Willows class new topic this term is ‘How does it grow?’, so we set off to the school garden.
After explaining about how “plants need soil, and water and sun to grow, and rain, that is water and plants grow from seeds you know? and they grow in mud”. The children set about digging over the school garden patch. They found the roots of the plants and were very excited to explain their knowledge about how the roots give the plants their food.
Whilst digging they found lots of worms, and some ants eggs and tiny centipedes. It was so good to see such engagement and enthusiasm for their learning along with great working as a team.
Once the plot was cleared, they planted some bulbs leftover from the autumn and took great care to think about how deep the holes needed to be, how they had to cover them and pat down the soil.
With a wheelbarrow full of weeds, they set off down the Forest School area to tip them on the ground.
“The worms will like them down here”
“Other animals might come and eat the weeds here”
Willows joined in with the rhythms and words of a song and then used tapping sticks to make up new rhythm patterns to take turns in leading the class with.
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 fruit, plants and trees in relation to the seasons and the skills involved in learning how to play Forest School Games.
The children kept themselves very busy with clearing any fallen twigs and small branches from the recent storm.
“This will be really good to make a fire!”
“Look at how big this branch is, it is taller than me!”
Some of them then used some of the wood to rebuild the den in the corner of the site. They worked together to build and balance and help each other carry larger bits of woods.
Other children returned to climbing in the large ivy bush today, where they had spent lots of time last session making a den.
They then passed ‘Stick Man’ around the circle to share what they enjoyed about the session.
“I likes planting and digging”
“I like building the den with my friends”
“I like finding worms, mine was massive!”
“I like going on the swing and pushing my friends on it”
