Year 6 have worked so hard on their debris shelters and were really excited this week to build fires near them. They made sunken fires following a “no trace” fire making format. Some used the fire bowl to protect the tree roots where they had dug down. Others decided to have a go at a no trace fir
The pots and mushrooms have had their first bisque firing in the kiln, this hardens the clay to make a more durable form. The clay is now dry and porous, so will need glazing to add colour and seal the surface. Lindsey explained and demonstrated the process, then the children and residents chose th
John, one of the Angel Court residents, has a passion for gnomes. He has joined a new walking group on Fridays, which he is really enjoying but we know he misses seeing the children each week. With that in mind we thought it would be a nice surprise to make some gnomes for him and place them in t
Year 4 collaborated to construct obstacles for an assault course. Forest School opportunities are designed to build on an individual’s innate motivation, positive attitudes and/or interests. Any Forest School experience follows a Risk–Benefit process managed jointly by the practitioner and learn
Now the days are getting longer, so our hens are beginning to lay. The nursery children collected the eggs today. They were very surprised at how many colours and sizes there were. Who knew you could get blue or even green eggs! They were even more surprised when the eggs were cracked, they all lo
Year 4 children really enjoyed last weeks STEM related Forest School session and wanted more. Miss Rowe thought she would increase the challenge by giving them very different objects to assist with the carry. This weeks selection, some pallets, boards and long, straight logs. At first there was a t
Having free time to experiment in our Forest School is the perfect way for the children to gain confidence and independence. As you can see they approached the session with gusto. It was lovely to see them playing together, helping each other and sharing ideas. This free play time is so vital for th
Year 6 have been learning about more robust methods of shelter building. This simple debris shelter design is a really effective way of creating a weather-proof shelter, quickly. Miss Rowe had built a small scale model, this was a free standing shelter but this design also works well if you use the
Year 6 have been looking at different types of birds nests. Most birds in this country build cup style nests, but there are many different types of nest across the world. Today the children attempted to make “oven” or “dome” nests. They used clay as a base, some fashioned 2 pinch pots firs
Year 2 created cup nests using clay as a base, many birds use soil and clay, sticking it into the shape to give a more solid structure. They searched out moss, bark and lichen to create camouflage. Some children who wanted to challenge themselves attempted to make adherent cup nests, probably the m
