Oaks started their session today by looking at selection of animal bones from British wildlife. Looking at them one at a time the class tried to work out what animal each one could be. The children had the opportunity to hold and take a closer look at the bones to see what they felt like, what the teeth looked like and how heavy they were.

A few members of the class helped to lay and light the fire. They remembered from previous sessions that the sticks for the fire have to be stacked with larger ones at the bottom and smaller ones at the top. Then using a flint and steel they lit a piece of cotton wool, this was then placed on top of their stick stacked fire. Once the fire was roaring a kettle was hung over the flame to boil some water for a hot chocolate, the
children helped to get the cups ready. A warm hot chocolate was then enjoyed by all.

There was a new tyre swing hung from one of the large Oak trees. The children helped to push each other trying their best not to get covered in mud from their friends boots as they pushed.

Using the trunk of a large Oak tree, a group of children created themselves a large den. They did this by placing long lengths of timber diagonally against the tree and down to the floor. Then they gathered more natural materials to block up the sides leaving just one way in and out. They worked really well as a team, listening to each other’s idea and working together to transport the materials needed.

Using salt dough the class made some animal tracks to take home. They did this by pressing a stone with an animal track on into the salt dough and leaving an impression behind.

Some children chose to make an apple and sunflower seed bird feeder for the birds that we share our Forest School space with. First they cut an apple into quarters, tied a piece of sting to the apple and then pushed as many sunflower seeds as they could into it. This was then hung from a tree ready for the birds to enjoy.

The Impact of Forest School for the children is the knowledge the children have gained from the Forest School experience, this can be seen through the skills gained, tools used, art and craft activities, observations and knowledge of the fruit, plants and trees in relation to the seasons.

Chestnuts started their session by looking at a selection of bones belonging to animals from the British countryside. As they looked at each one, the children tried to work out which animal the bones were from. They did really well at this. The bones were passed around giving everyone the opportunity to take a closer look.

A few children helped to lay and light the fire, making sure to start with larger sticks at the bottom and working their way to smaller sticks at the top. Then they used a flint and steel to light a piece of cotton wool. The children who had managed to light their own cotton wool then worked with the others who were finding it a bit difficult. They offered great advice and encouragement. It is quite tricky to do but they all persevered and eventually managed to light it by themselves.

Once the fire was going, we hung a kettle of water over it to boil some water for hot chocolate. The children helped to get the cups ready and watched for the steam to start coming out of the spout. This gave them a sign that the water might be ready, however it was the rattling of the kettle lid that told us the water was boiling. A nice warm hot chocolate was then enjoyed by all the class!

Some children chose to make improvements to the den they had built in their last session as it had been changed by another class. They worked well to transport the materials they needed from one end of the site the other.

Using empty toilet rolls the children made feeders to place around the Forest School site for the local birds. They did this by covering the toilet rolls in lard and then rolling them in bird seed. Then they chose a tree branch to hang their feeder from.

The Impact of Forest School for the children is the knowledge the children have gained from the Forest School experience, this can be seen through the skills gained, tools used, art and craft activities, observations and knowledge of the fruit, plants and trees in relation to the seasons.

Willows started their session today by having a look at a selection of animal bones found in the British countryside. To give the children a chance to take a closer look at each skull we passed them around and talked about which animals they were from. We looked at their teeth and talked about which food the animals may eat.

Some of the class helped to get the fire ready by laying down sticks. They starting with larger ones at the bottom with thinner ones at the top. The fire was then lit and a kettle of water, which had been carried down by the children, was placed over the fire to boil.

The children sat and waited patiently for the water to boil. While they waited they got the cups ready for a hot chocolate. The kettle did not take long to boil, the children soon pointed out that water was jumping out the spout! Once the water had boiled the class enjoyed a warm drink around the fire.

The children made the most of the newly cleared space at Forest School. They found mud they could squelch through and thick ice in the mud kitchen which they enjoyed breaking up. There was also some great turn taking on the tyre swing, making sure to help push others in the class while they were waiting for their turn.

Using salt dough and stones with the footprints of animals on one side, the children were able to create their own prints to keep.

The Impact of Forest School for the children is the knowledge the children have gained from the Forest School experience, this can be seen through the skills gained, tools used, art and craft activities, observations and knowledge of the fruit, plants and trees in relation to the seasons.

Forest School started today with laying the fire to help keep us all warm on a chilly December afternoon. A few children helped to set everything up and once this was done, they practiced their fire striking skills. Some of the children found this tricky but didn’t give up until they had managed to light their piece of cotton wool. Once the fire was lovely and warm, the children took it in turns to come into the fire circle and toast a marshmallow. This was then placed in between two chocolate biscuits ready to be enjoyed. A kettle was hung over the fire to boil some water ready for a nice warm hot chocolate!

Some children chose to make a Christmas star decoration. They did this by cutting some lengths of Willow using secateurs then, with a little bit of grown-up help, they tied the sticks together creating their star shape. Then they added pine vegetation to their star to give it a festive look. Some even added beads, which they had threaded onto string and then hung from the bottom of their star.

A group of children made a very impressive base camp in the back corner of Forest School. They worked together to dismantle the old base before recreating their new base with improvements to the roof structure. They added vegetation to the sides making the inside more camouflaged.

There was plenty of free play in the mud kitchen with all sorts of yummy sounding food being created. They also discovered the log pile and the rope swing. They enjoyed climbing to the top of the woodpile, holding onto the rope, jumping off and swinging out before lowering themselves to the ground.

Maples set off in the winter sun for an adventurous afternoon at Forest School, helping to carry all the natural materials and equipment needed for today. Once down at Forest School we had a quick recap on safety as the site had changed a little since Maples were last there. Then the children headed off to explore on their own.

Some children chose to get ‘cooking’ in the mud kitchen. They filled lots of different pots and pans with water and then added leaves, mud and grass to make different food dishes. They took the pots to their woodland den and invited their classmates and teachers for a party food feast!

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 and trees in relation to the seasons and the skills involved in learning how to play Forest School games.

In the far corners of Forest School, there were two different base camps being made. The children worked together to prop wood up against or through the fence to make the frame. Then they added a layer of Leylandii to help camouflage the den.

The children were very creative and made some natural Christmas decorations to place on the class tree. They did this by adding gold paint to very large pinecones and attached a piece of string to help them hang.

Others chose to make a mini tin bug hotel. First, they used a pair of pliers to squash down any sharp edges and then added string so it could be hung up at home. They gathered a selection of sticks, leaves and wood chip to pack into their tin ”mine is just for woodlice” said one child as she packed her tin with woodchip.

Using the new piece of rope that is hanging from the tree, the class took it in turns to jump from the woodpile and hang on for as long as they could. This is not as easy as it sounds which the teachers found out when they were encouraged by Maples to give it a
go.

Maples finished their session with a festive woodland whisper, which was almost the same after it had made its way all around the fire circle.

A call out to any parents/carers who might be able to help. Dormouse needs some help to secure the rope swing using the correct knots so the children can have a tyre swing. Is there anyone who has super knot tying skills? If you are able to help, please let the School Office know. Thank you.

To get warm today Oaks started their Forest School session with a game of Touch Eagle Eye. This was a little tricky as the piles of timber on the grass slowed the children down meaning that they were easier to catch out.

Using the tins that they had brought in some of the class decided to make a mini bug hotel. They started by using pliers to squash the edge of the tin down making it safer to use. They then gathered a selection of leaves, twigs, bamboo and woodchip to fill their tin. They made sure to pack the tin as full as they could so that nothing would fall out when it was hung up in Forest School ready for the local bugs to move into!

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.

The children very creative in the mud kitchen. They used mud that had been rolled into balls and wrapped with leaves to create some Forest School sushi. This was just one of their very creative woodland foods.

A small group of children wanted to help make some improvements to our Forest School site. They moved the wood that had been cut down recently from the grass and stacked it into a very neat pile. We were very impressed as some of the pieces of wood were rather heavy. They then worked together to saw up some dead Oak branches to add to our firewood pile. It was great to listen to them giving each other pointers while
sawing whilst helping to make sure that the person who was using the saw was being safe at all times. They even helped clear all the leaves from our shelter, using a rake to get them all off the roof.

Using clay, the children experimented with making some leaf imprints. They did this by rolling the clay into a ball and then pulling it flat. They placed a fallen leaf on top of the clay and carefully rolled over the leaf pushing it into the clay. After the leaf was peeled away, they could see the impression that was left behind. Some children chose to add colour to their leaf impressions to make them stand out more.

A call out to any parents/carers who might be able to help. Dormouse needs some help to secure the rope swing using the correct knots so the children can have a tyre swing. Is there anyone who has super knot tying skills? If you are able to help, please let the School Office know. Thank you.

Chestnuts set off in small groups on the hunt for as many different autumn leaves as they could find. Then they laid the leaves they had found onto an ID sheet to help identify them.

Once at Forest School some of the class chose to create a mini bug hotel in the tins they had brought in. They did this by gathering some small sticks and leaves, which were then packed tightly into the tin ensuring they wouldn’t all fall out. As a group we talked about the importance of creating somewhere dry and out of the cold for the bugs to hide over winter.

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.

Unfortunately the den that the class had created in their last session had been dismantled. This did not seem to bother them and they very quickly got stuck into creating another amazing den. While they were constructing the children came across some fungi that was growing on the wood previously used for the den roof. The children were very intrigued by the fungi asking an adult what it was and if they could still use
the wood if they made sure to only look at the fungi. They had found some King Alfred’s Cakes and some Yellow Brain. We talked about how the King Alfred’s Cakes can be used to start a fire. The children gathered these ready to try the next time they are at Forest School and are lighting a fire.

Some of the class practiced their sawing skills. They helped to cut up some long dead Oak branches that had recently been taken down. First, they chose the branch they wanted to cut up and placed it on the saw horse. Some of the lengths were so long that they had to make several cuts to reach the end. Once their branch was cut, they gathered the pieces and added them to our firewood box. Great work Chestnuts!

With the new fence around the pond, the children decided to revamp the old sign that had become a little faded and unreadable. There is now a lovely sign that reads ‘The Nature Bog’, with very colourful flowers, bees and butterflies all over it.

Willows set off in the Autumn sunshine on the hunt for as many different fallen leaves as they could find. Using an ID sheet they laid their leaf against the outline on the sheet to work out which trees the leaves belonged to. They also noticed all the different coloured leaves they found were – “look, I found a yellow and red one”.

There have been a few changes at Forest School. There is a newly cleared area to explore and a new fence around the pond which makes it much easier to watch the wildlife. While we were talking about the wildlife that may live within the pond, the class heard a big SPLASH! It turns out that Willows had disturbed a rather large frog which made a quick exit.

The Impact of Forest School for the children is the knowledge they 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 and trees in relation to the seasons and the skills involved in learning how to play Forest School games.

Some of the class chose to practice their sawing skills by helping to cut some branches for the firewood pile. They worked well together to snap off all the thin twiggy bits at the tip of the branch. Then with one child lifting each end, they moved the branches onto the saw bench. Taking it in turns the children cut lengths off the branch. This can be very tricky but they worked hard and persevered until they had cut all the way through.

Using the tin that they had brought into school, the children gathered up some natural materials they thought insects might like to hide in. By placing them inside the tins they created a small bug hotel to take home and pop in their own garden. They chose to gather a selection of leaves, twigs and grass, making sure the tins were stuffed full.

We began Forest School today with a game of Touch Eagle Eye. The group had to count to 10 and hide before the eagle’s eyes were open. When the eagle’s eyes were closed, they had to run in and touch Dormouse’s hands and get back to their hiding spot before the eagle’s eyes opened again. Sometimes they were not fast enough and were spotted. If they were spotted they had to join the eagle in her nest and help spot their
class mates.

Many of the group chose to explore the small stream that runs down the side of our Forest School site. They used forks to remove some of the vegetation that had been washed down, which allowed the water to flow more easily. Then they used a colander to sieve the water and see if they could catch anything. As the water drained away the children noticed something – “there’s something wiggling”. Taking a closer look, they
found lots of small fresh water shrimps.

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 and trees in relation to the seasons and the skills involved in learning how to play Forest School games.

With all the rain that we have had lately there is an area at Forest School where the mud has been washed away leaving a bit of a hole. Some of the group chose to help dig up a rather large plant to fill this hole. Working together they dug their way around the base of the plant – “let’s do it on opposite sides”. This was an effective method as the plant was finally freed from the ground and carried it to its new home. They filled the
hole first with some wood and then wedged the plant in around the wood before placing one more long log to hold it all in place.

Using clay and some conkers the children made hedgehogs. They did this by using the husk of the conker to make a spiky hedgehog back, then used clay to make the soft body. Others chose to use the conker, wrapping it in clay to create a larger ball shape.

They then added a point to the top creating a mini pumpkin.

Chestnuts started Forest School by sitting around the fire circle and recapping how to stay safe. Some children helped to lay and light the fire, practicing their striking technique to light a piece of cotton wool. They found this a little tricky but kept trying.

Some help was needed but with practice they will get there on their own. Once the fire was going, the children cut up some apples and placed them in a pan with some blackberries and sugar. This was put on the fire and cooked until it was soft, making jam. The children then took it in turns to toast some bread over the fire so that they could try the jam. They all really liked it with some of the children coming back for more!

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 and trees in relation to the seasons and the skills involved in learning how to play Forest School games.

Chestnuts built a rather impressive den around the base of a large Oak tree. The children had worked together to drag some Leylandii branches down the school field to their chosen den spot. Using long branches and old fence posts they created a frame work. Then they placed the Leylandii branches on the framework, helping to camouflage their den. The den had a kitchen in the back where all sorts of creations were made in various pots.

There was plenty of free play in the hammock with the children taking it in turns to push their friends. Others chose to decorate pieces of wood. One of the pieces of wood was decorated with ladybirds in lots of different colours.

While moving materials around at Forest School the children came across a frog that was hiding under some old fence posts. The children watched as the frog hopped away to hide in the bug hotel.