Week 4 Hawthorn bird feeders

 What a great morning for our Year 5 children at Forest School! The bright blue skies made for a perfect outdoor adventure—especially after being indoors last week.

On our walk down to the Forest School site, we searched for pencil- and spaghetti-sized wood, learning about different types of kindling and how to sort and grade them for fire-building. Once gathered around the fire circle, we played a game called ‘pass the pulse’ before diving into a discussion about the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch. Inspired by this, the children took on the challenge of designing and making bird feeders using large plastic bottles, thinking carefully about their key features, such as a roof and a platform for feeding birds.

We then moved on to tool work, where the children were introduced to their first tool—a peeler! Safety was a top priority as we learned about the blood bubble and how to handle tools correctly. To start, we practiced peeling carrots before moving on to woodwork. Some children chose to whittle a toasting fork in preparation for our first fire, where we toasted delicious chocolate brioche! Some children used a mallet and froe and helped chop fire wood for the fire. 

Beyond the fire skills, the children had plenty of time to explore and get active—swinging in hammocks, perfecting their fire-striking techniques, and creating some fantastic clay crafts, including necklaces. To end our session, we gathered together to enjoy hot chocolate, toasted brioche, and marshmallows—the perfect way to wrap up a beautiful morning in the fresh air!