Year 6 Oaks started their last ever Forest School session today with a bit of team building. They were given two short lengths of guttering and had to transport an apple from one end of the class to the other without dropping it. This is a lot harder than it sounds and requires a great deal of team work.
As the class walked to Forest School they shook some cream with the hope of making butter. Once this was achieved the class had the chance to enjoy trying their butter on some crackers. Most defiantly a hit as many of the class had more than one cracker.
A group of children worked together to gather all the things needed to have a fire – dry wood, tinder and the fire strikers. They then put all the knowledge they have gathered from other sessions together to lay the fire and get it started. Once the fire was established the class toasted themselves a marshmallow which they enjoyed in between two biscuits.
While they were sat around the fire circle the children found some cold charcoal which they rubbed onto their fingers to paint stripes onto each others faces.
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.
Using secateurs some of the children cut themselves two lengths of hazel. Then they used a knife to carefully strip the bark and add a point to their stick. Before using any tools the children were asked to explain to Dormouse how to be safe while using them, they were all able to do this very well. Once their sticks were finished some children chose to place them on the fire, they said that “it will give it a burnt look”. This was rather effective.
Working together the children put the hammock swing and slackline up by themselves. They then challenged themselves to walk along the slackline with only two sticks to help with their balance. They also took it in turns to push each other as high as they could in the swing.
Today’s session was finished by asking the class what they have really enjoyed from their time spent at Forest School while at Park Mead.
“all the food”
“exploring and making”
“making dens with my friends”