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.
