For two weeks now on forest school we have been exploring the mud kitchen in the lower paddock. When we arrived the children got stuck in straight away with no holding back. In the kitchen we have the usual pots, pans and utensils for the children to play with.
Read moreThe adventures of under the arch!
So a new term normally means new toys, and that means new imagination, new adventures and more fun. Burrow and Den parents, I expect you've noticed we've had a little move around and there's some new bits and bobs about.
Read moreLift the Bar
Working in childcare is an emotionally and physically draining, we decided as a team that we also needed to invest time in looking after ourselves and do our best to buck the trend of the two hour toilet research!
Read moreMaking the Spark
Today whilst on lunch, Lucy approached me with puppy looking eyes saying my name very sweetly “Lauren, you're a forest school leader!” Of course, my initial reaction was to say “I'm too busy” but I sat and listened. She asked if I could write down a few reasons why we use fires on forest school and the benefits of this.
Read moreGross and fine motor skills in the Burrow
Over the past two weeks in the Burrow, the children have been using their gross and fine motor skills within their play. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the term gross and fine motor skills, here’s what it means:
Read moreFrom The Hive to The Burrow and from the Burrow to the Den
It’s that time of year again when we say hello to our new children and goodbye to our older children as we move into new rooms. Don’t panic yet, the official moving date won’t be until September
Read moreSunflowers
Back at the beginning of April a group of Den children planted some sunflower seeds. Over the last few months we have been watering them and observing their progress.
Read moreOUR NEW CLIMBING FRAME - NOURISHING THAT SENSE OF ADVENTURE!
In the words of Fiona Danks and Jo Schofield, authors of Nature’s Playground: Life is full of risk, so the best way to prepare children for life is to ensure they know how to judge risk for themselves. The children in the Den became curious looking at the box which had been delivered to their room.
Read moreThe Free Rangers Mini 3 Peaks Challenge
You may have noticed recently some of your Free Rangers staff tackled the 3 Peaks Challenge, attempting to climb Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon in under 24hrs. Whilst this challenge fell at the feet of an intrepid few nursery staff, we wanted to extend the challenge to our Free Range kids as well, and set about challenging them to their own sponsored mini 3 Peaks.
Read moreSleeping bunnies
In the Burrow, the sleep routine begins with the early morning conversations between parents and staff about any changes in home sleep patterns - has the child slept well or woken early or is the child may be growing out of an afternoon nap?
Read moreReady, Steady, MOVE!
Children like to move. If you've ever tried to keep a child sat still for any length of time you'll agree that it's nigh on impossible. So when we go on Forest School we make sure we keep any stillness to a minimum!
Read moreUnder the Arch!
As many of you know, there is an arch way at Free Rangers that is just through the main gates, before you get to the Burrow. Most parents would walk under the arch every day to get to the Burrow and Den rooms.
Read moreStrawberries!
Since moving our strawberries to their new position in the ‘strawberry bed’ in the Farmhouse Garden, we have been eagerly awaiting the appearance of the delicious, juicy fruits that we have come to expect from our crop.
Read moreDigging Deep for Free Rangers
You might be aware that we recently completed The Department of Health's "Healthy Outcomes Certificate in Early Years". As part of this, we organised a Big Dig day in a bid to add an extra dimension to our little patch of Somerset.
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