Willows have been spotting birds throughout the winter and had created their own bird feeders with pine cones. They topped up the seeds on the bird feeders to continue to feed the birds through the coming months.
Willows talked about the story they have been reading in class this week-‘The Three Little Pigs’. We talked about the different materials the houses were made of and how, why and if they were good materials for house building.
The children then had a go at using straw, sticks and clay to build different houses. Some of the children thought they could make houses, or nests for birds and most of the children spent time engaging with the properties of the materials, rather than house construction! They spent a long time digging the clay and mud and experimenting with adding water and straw to mix it. Then they pushed their mixture into the frog of a brick to create their own clay bricks with.
The children played independently, climbing the trees, using the slack line and the hammock, playing with the birds, digging clay, mixing clay with hay, making clay bricks and creating in the mud kitchen.
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, 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.
At the end of the session each child shared what they had enjoyed about their session. It was great to hear such good thoughts and witness such great listening skills.
“I like making the bird feeders….the birds keep eating all of the seeds!”
“I liked playing with the birds”
“I liked making food in the mud kitchen…I made pancakes for Doormouse”
“I liked climbing the trees and going on the slack line”
“I like digging in the clay and the mud, if it is too dry, you have to add water”
“I think that the pond could be a home to the ducks, they are not there now, and maybe they flew away, because ducks have wings”.
