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!