashed their sticks into the ground, creating a fence around their den. They also gathered lumps of rock to create a pretend campfire.

Rabbit’s Forest School

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This week in Forest School the Rabbits made prints by placing flowers into a piece of cloth, folding, using a stone to apply pressure so it transfers. There have been some beautiful creations! Well done Rabbits.

Rabbits Forest School

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Rabbit Class are lucky to be having the last Forest School session of this term next Tuesday. Don’t forget to come suitably dressed Rabbits. Badgers went this week, and found plenty of water to splash around in – maybe a little deeper than they expected!