There's something wonderful about allowing children to make a legitimate mess. It can provide such fantastic learning opportunities. It's when we apply a certain level of meaning to the mess created that we can see the magic happening...
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 moreMove. Think. Play. Like a Bug!
If I asked any of our Forest Schoolers which space they like to play in the most, I would know. It's simple really. It's the space that offers the most diverse options for play. Our Tree House gets an absolute hammering from the children, but then again so does the rest of the site...
Read moreStories from Beneath the Apple Tree
The mystery! The intrigue!
Picture the scene: a gaggle of giggly preschoolers sit attentively under the shade of our bowing apple tree. The sun streaks through the leaves leaving dappled sun spots on the ground, as the children create collective stories from a mismatch of natural resources. Not bad.
Read moreSticks: Conduits for Creativity
E Y E - S P Y A D V E N T U R E O N T H E H O R I Z O N
The wonderful thing about children is, children are wonderful things. Why? Simple really, they have innate ability to turn on their creativity without having to think about doing it. Play comes very easily to them. When we get older and we are educated, and bent and shaped by external forces into knuckle dragging boring adults, it often very hard to get back into the swing of our creativity.
Read moreRoleplay is Goodplay
"Oh yes please! I would love to try your cake..."
First off, I'd like to thank the excellent Den team for filling in last week whilst I was away, running our Holiday Clubs for (as they are now known by the Nursery children) "The Big Boy and Girls". Whilst I love running these weeks, it always nice to come back to the simplicity of Forest School with the Nursery children.
Read more