{"id":43751,"date":"2026-10-15T12:33:21","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T11:33:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pioneerfederation.co.uk\/stmarys\/?p=43751"},"modified":"2026-10-25T13:02:48","modified_gmt":"2026-10-25T13:02:48","slug":"forest-school-with-maple-lilac-buddies-term-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pioneerfederation.co.uk\/stmarys\/forest-school-with-maple-lilac-buddies-term-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Forest School with Maple & Lilac Buddies Term 1"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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What a fantastic first Forest School experience for Maple Class! We were incredibly impressed by the children\u2019s enthusiasm and excitement as they prepared for their visit to the woods. Having never visited our Forest School site before, the children were full of questions about where they were going and what they might discover.<\/p>

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The journey to the forest was an important part of our learning. The children began to familiarise themselves with the routines and expectations of travelling safely as a group. We learned where to stop and wait for everyone to catch up, how to stay together and how to look out for one another along the way. As we walked, we paused to observe the trees and notice the changing colours of the leaves. Many children were already familiar with the changes that take place during autumn, and this prompted some lovely comments about what we could see both above us in the branches and beneath our feet on the ground.<\/p>

We also talked about the importance of being aware of our surroundings. While the Croft provides a relatively flat, open space where children can enjoy running, the narrower woodland paths have exposed tree roots and uneven ground. The children were encouraged to look carefully where they were placing their feet, developing their awareness of the environment and learning how to manage the changes in the terrain. We also discussed pedal power<\/em> and what to do when we encountered cyclists, runners or other people and animals using the route. Learning when to call out, move safely to one side and allow others to pass helped the children begin to understand their responsibility for keeping themselves and others safe.<\/p>

Many children were keen to run alongside their Year 6 buddies along the Forest Way, and it was lovely to see the older children offering encouragement and guidance throughout the journey. These relationships provided valuable opportunities for kindness, cooperation and confidence-building, allowing the younger children to learn from their older peers in a natural and enjoyable way.<\/p>

Arriving at the woods, Maple Class met Dormouse, our Forest School leader, for the very first time. Before the children began exploring, we talked through our woodland rules and took a short walk around the site with our buddies. This helped everyone become familiar with the boundaries, establish expectations and learn how to explore the space safely.<\/p>

\"Maple <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Maple <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>

Once the children were ready, they were free to explore, follow their interests and discover what the woodland had to offer. Some children became absorbed in working with clay, moulding and shaping their own mushrooms and supporting their buddies to create theirs. Others drilled holes into conkers and decorated them to represent the fungi we had been observing in the woodland. These activities encouraged creativity, fine motor development and close observation.<\/p>

\"Maple <\/a> <\/div>
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For those who wanted to investigate further, we set off on a mini fungi hunt. We were lucky enough to spot some beautiful red mushrooms with white spots, prompting conversations about the fungi growing around us. The children wondered whether fairies might live beneath them and whether the mushrooms could be fairy homes! This imaginative thinking brought a real sense of magic to our woodland exploration. Alongside these ideas, we talked about why it is important not to knock down or damage the mushrooms we find, and how fungi contribute to the diversity and health of the woodland. The children were encouraged to appreciate these fascinating discoveries while treating the woods with care and respect.<\/p>

\"Maple <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Maple <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>

There were plenty of opportunities for physical challenge and collaborative play, too. The slackline was available for those who wanted to have a go, while the hammock and swing proved particularly popular. It was wonderful to watch the older buddies helping their younger partners work out how to get onto the swing safely. As the swing was quite high, the children showed impressive resourcefulness by finding logs to create makeshift steps. Together, they worked out how to make the swing more accessible, demonstrating problem-solving and teamwork.<\/p>

\"Maple <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Maple <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Maple <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>

Creativity and collaboration continued when a group of children decided they wanted to build a den. They worked together to collect a variety of logs, ranging in size to construct a teepee-shaped shelter. Their ideas soon grew, and before long there was even a table and chair where they could sit and enjoy imaginative play. The den became a space shaped by the children\u2019s own ideas, giving them opportunities to share resources and work towards a common goal.<\/p>

\"Maple <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Maple <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Maple <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Maple <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
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The woodland also offered some unexpected discoveries. While searching for logs, one child spotted a tiny frog hopping away through the forest. He excitedly described seeing a little baby frog, which he said was hopping and ribbiting as it disappeared into the woodland.<\/p>

Before leaving, we washed our hands and gathered around the fire circle. We discussed the rules for this special area, including the importance of walking around the fire pit rather than running through it. We then finished with a woodland whisper<\/em> around the circle. This proved to be a funny way to end our session, as the message became increasingly muddled as it travelled from person to person! The children thoroughly enjoyed the silliness of the final words. After a well-deserved snack and drink, we prepared for the journey back to school.<\/p>

Despite having walked all the way to the woodland and spent the session exploring, Maple Class made their way back to school in record time. They were the quickest class to return after their Forest School session, which is a fantastic achievement and a testament to their energy and enthusiasm. A huge well done to every member of Maple Class for such a brilliant first visit.<\/p>

A special thank you must also go to our wonderful Lilac buddies, who supported their younger partners throughout the morning. We are also incredibly grateful to all our Forest School volunteers, both those who joined us today and those who have supported sessions throughout the term. Their time and support are invaluable in helping us provide these rich outdoor learning experiences.<\/p>

We look forward to welcoming the children back next term and building on this wonderful first experience. With their confidence growing and their interests emerging, we cannot wait to see what further discoveries and adventures await us in the forest.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What a fantastic first Forest School experience for Maple Class! We were incredibly impressed by the children\u2019s enthusiasm and excitement as they prepared for their visit to the woods. Having never visited our Forest School site before, the children were full of questions about where they were going and what they might discover. The journey […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":43761,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[50],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-forest-school"],"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/pioneerfederation.co.uk\/stmarys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Maple-class-Forest-school-write-up-Term-1.pdf-image-176.avif","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pioneerfederation.co.uk\/stmarys\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pioneerfederation.co.uk\/stmarys\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pioneerfederation.co.uk\/stmarys\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pioneerfederation.co.uk\/stmarys\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pioneerfederation.co.uk\/stmarys\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43751"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/pioneerfederation.co.uk\/stmarys\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43751\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43777,"href":"https:\/\/pioneerfederation.co.uk\/stmarys\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43751\/revisions\/43777"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pioneerfederation.co.uk\/stmarys\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43761"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pioneerfederation.co.uk\/stmarys\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pioneerfederation.co.uk\/stmarys\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pioneerfederation.co.uk\/stmarys\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}