The whole school wet to the woods as part of our Well-being day. They spent the morning covering health, first aid, mindfulness and sensory awareness as part of our learning.
In the afternoon parents were invited to come along for the afternoon.
The slack line balancing showed the impact of the children’s confidence in taking risks and their self-belief in their climbing skills.
Bridge building was hugely popular. The children engaged for over an hour to construct a bridge and problem solve how to get themselves across the stream. They collected and measured their own wood, constructed and deconstructed it. They took turns in crossing over, trying not to wobble off. The children talked about why the wood might be slippery of why it might snap and break if it is dead.
The children continued to extend and develop the dens they had made last week. Refining their design and critical thinking skills, as well as building their negotiating and team working skills.
Den making and role-play adventures with friends.
The whole school joined in with tapping sticks, following rhythms and singing together after our arrival in the woods.
We had a huge number of parents join us for the session. It is so fantastic to have their support and participation in our school events.
The impact of Forest School can be seen through the skills learned and developed and through art and craft activities
This week the progression of skills was evident as the children showed how dextrous they were with their knot tying skills. They created Christmas decorations out of string and natural materials.
The children used trowels to dig and found some bluebell bulbs, which they remembered were used to make glue in the past.
The impact of Forest School is also evident in the 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.
This week we had a great game of 1,2,3 change tree!
There was time for a fire and a demonstration of the development of skills in fire lighting across the age ranges of the children.
They could use their practical skills for real gain today, as they warmed themselves by the fire they had made.
We talked about why we had come to Forest School and its impact on the children. The children all thought about how beneficial the different activities and experiences they have at Forest School are for their well-being. A great end to a successful day of being well.