This half term, 15 children from Reception Class have started Forest School sessions with Mrs Farrington and had their first visit today.
Our session began with our daily risk assessment and a game of follow my leader into the woodland, listening and looking carefully as to what we might find. We certainly had to watch where we were walking as we found plenty of vole holes in the ground!
When we arrived at base camp we met ‘Explorer Ted’ who set us the task of marking out the boundary area with bright orange coloured rope.
We went off in groups and helped each other tie the rope to the trees. We had lots to talk about as we identified which trees were on the boundary, the size of their trunks and how much rope we would need to tie around each tree.
Next we played a game called ‘1, 2, 3, where are you?’ which helps children become familiar with our recall signal as well as becoming more familiar with the woodland terrain and environment.
‘1, 2, 3, where are you?’….
‘1, 2, 3, I’m over here!’
(Hiding behind a tree!)
Once the children have become familiar with our woodland base camp, they will be guided to use the stimulus of the setting to pursue their interests and become independent learners. The woodland classroom provides the opportunity for emotional, intellectual and physical development. The children will learn about woodland flora (trees and plants) and fauna (animals and insects). They will discover how to use natural materials for arts and crafts, making music and building dens.
At the end of each session we reflect on our experiences over a drink and a snack. This week the children found a stick and drew a face to indicate how their first session went. The woodland floor was covered in smiley faces!
We can’t wait for our next Forest School session.