As the days are noticeably getting shorter and the Year 2 children noted that the weathervane on the church was pointing north, we started talking about Hibernation and Habitats. We discussed which animals like to sleep during the winter and particularly talked about hedgehogs! So, with four bricks and a paving slab we made a hedgehog house. I asked the children to design and build the habitat. They chose a south facing spot away from cold winds in the old Forest School area, as it would be quiet and have easy access to fields.
However, the children and my lovely Parent Helper Mrs Gosling (Isla’s Mum) pointed out a technical hiccup. It isn’t tall enough!! So future sessions will involve a rebuild, just like Grand Designs on TV! By the time you read this article, Year 1s will have built their Hedgehog House and learnt from the others’ mistake ( an essential life skill). Mrs Waters (Gray’s Mum) will also have joined us at Forest School in drier weather. We are so grateful to the Parent Helpers for coming out with Seedling Class.
Finally, thank you to Mrs Bull for giving us the paving slabs and to Wickes in Tunbridge Wells, who when they heard why I was buying bricks, very kindly donated them.
Mrs Williams
Autumn is such a lovely season to explore and play in Forest School.
Little Acorns are really bonding as a group and are enjoying both woodland games and free play together.
They have been busy creating conker runs with crates, tyres and pipes – working out how to make the conkers go faster and further.
They have also been introduced to palm drills and supported to make a conker necklace each.
The maple tree in the churchyard is beginning to change colour. The children have spotted orange, yellow, brown and green leaves and noticed some that are falling on the ground. We will continue to observe the tree over the coming weeks.
Acorns continue to explore their creativity through clay, conker models, drilling conkers and inventions with our large-scale loose parts.
They are challenging themselves with climbing and embracing all the woodland games with lots of energy.
Mrs Cassé