Meet a Tree
The children have been learning how to identify trees, by improving their oracy, in their Forest School sessions. Working in pairs, one child was blindfolded while their partner carefully led them to a tree. Once there, the children used their sense of touch to explore the tree without being able to see it.
They had to describe what they could feel and notice, using precise vocabulary to talk about the different textures and features of the tree. We encouraged children to think about words such as rough, smooth, bumpy, ridged, flaky, hard, soft, cold and warm, when describing the bark, branches, leaves and anything else they could discover.
The children were then led away from the area and their blindfold was removed. Their challenge was to use the descriptions and sensory information they had gathered to find the tree they had "met".
This was a great opportunity to develop speaking and listening skills, particularly asking questions, giving clear instructions and listening carefully to a partner. It was also a lovely reminder that we don't always need our eyes to explore and understand the natural world.
