The Den and Burrow teamed up last week to make some rather delicious pancakes to mark Shrove Tuesday. And what a delicious week it was...
Read moreI can eat 3!
"The Anticipation" - just too much to bear!
Finding Their Own Path
I should probably apologise. If your child has been coming home and making arrows from anything they can get their hands on and appropriating foods at dinner times for arrow making purposes, then apologies for any lost property and distracted children at the dinner table...
Read moreTeamwork Makes the Dream Work
Many hands make light work! 💪🏻
Happy New Year lovely parents and readers! I hope 2017 has started well for you all and I'd like to personally offer a warm welcome all of our new Den room families! I look forward to sharing all our Forest School adventures with you over the coming months. We've jumped back into the outdoor fun with plenty of work to keep our bodies warm and the site looking ship shape!
Read moreThe Forest School Holiday Club Christmas Special
MERRY CHRISTMAS! 🎅🏻
We once again opened up our Paddock to welcome lots of excited children back for our Holiday Club. This time it was the turn of our Christmas Special: Two days of 'Festive Forest School Frolicking' in the wonderful outdoors.
Read more"That's not a knife, THIS is a knife!"
If, when picking up your child from Nursery or Kindergarten, you were informed your 3yr old had been whittling with a fixed bladed bushcraft knife whilst sitting out in the cold, what would your immediate reaction be?
Read moreWillow Work
As the trees began to leave a beautiful golden carpet of leaves on site, it heralded the time to tend to the site for Winter. Brambles, raspberries, and trees are all for the chop to promote more manageable and stronger growth for the oncoming seasons.
Read moreTea from Harvested Hedgerows
We have been getting the Den children used to rhythms and routines in our busy room, as well as to the wonderful outdoor space in the Paddock we share on Forest School.
Read moreDo You Need a Hand?
Forest School offers a lot of freedom. Freedom to explore. Freedom to imagine and create. Freedom to move. Sure, they get these element elsewhere too, but being able to do this throughout the outdoors, largely unfettered by the nuisance grownups sticking their oars in, makes their learning and development meaningful and memorable.
Read moreMacho Macho Kids
Forest School this week has looked at what it means to be STRONG! Against popular belief, I haven't been secretly training my own little army of Forest School minions ready to over-through Midsomer Norton at a moments notice, so I can final establish my Red Fox kingdom! (although that does sound like fun).
Read moreA Healthy Dollop Of Risk and Challenge
When observing play/learning situations on Forest School, I have to weigh up a lot of decisions in my head. Is their play safe? Should I step in here? How could I extend their learning? Which direction is that child taking their play?
Read moreForest School Holiday Club - Red Fox Report
Another Holiday Club has zipped by faster than your wild children down our zip-line. It was another fully booked week of absolute madness and fun. Here's what we got up to!
Read moreInCredible Edibles - Making Wild Tea
Bottoms Up!
Little pinkies out! Let's have a cuppa! Anyone fancy a brew? Our Forest Schoolers however haven't been drinking any old builders swill. We've been foraging for the freshest most delicious greenery in our paddock to make some delicious conceptions to sample!
Read moreWhy do Woodlice have Moustaches?
LOVE BUG
Have you ever seen a Pond Snail egg sack? The poisonous jaws on a Centipede? Perhaps the tongue of Slow Worm? Well neither had many of our Forest Schoolers until we went creeping for crawlies (or crawling for creepies!)
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 moreApril Forest School Holiday Club
It's incredibly rewarding to know that you're on the right path. Our Holiday Club continues to grow in popularity and the same faces keep coming back, so we're glad we're doing something right.
Read moreFebruary Forest School Club
Firstly, I would like to say a very BIG thank you. Thank you to all you parents for supporting the work we do at our Free Rangers Holiday Clubs.
Read moreCrafting for Christmas' Sake
When dressing the Harding family Christmas Tree, I smile when unwrapping the brightly coloured Papier-mâché hearts and stars that have been so carefully crafted by myself and my siblings in our earliest educational years...
United Under a Muddy Cause - Our October Holiday Club
Clad in waterproofs and united under a muddy cause, we once again played host to a hoard of faces, here at Free Rangers for another week of exciting Forest School Holiday Club.
Read moreThey came. They conquered.
Forest School: Igniting fires of curiosity to inspire children to explore, play and thrive outside.
Free Rangers once again opened it's doors to what can be only be described as a HORDE of children to come and play, learn and thrive at Free Rangers Forest School Holiday Club. It not only proved to be the busiest Holiday Club we've ever run, but also the most fun!
Read moreCroc O'Clock
Last Thursday 16th July we welcomed some new friends to Free Rangers for the morning. The Croc Experience came to visit with some exciting creatures that challenged our children (and some parents) to push aside any fears and enjoy these amazing animals.
Read more