The children in Hedgehogs (East Hoathly Primary School) joined Willows for a sunny adventure to Eastbourne beach.
After arriving on the grass way up above the beach, the children made their way down the zig-zag paths carefully listening for the sound of the waves as we got closer.
Once on the beach the children listened really well as we talked about how to stay safe while at the beach. Their knowledge was great when they were asked why we have these rules.
As it was high tide the children made a ribbon kite which they could then hold up high and watch the ribbon wriggle about in the breeze above them. They did this by attaching different coloured ribbon to the top of a length of Willow and, with a little guidance, they were able to tie the ribbon on themselves. When the ribbon kites weren’t being used the sticks were stood upright in the stones, they looked wonderful blowing in the wind together.
In pairs, the children were given a scavenger hunt sheet to help them explore all the different things that can be found at the beach. They looked closely amongst the stones and discovered a selection of shells, a rather large pile of very dry crispy seaweed and lots of patterned and stripy stones. While looking through the stones one child came across the leg of a crab and a ball of whelk eggs.
After lunch, the tide had gone out enough to expose some sand so the children made their way down the beach with buckets and spades. They enjoyed digging holes and used the sand they had dug out to build a wall around the hole. Then they went back
and forth to the sea gathering buckets of water to try and fill their hole before the water all soaked away. Others enjoyed splashing in the water’s edge, running away back up the beach as the waves broke so that their feet did not get wet. However, the water is speedy and this didn’t always work so some children’s feet got rather soggy.
The two classes finished the day sat in the sunshine with a twister ice cream before making their way back up the slope from the beach and back to school.
