Despite the rain, Lilac Class were ready for another exciting Forest School adventure! Waterproofs on, we set off through the woods, taking time to notice what had changed since our last visit. We talked about evergreen and deciduous trees and looked closely at the leaves around us. Although we would normally expect to see the beginnings of beautiful reds, oranges, yellows and golden browns at this time of year, many of the trees were still looking surprisingly green. We did spot quite a few brown leaves, which got us thinking. Could the very hot summer have caused some trees to conserve water, resulting in their leaves dying back before they had a chance to go through their usual autumn colour changes? It was lovely to hear the children sharing ideas and trying to make sense of what they were seeing.
We also kept our eyes open for blackberries, as September is usually a great time to collect them. There weren’t quite as many ripe berries as we had hoped for, with some already past their best and others not quite ready. With the help from the blackberries stashed in Mrs Pike’s freezer and some that were picked along the way, we did manage to find enough to try natural tie-dyeing! We tied pieces of rope tightly around cotton fabric before mushing up the blackberries with a little water and using the mixture to dye the material. The results were surprisingly effective! We discovered that the tighter the rope was tied, the better the pattern, as this helped to prevent the blackberry dye from seeping into the tied sections.
Another popular activity involved making toadstools out of conkers. The children carefully drilled holes into conkers and found small sticks to push through them. Using pieces of egg carton and chalk pens, they created their own little toadstools, inspired by the fungi we could see growing around the forest. We spotted lots of different mushrooms and fungi during our explorations, but remembered to observe them carefully from a safe distance without touching them.
Our biggest challenge of the day was building a swing from natural materials. Working together, the children found suitable fallen logs and learnt how to use ropes, knots and carabiners to create their own swings. They had to think carefully about balance, positioning and how to secure the logs safely. There was plenty of problem-solving, teamwork and trial and error involved. The perseverance paid off when the children could enjoy swinging on their handmade swings!
Others chose to spend their time exploring, drawing, or searching for signs of seasonal change and seeing what they could discover hidden amongst the trees and undergrowth. It was wonderful to see the children choosing activities that interested them and becoming increasingly confident in making their own decisions outdoors.
We ended our session gathered around the fire pit with some well-deserved snacks. As we sat together, we took the opportunity to reflect on the wonderful memories we have shared with Mrs T throughout her many years at St Mary’s. We talked about the hard work, care and creativity she has brought to our school and thanked her for all the special memories she has helped to create for so many of us. A memorable Forest School session and a lovely way to finish our time together!