Hazel week 1

 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 before heading off on their own adventures.

Fire striking was very popular! It was wonderful to see such resilience, with some children feeling a little nervous about the fire at first but then gaining confidence and excitement when they successfully lit the cotton wool. Others spent time den building, creating little houses, or showing their acrobatic skills on the swings.

We finished our session with hot chocolate and biscuits around the circle. A special shout out goes to two boys who kindly volunteered to do the washing up and earned themselves an extra biscuit!