Forest Schools Learning

During our Forest Schools session this week with the morning children we have explored a part of the woods that we have not visited before. The children have enjoyed exploring new areas and creating new games to play. We have discovered new life growing in the area and are excited to know what the little shoots will grow into.

We have begin a daily routine now to establish a calm easy approach to the session and each day we sing quietly our good morning song to welcome each other and the children are choosing areas of the woods to say good morning to. We have had adventures searching for animal tracks and homes and have discovered three fox holes and a number of rabbit burrows. The birds are coming to visit us more and more and each day the children are feeding the birds. So far we have seen a robin and two chaffinches, a number of magpies and when returning we love to chase the seagulls though for some reason they never seem too keen to stay and play! At the end of each session we sing our Thank you song.

The children have also enjoyed using the hammock this week which is something completely new. Getting in and out requires some skills! The children laying in the hammock have looked up through the trees and told us the forest looks different here.

There has been some really great den building taking place but above all the children are building on their relationships and their resilience, attempting things and enjoying their achievements when they succeed. Some children have shown frustration at not been able to get to the top of the hill but others have been heard to give encouragement , praise and empathy to the child unable to get to the top. Words of encouragement used have been….You can do it!….Keep trying….Well done and maybe next time.

The children have been very sad to notice that hanging in the trees have been some little green bags, we have discussed that people who have dogs should make sure they don’t leave their bags of dog waste behind. After the holidays the children will be making some posters to encourage the members of the public to please not put dog waste where we play and learn.

Great to see so many children now bringing their own wellington boots to nursery for forest school sessions, thank you so much for this.

The group going out after the holiday will be the afternoon children. There will be lists up in the nursery when we return.

Have a lovely holiday and see you all on the 18th.