Forest School Blog

  Yesterday our Year 5 children had another exciting session at Forest School, with a special focus on water. It was a good opportunity to combine outdoor learning, science and teamwork. We began by talking about why water is so important for our bodies. The children discovered that our bodies are made up of a large percentage of water and that we cannot survive for very long without it. This led us to explore the water cycle — how water travels through evaporation, condensation and precipitation, continually moving around our planet. One of the facts that really captured the children’s imagination was learning that the water on Earth today is the same water that existed when the dinosaurs were alive! The idea that the water we drink may once have been part of a dinosaur’s world was fascinating. After our discussion, the children took on a practical challenge. Working in small groups, they were asked to design and build their own water filters using a range of materials. Each group...

  Hazel Class enjoyed their very first Forest School session this afternoon, and we were incredibly lucky with the weather – beautiful blue skies made it a perfect start to our afternoon outdoors. First, we talked about nature names, thinking of ideas we could use for our Forest School check-ins. The children came up with some lovely nature-inspired suggestions. Next, we introduced the fire triangle, as the children were going to try fire striking for the first time. We talked about the three things needed to create a fire: fuel, oxygen and heat. Mrs Sunderland then demonstrated how to use a flint and steel safely. Before starting our activities, the children took part in a Forest School treasure hunt to help them get to know the site, which was completely new for many of the Year 5s. They had to find seven things around the area: 🌳 a new tree 💧 some water 🚩 a flag 🌲 a pinecone 🌿 a swing 🏕️ a den The children excitedly explored the site searching for these items befo...

  What a fantastic way for Year 5 to finish their Forest School journey this morning! We began outside the welly boot sheds, talking about the weather and introducing our Mini Fire Challenge. Before any flames were struck, we needed about what direction was the wind blowing? Where should we position our fire safely?  We headed to the playground to find the compass and discussed wind direction, temperature and cloud cover and decided upon a south westerly wind. Back at site, we used our new thermometer and talked about seasonal weather patterns for this time of year. The children confidently revisited the fire triangle — heat, fuel and oxygen — and explained how removing just one element would extinguish a fire.  In groups of three, the children were given everything they needed to build their own mini fire:  Fire strikers  birch wood tinder and cotton wool   Kindling  A small natural fire lighter  A metal tray They had to consider p...

Today at Forest School we gathered together in our fire circle and talked about having a healthy brain as well as a healthy body. We discussed well-being and how important it is to look after ourselves – not just by eating well and being active, but also by taking quiet moments for ourselves. We talked about how children have very busy lives with lots of demands from school and home, and how sometimes it’s good to slow down. With this in mind, we went to our favourite spots around the Forest School site for a short mindfulness activity. We remembered our 3 S’s – Sit still, be silent, be seated – and spent two minutes listening to the birds, watching the trees and looking at the clouds. When Mrs. Sunderland played the drum, we returned to the fire circle and shared how it felt. Some children found it relaxing, others found it tricky at first, but many noticed they felt calmer afterwards. Jessica, who chose a spot in the woodland, even had two robins come and sit near her during the acti...