Willows set off in their waterproofs and wellies ready to explore the Forest School area for the first time.

Willows were shown around the site, looking at areas that are safe to explore on their own and the areas that we don’t go to without an adult. They also learnt how to be safe around the fire circle and that they should never eat or pick anything up unless an adult has said it is ok to do so.

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.

Many of the children chose to create some wonderful dishes in the mud kitchen. They gathered pans of mud and acorns, which they mixed together with some water. When asked what they were making, one child replied, “I’m making soup”.

The children were very good at balancing on the slack line, holding on to the top rope and making their way to the other side. Some of the children also discovered that they could bounce themselves quite well by jumping up and down. This however made it a little tricky to stay on the slack line.

Some children chose to decorate a wooden disc using pens to create a picture. They they used a palm drill to make a hole in the wood, which they found a little tricky but really tried hard. They practiced their threading skills by pushed some wool through the hole and knotting it to make a necklace. The necklaces were then hung from a branch and the children watched them spin in the wind.

Willows ended their session by trying some jam on crackers. The jam had been made on the fire by one of the older classes. This went down very well and many of them came back for seconds.

Maples started their session today with a recap of the rules which help to keep them safe around the fire circle. Then putting these rules into action they laid and lit a fire ready to make some jam.

Some children carefully peeled and cut the apples ready to be softened on the fire. Once the apples were soft, blackberries and sugar were added. When the jam was ready the children toasted some bread, turning it regularly so that it did not burn. Then they had the chance to try some of the toast and jam. This went down well as many had seconds!

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.

Some children chose to make Elder bead necklaces. They used a palm drill to push out the pithy middle of the Elder before pushing some wool through the hole they had created. Then they tied the two ends of the wool together. They used pens to decorate their beads, some were plain in colour whereas others were covered in spots.

Some great teamwork was demonstrated by some of the children who worked together to build the best defence possible for their dens. They did this because there was a little bit of den invading going on!

While exploring the site and moving material about a few of the children came across a rather large frog. They watched the frog as he made his way to the bug hotel and climbed inside one to the terracotta pots.

Oaks set off on a hunt for some blackberries, hoping to find enough to make jam with on the fire. They placed the berries they had collected into a bowl before adding some apple, which they had peeled and cut into small chunks, along with a little sugar. The fire was prepared and lit by Oaks. They did this using a flint and steel to strike some cotton wool before placing it on top of the fire that had already been laid. Once it was ready the apple and berries were added to a pan and placed on the fire. The children mixed and mushed them until it was all soft and looked like jam. They then took it in turns to toast some bread over the fire ready to try their jam, which was enjoyed by all as many of the children came back for seconds.

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.

Some children chose to practice their tool use by making Elder beads. They did this by cutting the Elder to a length of their choice and then using a palm drill they pushed out the pithy middle. They then used pens to add colour to their beads before pushing some wool through to finish off their necklace or bracelet.

There were some great creations in the mud kitchen today. The children mixed mud with a little bit of water, which created a sort of clay that they were then able to roll into balls. The mud balls were then pushed onto sticks and looked like mud lolly pops!

Year 6 Oaks started their last ever Forest School session today with a bit of team building. They were given two short lengths of guttering and had to transport an apple from one end of the class to the other without dropping it. This is a lot harder than it sounds and requires a great deal of team work.

As the class walked to Forest School they shook some cream with the hope of making butter. Once this was achieved the class had the chance to enjoy trying their butter on some crackers. Most defiantly a hit as many of the class had more than one cracker.

A group of children worked together to gather all the things needed to have a fire – dry wood, tinder and the fire strikers. They then put all the knowledge they have gathered from other sessions together to lay the fire and get it started. Once the fire was established the class toasted themselves a marshmallow which they enjoyed in between two biscuits.

While they were sat around the fire circle the children found some cold charcoal which they rubbed onto their fingers to paint stripes onto each others faces.

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.

Using secateurs some of the children cut themselves two lengths of hazel. Then they used a knife to carefully strip the bark and add a point to their stick. Before using any tools the children were asked to explain to Dormouse how to be safe while using them, they were all able to do this very well. Once their sticks were finished some children chose to place them on the fire, they said that “it will give it a burnt look”. This was rather effective.

Working together the children put the hammock swing and slackline up by themselves. They then challenged themselves to walk along the slackline with only two sticks to help with their balance. They also took it in turns to push each other as high as they could in the swing.

Today’s session was finished by asking the class what they have really enjoyed from their time spent at Forest School while at Park Mead.

“all the food”
“exploring and making”
“making dens with my friends”

Oaks started their session with a game called ‘Touch Eagle Eye’. The children had the count of 10 to hide before Dormouse opened her eyes. Dormouse then closed her eyes for another count of 10. Whilst she was counting, the children had to run and touch her hands before she reached 10. If she could see anyone when she opened her eyes, they were caught and helped Dormouse until the next game.

At the start of round two, the class came rushing forward saying that they had found an Owl. They were right, at the base of a large Oak tree there was a young Owl. The class made sure they were quiet so they didn’t scare the bird as it made its way through the fence and off into the countryside beyond the school. Oaks were then able to continue with their game. For Dormouse who had her eyes shut and hands out, the class sound like a stampede of children as they ran in and away again as fast as they could.

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.

Oaks had the chance to practice the fire lighting skills they have learnt in previous sessions and were very quick to get the fire going. While the fire was getting hot enough to cook on, the children started to make their pizzas. They cut open their pitta bread and filled it with tomato puree and cheese. Then they wrapped it in foil and brought it over to the fire ready for cooking. As they waited patiently for their pitta pizza some of the class discussed what they thought it would taste like, “it will be a smoked pizza”. Once ready they were eaten very quickly and Dormouse felt that cooking pizza on the fire was a huge success!

There was some fantastic den building in one corner of Forest School today. A group of children wedged some wood into the fence to create a roof, then they used other curved pieces of wood to create a wall from one side of the fence to the other. Very creative den building Oaks!

Maples where given some cream to shake as they walked down to Forest School today, by shaking it they hoped to make some butter. It wasn’t long before they were successful. The class then had the chance to try the butter on some crackers, which I would say was well liked as many of the children came back for seconds.

Before setting off to explore, the class played a game of Touch Eagle Eye. Dormouse counted to 10 to give the children time to hide before she opened her eyes. By this point all the children must be hidden. Dormouse then closed her eyes for another count of 10 during which the children had to run and touch her hands before she got to 10 and opened her eyes. When she opened her eyes, if she could see any of the children they were ‘caught’ and had to come and help her.

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.

A few children chose to help put up the slack line. They made sure that it was not twisted as it went around the tree, then they carefully threaded it through the ratchet before testing their strength by cranking the ratchet as tightly as they could. Once it was up the class were told that today they would be using the slack line without the top line for balance. Instead they were given two sticks to use, it was great to see so many of the children give this a go. Some found it a little tricky as it can be quite wobbly when you’re up there. Some of the children chose to push themselves a little by trying to walk along the slackline holding only one stick, some even attempted it without any sticks. With a little more practice I don’t think it will be long before they are walking all the way along with-out any sticks to hold onto. Well done Maples!

A group of children chose to make their own improvements to a den that had been created by another class at the base of a large oak tree. They enlarged the opening and added a side area that they called “the medical unit”. They also added tyres at both paths leading to their den “we have made turrets”, that they sat in guarding their newly created den.

There were also some wonderful creations in the mud kitchen with all sorts of dishes being made using a variety of natural materials, from mud and grass to woodchip.

Maples finished their session by playing another game of Touch Eagle Eye, except this time those that had been caught took it in turns to shout “eagles eyes are closing for 10”, with the class then running in to touch their hands.

Willows started their Forest School session today by helping to move some woodchip down to our site at the bottom of the school field. They worked together to fill up the wheelbarrow and some trays. While we were doing this we talked about where the wood chip had come from, Willows were full of questions “why is it in little bits?” and “why is it smoking?”. Once down at Forest School they spread the woodchip around on some of the more muddy areas.

The class were shown where a bird has decided to make a nest up in the roof space of our shelter. They were asked what they had to do if they were near the nest – “be really quiet”. They said this was because of the baby birds and that if they were quiet then they would be able to hear the babies.

Some of the children then chose to create their own nest except their nests were for dragon eggs instead of bird eggs. They made their eggs by decorating some stones. They wove willow together to create a circle, wedging sticks into the sides to make the bottom of the nest and then lining it with grass.

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.

There were lots of things being cooked up in the mud kitchen this after-noon. The children spent quite a bit of time transporting water from another area back to the mud kitchen. They started this with a pot that was full of holes, however they soon discovered that they needed to change the container that was being used in order to move the water successfully. When asked what they were cooking I was told – “Dormouse pancakes”.

Oaks started their session today using wheelbarrows, buckets and any tubs they could find to move the wood chip from the car park down to our Forest School site. Once down there they spread the wood chip out in all the really muddy spots and around our fire circle. Some of the logs that the class sit on around the fire circle have become a little rotten, in pairs the children moved the logs and added them to our bug hotel. They then worked together to carry some new Oak branches to use as seats in the fire circle. These were a little heavier so more children were needed to help carry them – great team work from all of Oaks today! When we were finished, the whole class sat down to enjoy a cold refreshing ice lolly.

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.

Some of the class helped to put up the slack line, making sure to make it as tight as possible. Normally we put up another line for them to hold onto as they walk along the slack line however, this time the children found themselves two long sticks instead. Using the sticks to help themselves balance they walked along the slack line, the rest of the class encouraged them along the way. This is a really tricky thing to achieve but it was great to see the children keep trying and trying until they made it.

There was lots of free play on the hammock swing, taking it in turns to push each other as high as they could, with the occasional child swinging into the bushes!

Using the clay some of the children chose to make some clay animals. While they were sitting at the table they noticed that a nest had been built up in the roof space of the Forest School shelter. Hopefully this means that we have some baby birds sharing the space we use.

We started our Forest School session today by going to the pond area in groups to see what was living in the water. The class were asked what they thought they might catch before we started “a fish”, “a frog”. Although they did not find either of these things they did find plenty of other creatures. Using an ID sheet they were able to identify that they had caught some water louse, Ramshorn snails, Caddisfly larvae and a newt. Everything was put into a clear tray so the children were able to look at them from the bottom. Doing this they were able to see the newts tummy “it’s orange”.

The children then got into small groups for a scavenger hunt. The had lots of different things to find, from something long to something that crawls. They worked together to find as many things as they could, but finding something red proved to be a little tricky.

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.

Maples then had the job of transporting as much woodchip down to Forest School as they could. Climbing on top of the woodchip pile they started to fill their containers “it smells like Christmas”. They then carried their containers down the field to the site. Some of the class stayed to spread out the woodchip inside the fire circle whereas others went back and forth bringing down more woodchip. They even managed to rope Oaks class into carrying some down as they did their daily Active Mile. As they got deeper into the pile they noticed that the woodchip was really warm. We talked about the reason why it was getting warm, which was because the pile was starting to decompose. It was great to see such team work from all the children at Park Mead. Some were so keen that they offered to continue to move it the next day!

There was lots of free play at Forest School today, we had some great imagination being used in the mud kitchen with all sorts of creations being made “I’m making pancakes with strawberries and vanilla”. There were also children with great tree climbing and den building skills.

Chestnuts set off in groups to try and find everything on their spring scavenger hunt. They worked well together and found something that crawls, something red and so much more.

Half the class then made their way to the pond by the vegetable patch for some pond dipping. When talking about what they may catch most of the class were convinced they would be catching some fish. The children crouched down to dip the nets into the water – “I have something wiggly in my net”. Everything they caught was carefully put into a tray of pond water. The children then used an ID sheet to work out what they had caught; between them they had a Rams-horn snail, a few water louse and a smooth newt. The newt was in clear water so they were able to look underneath at its tummy – “it has an orange spotty tummy”.

The other half of the class started to tidy Chestnuts vegetable garden. They did this by removing all the weeds and digging the soil over ready for planting. While digging they found some bulbs, these were carefully replanted.

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.

We then went down to the Forest School site where the children took it in turns to pond dip in the forest pond. This time they found something a little bigger and again using the ID sheet, they were able to work out that they had found a dragonfly nymph.

There was some great den building today. The children worked together to move long lengths of wood from one side of Forest School to the location of their den on the other side of the site. There was a rather large hole full of sticky mud that they had to go through to get to their den, so to make it easier they filled this hole with lumps of wood to use as stepping stones.

We finished today’s session by telling each other what we had enjoyed about Forest School today.

“finding the big thing in the pond”
“looking in the pond”