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January 2022

We are so happy to be back at Forest School! We have learnt new team games, explored the environment and searched for objects to match our scavenger hunt cards. We ended our Forest School adventures with learning how to use a striker safely. Thank you to our older children for taking responsibility and teaching our younger learners how to have fun but to be safe.
“I was scared to use the striker but I watched my partner and then I felt confident to have a go”. 

December 2021

A beautiful cold, crispy day! This afternoon we learnt that you need fuel, oxygen and a spark to make a fire. We learnt how to make a spark using a striker which was a challenge however with perseverance, we were successful. What a great afternoon!

”I enjoyed using a striker because I haven’t used one before”.

We enjoyed a brilliant afternoon at Forest School with a Christmas theme! Together, we created Forest creatures using clay and natural resources! A cold and creative afternoon!

”The clay was cold, soft and wet. I learnt that if you roll the clay in your hand then it is easier to use.”

”This was fun because I have never tried this before”.

November 2021
Today we thought about habitats and explored the forest area to see what insects live in a woodland. We were then challenged to reuse plastic water bottles to create our own wormerys!

We learn’t new team games, used our senses on the blindfold trail and used cards to explore the environment!

”I now know that it is really hard to do the blindfold trail if you have a blindfold on! I learnt that if I felt where I was going with my feet and walked slowly then it was a bit easier”.

October 2021

Wow! Autumn time is the best time for creating woodland art using the natural materials around us. We used clay to create art on the tree trunks and used leaves & twigs on decorate. Artist, James Brunt inspired us to create our own woodland art – What do you think?

 
September 2021

We practised being still and listening to the sounds around us. We later explored habitats!

“I’ve learnt that water scorpions live in a lake!”
We also found pond skaters, ramshorn snails, water beetles & two grass snakes!

January 2020

A muddy, soggy Forest School session today but our children remained enthusiastic by taking part in team games and challenges – Well done to you all. “I learnt that even if it is raining, we can still go outside and learn – It’s fun!”

 

 

 

 

 

December 2019

Today we made willow stars which we found quite a challenge so we helped each other and used our perseverance skills. We were lucky enough to enjoy the crackle of a fire and a roasted marshmallow today – Thank you Liz for our great sessions.

“I improved my listening skills because you had to listen to Liz to be safe. I enjoyed making friends with the children from Hewish”. 

 

What a great afternoon at Forest School enjoying some sunshine whilst learning how to create and be safe around fire. “I don’t want Forest School to end”, Quinn.

We had a very festive session at Forest School yesterday which involved creating leaf Christmas trees and working together to make our own twig stars – Don’t they look great!

November 2019

A great first session for these children today who were challenged to explore their surroundings using descriptive cards and used great skills in team games. Good listening, creative thinking and collaboration in action!

 

“After a few weeks of attending, it is so nice to see him grow in confidence from being there and hear about his day. He now wishes he could go every week!”

November 2019

Today we learnt about making a fire safely. We were set the challenge of making a spark using fire strikers and explored different foods that could be cooked on a fire. Great working together, perseverance and thinking shown today.

October 2019

Today we were challenged to find natural objects in the environment around us that matched the cards we were given. The children joined together and discussed what they had found.

We moved onto team games and learning to camouflage ourselves in our surroundings which proved more of a challenge than we first thought!

We ended the session with a mindfulness activity and listening to what we could hear around us.

“I can hear the birds tweeting”.

“I can hear a rumble – I think it might be traffic on the road”.

“I can hear the wind blowing”.

On our way back, we were lucky enough to spot two baby field voles under a piece of tin – Wow!

September 2019

“First you need to stand up and make an acute angle with the metal. Then you have to put the striker on the stick, push down and flick”. The children learnt how to make a spark today in order to safely make a fire – “You need a spark, oxygen and wood”.

The weather wasn’t on our side this afternoon however that didn’t stop us! We created artwork using natural objects around us and inspirational artwork by

The weather wasn’t on our side this afternoon however that didn’t stop us! We created artwork using natural objects around us and inspirational artwork by James Brunt. “To begin with we are going to make a frame using sticks and then ”.

It was a great first session back at Forest School today where children explored their surroundings using challenge cards and team games. We even found a small toad and quite a few slugs which sparked curiosity and questions.

 

“My daughter really enjoyed Forest school  – It gave her the confidence to use her ideas she learnt out and about with her family – Thank you”. 

 

October 2018

Today, the children learnt that we needed oxygen, a spark and fuel to make fire, the children displayed lots of perseverance and a great attitude when using the ‘flint’ lighters, and all managed to create sparks!

The children gave the adults some super explanations on what they had learnt over the last 4 weeks of Forest School – today’s session was rounded off with marshmallow toasting – yum!

September 2018

During this session, the children discussed senses and what it might feel like if some of these senses were taken away – they were blindfolded and had to help each other using the rope to move around the trees. “It was tricky not being able to see but I helped other people and they helped me”.

The children then moved further into the wood and were split into 2 groups, they each gathered natural materials to build a den! “We are using leaves for the roof to camouflage it so it looks like a tree”.

Today we explored habitats, the canopy and talked about arachnids. Suggestions were shared about what we would find in the canopy – owls, buzzards, woodpeckers and the types of things they would eat – small birds, worms and insects.

Liz posed the question – Can a plant live on another plant? The children discussed their ideas and came up with different answers. Fungi, Ivy and moss were shared and the children found examples of these in the environment.

Exploring the environment and the different habitats, the children collected spiders, snails, worms, millipedes and studied them under a magnifying glass. We learnt that a snail has 1 foot and which insects would be an arachnid.

The children used nets to explore the lake and see what lived in this type of habitat. Snails, newts, and toads were found. Discussions around the difference between a frog and a toad were explored – a spotty belly and smooth skin lead us to believe we had found a toad!

Our first week back at Forest School of the new academic year – it was fabulous to be back in the great outdoors!

Our first group spent some time getting to know the new surroundings and met Liz, they then played some ‘getting to know you’ games and had fun playing ‘hide and spy’.

The children then got into small groups and were given a sheet of items to hunt for in the environment – finding some of the items was a challenge but they all managed it – one of the children said that their best find was tiny seeds inside a leaf! A great first week back 🙂