Forest School Blog

Today our Year 1 children had their very first Forest School adventure! Half the class explored in the morning, and the other half in the afternoon. The weather gave us everything – bright blue skies one moment and heavy downpours the next – but we embraced it all and had such fun in the rain. We started by walking down to our Forest School site, thinking about a good Forest school name. Around the fire circle, we played games, shared ideas, and talked about the treasures of autumn – conkers, acorns, and blackberries. Mrs Sunderland showed the children how to use a palm drill to make holes in conkers for threading, and then we picked juicy blackberries from the hedgerow to mash up for tie-dye. The children loved experimenting with fabric, elastic bands, and berry dye to create beautiful patterns. There was plenty of excitement with den building, bug hunting, and even catching raindrops from the canopy. We finished off with a treat of apples, hot chocolate, and biscuits made by the c...

  Today was Apple Class’s final Forest School session. We began the morning talking about the children visiting us from Cowes Primary. One thoughtful child suggested we make gifts to welcome them… and the creative ideas started flowing! Before long, the children were busy crafting. Some made beautiful God’s Eye weavings, others created pencil pots, welcome signs, or adorable bumblebees from pinecones. We also got hands-on with some new woodland skills:  We learned how to use the bow saw to slice cherry wood safely.  We practiced standing properly around the saw horse and had another go with peelers to whittle wood.  The palm drills made a return too!  Some children built an impressive den, while others relaxed in the hammock, soaking in the birdsong. And then it was time for cooking!  Together we made campfire doughnuts, carefully frying them over the fire. Robyn gave them a big thumbs-up—“10 out of 10!” She declared! To end the morning we gathered in a ref...

 Yesterday, our brilliant Year 3s had a fantastic Forest School session on a very warm day—and it just so happened to be National Bee Day ! 🐝💛 We kicked things off by learning some fascinating bee facts: 🍯 Bees can’t see the colour red 🌍 There are over 20,000 species of bees around the world 🌱 Without bees, we wouldn’t have most of our food—they play a vital role in helping plants grow! After our bee-themed learning, it was time to get creative and active! The children made their own bees using pine cones, wool, and carrier bags for wings. Then they moved on to fire striking, den building, and a splash-filled listening game of Dragons and Knights , complete with water pistols to help everyone cool off. 💦🛡️🐉 A special shout-out to Evie , who got the fire going so we could toast chocolate brioche and enjoy some refreshing squash to end a perfect day. 🔥🍫🥤 Well done, Year 3—you were brilliant, brave, and buzzing with energy all day long!