Hawthorn class week 4

What a great Forest School session we had with our Year Five children this morning! Under a bright blue sky, the ground was covered with a blanket of white frost that made everything sparkle.

Before we even reached the site, the children were eager to explore. Our new climbing equipment wasn’t used for climbing today, but because the tarmac beneath was completely white over! They loved comparing surfaces, discovering that the wooden trim edge was actually more slippery than the tarmac — almost like a giant outdoor ice rink! As we walked the perimeter of the field collecting spaghetti- and pencil-sized sticks for our fire, we found huge icy shards in the digging trench and stopped to look at our extra-long shadows.

Some parts of the field were already defrosting in the sunshine, while others stayed frosty and white, giving the children lots to observe and wonder about. 

Down at the Forest School site, we gathered in a circle and practised some knot-tying. We then learned the clove hitch — an essential knot for the survival challenge ahead.

Working in teams of three, the children imagined a friend had fallen into cold water and they needed to build a fire quickly to warm them up. With only limited materials — a small metal tray, flint and steel, cotton wool, a tiny natural firelighter, a few pieces of kindling, string, two sticks, a ruler and scissors — they got to work.

The challenge? Measure and cut a 40cm piece of string, tie it with a clove hitch 15cm up two sticks to create a mini washing line, position it over their tray, and light a fire strong enough to burn through the string. The resilience, determination, teamwork and problem-solving on display were fantastic. All teams managed to do this and they were even able to toast a marshmallow on their mini fires!