Forest Kindergarten Learning

Forest Learning

During this week we have had a few visits to the forest but as this has been a shorter week we will return to our normal weekly visits next week.

The children continue to develop their wonder and curiosity in the natural world around them in the woods. They continue to amaze us how resilient they are and how well they can assess their own risk and capabilities.

We are giving the children more and more responsibility when they are in the woods, this week asking them to tell the adults the rules and they were all fully able to recall the safety rules we have in place for them.

Using our gather song “Lets all make a circle ” gives they children freedom to explore the woods with freedom knowing that when they hear the adults sing that song its time to gather together, please be rest assured they are never out of our sight though. We also have our “Welcome song” this the children sing to each other during snack time and its a really nice way to take a few minutes and recognize our friends and the woods around us.

There has been lots of things to see this week and the children have recognized many changes around them from buds on the trees to a patch of wild garlic we have found growing in the woods. Pesto Pasta in the future for snack time!

There have been many changes in the environment and allowing the children to make these discoveries has been lovely to watch, though the patch of nettles we found not so much! Though we  have learnt that they sting and will avoid in the future!

Numeracy and how the children use this naturally in their conversations and play continues and mark making with rocks and charcoal we find is also taking place regularly.

There was a little disappointment for the children this week as sadly our circle of logs that we have been developing had been destroyed during the holidays, however not to be deterred they soon gathered the scattered logs and remade this. Prompting a conversation from the children about how its “Not nice to break things that don’t belong to us, Mrs Paterson is it?” and ” We have to look after the woods don’t we” . These are conversations initiated by the children and show how they are already developing life skills that will stay with them.

Having the freedom to continue to develop those vital core skills for their transitions to P 1 is taking place every day, respecting our world and each other, following rules and sharing are just a few of the skills the children are experiencing in a natural environment that they absolutely love.