With Lauren taking a well earned rest, I have been fortunate to go to Forest School with Soraya and a group of children twice this week.
The children ask, Is my name on the list? This shows their understanding with regards to the writing on the whiteboard and their enthusiasm and keenness to venture out to Forest School.
During Monday's circle time Soraya described to the children the plan to visit the pond to look for frogs and frogspawn. As each group walked along, some children remembered the location of the pond and pointed to show the direction. We looked at the small purple crocus by the new gate and some children commented We have those in our garden.
Nearing the pond, Soraya reminded the children to sit on the bench for snack. One child noticed that his foot was slipping on the damp decking and we talking about taking care on the decking and crawling towards the edge of the pond to see what was under the water.
Following cleaning our hands, we offered fruit to each other and the children were keen to press the top of the thermos to pour their own chocolate tea.
As we shared snack, the children listened and commented on the birds singing, a person sweeping, a mower cutting and aeroplanes flying overhead. Lying on the decking Soraya demonstrated a safe way for the children to get a closer look at the pond. One by one the children led down at the edge of the water and looked in. They excitedly observed not one, not two but three frogs!
I stayed with them while Soraya ventured to the other side of the pond and gathered some frogspawn to bring back to the children. We counted her footsteps and watched closely as she balanced on a slippery stone. Soraya made it safely back to where the children were now seated in anticipation. When we pointed out the jelly like circles with dots inside the children were incredulous with some recalling the rhyme jelly on the plate and eating jelly in a cafe.
The children called goodbye frogspawn as Soraya carefully returned it to the pond. Upon returning to the Burrow the children recalled all that they had seen. Some played with the tadpole and frog shapes that Nic had made.
And at circle time at the end of the day most children joined in playing Sleeping foggies, with one child reminding us to go under the water when we led down before being woken up and jumping with our feet together.
Hope you enjoy the photos.
Kate